"Aziz? The stern man I've heard about from the neighbors' gossip? A 38-year-old widower with two teenage kids? Oh, it doesn't make any sense if it's really him." Alena couldn't wrap her head around her mother's order just now. She hoped it was just a dream, but unfortunately, it was about to become a reality soon. How could her peaceful life as a college student suddenly turn 180 degrees into a forced marriage with a widower?
"What? I have to marry him?!"
Alena almost dropped her phone. The voice on the other end was too shocking to process. The bustling streets of Medan that afternoon, filled with vehicles going back and forth, seemed to vanish from her view. All that remained was the ringing in her ears, echoing along with her mother's booming voice on the phone.
"You heard me, didn't you? It's already decided, Na. Aziz is a good man. Our family owes his family a great deal!" Her mother's tone was firm, leaving little room for protest. The bright afternoon suddenly turned gloomy for Alena.
The 21-year-old woman blinked, staring at her flat shoes, as if hoping for answers to appear from them. "But... but, Mom. I'm still in college. How can I get married? Besides, I don't even know him!" she said in desperation. The noisy traffic around her suddenly became a mere backdrop to the fear surging in her heart.
Her mother sighed, as if trying to calm down a stubborn child. "Listen, Na. We're not wealthy people. If it weren't for Aziz's family, you wouldn't even have been able to go to school until now. This is the best option for all of us."
Alena wiped her face, feeling cold sweat starting to form.
Om Aziz? The strict man I've heard whispered about by the neighbors? A 38-year-old widower with two teenage kids? This doesn't make any sense!
How could her peaceful life as a college student suddenly turn upside down into a forced marriage story with a widower?
"Mom... Isn't Om Aziz strict? I've heard people talk about him," Alena's voice began to tremble, her fear growing more real.
There was a faint chuckle on the other end-not a pleasant laugh, but one tinged with bitterness. "People love to gossip, and you know that. They always find faults. Aziz is strict? Maybe he's firm, but that's normal for someone leading a lot of people. Don't believe everything you hear."
Alena let out a long sigh, trying to gather her thoughts. "But, Mom... I'm not ready. There's so much I still want to achieve. I'm only in my sixth semester. What about my future?"
"Na, listen to me. Life doesn't always go as we want. Do you think we're in a position to choose right now?" Her mother's words pressed harder on Alena's feelings. "Aziz's family has helped us for years. And Aziz... he's handsome, wealthy, and ready to build a family again. You'll be comfortable with him."
"Mom, this isn't just about comfort! I don't love him. And being handsome and rich doesn't guarantee happiness. I don't even know him!" Alena tried to resist, her voice growing hoarse.
"Do you think love is everything? Not all marriages start with love, Na. Sometimes, love comes later, after you get to know someone better," her mother replied, this time with a softer tone, trying to instill understanding.
Alena sat down on a small park bench near the street, gazing at the sky that was starting to turn red. It felt like the weight of the world was crashing down on her shoulders all at once. A marriage without love? That wasn't what she had imagined. But on the other hand, what choice did she have?
While her mind was still in turmoil, her phone vibrated. A message appeared, adding to the complications of her day.
[Tomorrow afternoon, you two have to meet. Aziz wants to talk in person.]
Alena froze, staring at the phone screen she was holding. Her heart seemed to stop. Tomorrow? That soon? Her chest tightened. A direct meeting with Om Aziz? A man she only knew as a shadowy figure. A man feared by many, with two kids rumored to be difficult to manage. How could this meeting possibly go well?
Shortly after, another message followed.
[Don't be late, Na. Aziz doesn't like to wait.]
Alena bit her lower lip. Her entire body shivered. It felt like an even bigger burden was approaching, one she couldn't refuse. Is this really happening? I have to marry a man I've never even met?
She wiped her forehead, feeling her blood pulsating more rapidly. Tomorrow, she would meet the man who would become her husband. A husband she never wanted. And worse, she didn't know what Aziz was really like behind all the stories circulating about him.
Alena stared into the distance, but her mind was filled with worry. What would she say to Aziz? What should she do?
Tomorrow, everything would change. Alena knew there was no turning back. She could only hope for the best, even though her heart trembled with doubt.
That night, as Alena tried to sleep, the thought of tomorrow's meeting continued to haunt her. Her mother's words echoed in her mind-about debts, about a lack of choice. But the most haunting was one question that wouldn't leave her thoughts: Why does Aziz want to marry me?
Tomorrow, the answer would come. But was Alena ready to hear it?
The will read by the lawyer makes Vienna's life a nightmare. She never imagined that she would marry Ray - a cousin who was allegedly the son of her father's murderer. She wanted to run away from the harsh reality, but when she saw her mother her guts shrank and she ended up accepting the reality in front of her eyes. The girl vowed to avenge her father's death even at the expense of herself. Vienna's plan is certainly not easy considering that her cousin is also tough and has always been cold and cruel to her. Moreover, the man also has the support of a lover who is a partner of their family company. Who would have thought that love never chooses who it falls on. Vienna realizes that inside the hatred and resentment she nurtures, there are beautiful feelings for the man who has the title of her husband now. What will Vienna do this time? Will she continue her grudge or give up on Ray in the name of love?
"When are you coming home, baby?" "Do I have to answer that question?" If I could choose my destiny, I'd like to live a simple life as long as I could see my husband every day. However, regrets always come too late. Mas Ares will never be able to come home because...
The first marriage ended because the husband could not provide mental support. The second household was also forced to run aground due to a gambling case. Even after the third time as a wife, Namira could not feel happy. Moreover, the sad memories of that first night made her traumatized to reopen herself. So, how will she live her life again?
Amanda's return to the country was greeted by sad news. She lost her beloved sister. The grave was still wet, but her papa urged her to get married. Not with the man she loved. However, with a widower who was none other than her late sister's husband. She wanted to ask for his blessing to marry her lover, but the situation made things complicated. Amanda never expected to be presented with such a surprising request. Marry a former brother-in-law and become a birth mother to a month-old baby girl? It was both ridiculous and sad considering their ages. But how could she refuse? "Everywhere there is a sugar baby or sugar daddy, while I'm a sugar mommy. Radit is too young to be my husband. This is crazy!"
"I'm willing to be a daddy to your son, but don't ever expect me to treat you like a wife." To realize her son's dream of having a daddy, Lily is willing to enter into a contract marriage with Keenan, who also happens to be desperate to find a wife to inherit his family's company. An agreement was made where the relationship between the two would appear harmonious only in front of the child. However, they cannot resist the fate that has fostered unusual feelings. Unfortunately, the appearance of a past figure is also inevitable. Making it hard for both of them to go further. Will Lily and Keenan stay together? Or will each of them choose to give up when there is no more reason to survive?
After being diagnosed by a doctor that she got MRKH syndrome, the content of which is not getting pregnant and bearing a baby, Serena Queen Adhisty is going to be frustrated. She decided to go away from Barra, her boyfriend. And eleven years later destiny made Serena and Barra meet in the same company. She was shocked and did not know that her ex-boyfriend was the general manager there. Serena wants to move from the company. Unfortunately, she is trapped by Barra.
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."
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"