"Marry Kinan if you want my wealth after I die!" For the sake of inheritance, Bayu eventually married Kinan, the daughter of his servant. After taking a second wife and obtaining his stepfather's wealth, Bayu divorced Kinan and cast her out while she was pregnant. Seven years passed, and Kinan was shocked to see his ex-wife, who was once skinny, unkempt, and naive, had transformed into a stunning and alluring woman, making him desire to win her back.
"What do you want to eat today, Sir? I'll cook for you."
"No need to cook. I'll eat at the restaurant. Working overtime. If you want to cook, just cook for yourself."
"You haven't had dinner at home all week."
"That's up to me! Stop trying to control me, Kinan!"
Bayu dismissed Kinan's complaints over the phone. In truth, he had finished his work at the restaurant an hour ago. But he preferred to enjoy the evening while sipping coffee and smoking a cigarette.
Kinan, the wife he had married just months earlier, never made him happy. Their marriage was arranged, and no love had developed over time. How could it? Not only was she unattractive, but her skinny and unkempt appearance disgusted him. Falling in love with her was out of the question-or so Bayu believed.
"Bay," Kinan's voice called again.
"What?!"
"Tomorrow marks a hundred days since Father's passing. Are you coming to the grave visit? It's Friday, so it's perfect. I already asked Mother, but she refused."
"We'll see!"
Bayu ended the call abruptly. Hearing his stepfather's name made his blood boil. His current misery was all because of him.
A few months ago, when his stepfather's health was failing, and his company had gone bankrupt, the man had dragged Bayu into his troubles.
"Bay, before I die, I want you to marry Kinan."
That command infuriated Bayu. He had just returned from studying abroad and planned to take over his stepfather's garment business. But instead, he was burdened with this absurd request.
"Bay! Just do what your father asks!"
His mother, Ratna, patted his back. In the background, his stepfather's coughing echoed from the bedroom where he had been bedridden for a week.
"Well, Bay?" his stepfather urged again.
"I'll think about it. Marriage isn't something you can decide on a whim. Don't think that just because you raised me and brought me this far, you can control my life!"
Bayu didn't care about being rude to his stepfather and stormed out of the room. He headed to the kitchen to quench his thirst with cold water from the fridge.
His gaze fell on Kinan, the daughter of their long-time housemaid, Mbok Sumi. Her sweet face contrasted with her frail, malnourished frame, making her look much older than her 18 years.
"Did you hear what Father said, Mbok Sumi?"
Bayu deliberately raised his voice so Kinan could hear. The girl, dutifully chopping vegetables for dinner, glanced up briefly before lowering her gaze.
"What did Father say, Sir?"
"He's gone mad! After all my years of education, he wants me to marry Kinan!"
Kinan turned her head toward Bayu, only to be met with his sharp glare. She quickly looked down again. Bayu's frustration filled the kitchen as he crumpled an empty soda can in his hand.
"I came back home only to get married? The business is bankrupt, and now this mess?!"
Without waiting for a response from Mbok Sumi, Bayu retreated to his room upstairs, flopping onto his bed and rubbing his temples, which throbbed with anger and frustration.
"Bay!"
His mother knocked before entering in a rush. She sat on the edge of his bed and patted his thigh.
"Bay, just agree to your father's request!"
Bayu scoffed. "No way! Do you think I'm crazy enough to marry that skinny Kinan?"
"Bay, it turns out your father still has one new business-a restaurant he co-owns with a friend. I overheard him talking to his lawyer. If you refuse to marry Kinan, that restaurant will go to Mbok Sumi and her daughter."
Bayu felt like the air was sucked out of his lungs. He bolted upright, raking his fingers through his hair.
"Why is Father being so cruel to me, Mom? If not for me, who else is that restaurant for? Sure, I'm just his stepson, but he has a wife, right? Why doesn't he leave it to you? Why does Kinan have to be involved?!"
Rusdi, Bayu's stepfather, had married Ratna when Bayu was still in middle school. Mbok Sumi, their long-time maid, had been working for them even before Ratna and Bayu moved into the house. Kinan, who was only five years old then, had grown up in the household.
"Come on, Bay! I don't want to live in poverty. Don't make your father angry, or we'll end up with nothing."
"No, Mom! Marrying a maid's daughter? A scrawny one, at that? I'd rather run away back to Australia. I still have my savings!"
Bayu was stubborn, but Ratna pleaded persistently. She convinced him to marry Kinan temporarily, just until they secured the restaurant's success.
"It's only for a little while, Bay. Be smart about it! Once the restaurant is thriving, just divorce her."
"But, Mom...."
"Don't think you can keep living comfortably in Australia, Bay! If you refuse, every asset under your father's name will be gone-credit cards, cars, everything. Are you still willing to risk that?"
Having no other choice, Bayu reluctantly agreed. He walked into his stepfather's room and accepted the marriage proposal to avoid losing everything.
The night before the wedding, Bayu barged into Kinan's room.
Kinan, fresh from a shower, emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She quickly grabbed a blanket to cover herself.
"Sir, you could at least knock first," Kinan stammered.
"We're getting married tomorrow, right?" Bayu sneered.
"What do you need, Sir?"
Bayu closed the distance between them, his piercing gaze making Kinan lower her eyes. It wasn't his sharp features or intense eyes that intimidated her, but the hatred and arrogance radiating from him.
"Don't expect anything from this marriage! Feel free to consider me your husband and play your role, but I'll never let you into my heart."
Kinan's chest ached. Marriage, to her, was sacred. She couldn't promise herself that she wouldn't fall for him, but she feared the pain his cruelty would bring.
"There's nothing appealing about you, anyway," Bayu said, his lips curling into a smirk as he looked her up and down.
"I'll divorce you as soon as I can, Kinanti!"
Before vows were exchanged, Bayu had already promised her a divorce. The marriage was simple, witnessed only by Rusdi and his lawyer. It marked the beginning of Bayu's chaotic life and Kinan's daunting new role.
"Take care of Bayu for me, Kinan," Rusdi whispered to her, handing her a necklace with a key pendant.
"Someday, when you're older, you'll understand things I can't explain now-about yourself, about Bayu, and about Ratna. Stay strong to preserve this household."
"I will, Master," Kinan replied tearfully.
A month later, their lavish lifestyle crumbled. While the house remained, maintenance costs loomed. Bayu had to rely on the restaurant to sustain himself, Kinan, his mother, and their uncertain future.
"Your sister died, you should marry your brother-in-law, Nai!" I was forced to get married. After I took care of his little daughter, Rama became a polygamist when I gave birth without him! Living under the same roof with a mistress? Just look at it! I will repay you.
Being married without children is not easy. Questions from those closest to them required Arka and Lisa to deal with the complicated situation. Lisa, who had one of her ovaries removed, continued to try to get pregnant. Arka, her husband who is a doctor, is also making efforts from a medical perspective. Adopting a child was not acceptable to Arka's family. Until finally the good news of pregnancy came. While waiting for the baby's birth, a nightmare happened. Mayang, Arka's ex-fiancé's sabotage of Arka's fertility test, throws their household into disarray. Lisa is accused of cheating and carrying the fetus of Suga, her former lover. Will the ten-year wait lead to misunderstandings and a divorce?
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”