"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?
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.