"Is your wife that busy working? To the point that she doesn't have time to meet Mama? Mama has been here for two days," Meri grumbled, reaching for the tea in front of her.
No one knew how many times the woman had complained to Alexander because she couldn't express her desires to Cesilia. As a result, Alexander became the easy target for him to vent his heartache
"She said she's running out of time. The new product will be launching soon, so she's required to finish the photoshoot. Besides, tonight is our anniversary event. So Cesilia has to adjust her schedule entirely," Alexander explained lazily.Honestly, he had no interest whatsoever in discussing Cesilia, who stubbornly clung to her desires.
Cesilia had even threatened Alexander several times with divorce if he continued to bring up the topic of having a child. Rather than destroying their marriage, Alexander might just follow Cesilia's wishes. Even if it meant waiting another two years with Cesilia's increasingly busy schedule.
She left early in the morning and returned late at night. Cesilia's time at home was short-lived. Only two to three hours to greet Alexander and prepare for her work.
The only thing that still made Alexander feel valued as a husband was Cesilia taking the time to take care of him because she knew he didn't like being taken care of by the household assistant. It was a habit established by Meri for young Alexander. A habit that couldn't be changed to this day.
"So, does that mean you still allow Cesilia to work?" Meri furrowed her brow. "Be honest with me!"
"I'm sorry, Mom. I can't discuss this with Cesilia. She's sticking to her decision. And, very reluctantly, I have to wait another two years."
"Tsk, just as I suspected. If that's the case, then you better not consider me your mother anymore. How can you be so weak with your own wife!" Meri grumbled, placing the glass in her hand harshly. "You'd better divorce her if she won't listen to you."
"Mom..."
"I already asked for a divorce from Alexander. But he refuses to divorce me. Besides, I don't need a husband who makes excessive demands and doesn't understand my desires. And you, as a mother-in-law, are not entitled to ask anything of me!" Cesilia interjected fiercely.
Her eyes widened as she stared at Meri, who was sitting in front of Alexander. Swearing by anything, Cesilia was boiling inside. Hearing Meri's words that cornered her.
"Cesilia, it's not right to speak like that! How many times do I have to tell you, we will never divorce no matter what!" Alexander quickly retorted.
Afraid that Cesilia would get angry and turn to resent him, Alexander defended her, ignoring his mother's strong desire to have a grandchild.
"Well, then, it means you're willing to wait another two years," Cesilia sneered, mocking Meri, who was sitting not far from her. "And for Mom, if you're in a hurry, ask Alexander to agree to the second option."
"The second option? What option?" Meri eagerly pursued. A glimmer of hope emerged when Cesilia mentioned a second option for the sake of having her grandchild.
"Cesilia, don't be ridiculous. I will never accept another woman in my life, even if it's just to bear my child," Alexander's voice began to rise. This wasn't true. If his mother knew there was an offer for him to remarry, it could become a new option.
"It's up to you whether you want it or not. I'm just giving a suggestion!" Cesilia replied nonchalantly. Without saying goodbye, she immediately got up and left her mother-in-law and husband, regardless of whether it was polite or not.
The most important thing for her right now was to go to her room. Clean up and perfect her makeup. In a few hours, the anniversary event with Alexander would begin. There would be many guests attending, and Cesilia wanted to shine among the invited guests.
As a famous model with the highest payment, it would be embarrassing if Cesilia couldn't stand out among the guests.
"Mom, don't ask for something unreasonable from me!"
Alexander immediately warned his mother, who seemed interested in Cesilia's offer. Meri, knowing how much Alexander loved and adored Cesilia, would not want them to divorce, even if it meant they would never have a child together.
So instead of worrying about how to win Cesilia's heart, Meri agreed to Cesilia's suggestion. After all, it could also free Alexander from being a figure to Cesilia, who was changing and becoming more indifferent towards him with each passing day.
"It's not Mom who is asking. It's Cesilia. And that's only if you don't want to divorce her. Mom doesn't want you to delay having a child, and she doesn't want it now. So it wouldn't hurt for you to remarry, Lex."
"No! I will never remarry, let alone divorce Cesilia, Mom, even if it means until death," Alexander firmly declared.
"It's up to you. Whichever you choose, what's certain is that you have to give Mom a grandchild, with or without Cesilia."
"You're insane, Mom! How can I randomly choose a mother for my child? This is absurd!"
"It may be absurd, but this is the way it is," Meri gently tapped Alexander's arm. "Cesilia has provided a way out for you, which means she has found a prospective wife for you, Lex. Trust me!"
"You're both crazy!" Alexander exclaimed, startling all the staff in the luxurious house. His deep baritone voice resonated and echoed throughout the space, including reaching a girl who froze near the family room. She fell silent, listening to Alexander's loud voice, accompanied by the sound of a forcefully closed door.
"Cas, what are you doing here? Mom asked you to come here to help get the work done quickly. But here you are daydreaming. The juice for the madam is no longer cold because you were daydreaming," a middle-aged woman scolded her daughter, Casandra.
"M-Mom..." Casandra startled. "I'm going to the madam's room, Mom. Besides, I wasn't daydreaming. I was just surprised to hear that man shouting." She pointed to Alexander, who was starting to climb the stairs.
"Hush, you can't behave like that, dear. That's Mr. Alexander. Cesilia's husband. Have you forgotten?"
"Mr. Alexander? The rude one, right, Mom? The one who laughed at me when I wanted to go to college?"
Lastri nodded. "But, dear, Mr. Alexander wasn't laughing at your aspirations. He was impressed by your determination to fund your own education and reject their assistance. And as you can see, several years have passed and you haven't even completed a single semester, right?"
"You're right, Mom," Casandra murmured. It was truly embarrassing for Alexander and Cesilia to suddenly inquire about her education.
It was a struggle just to afford daily meals because her mother's salary was exhausted by her father's medical expenses. Casandra had to work hard in the village to ensure that her siblings and father didn't go hungry.Alexander had also mocked her for having such big dreams unsupported by a stable income. Casandra had mentioned her desire to become a researcher to her mother, and Alexander accidentally overheard it. As a result, he ridiculed and belittled her. He even expressed his dislike for a girl who couldn't grasp her own limitations.Casandra had wanted to refute Alexander's insults that day, but she couldn't. His words were painfully accurate. She struggled even to continue her education, let alone provide for herself.And now, for the sake of money, Casandra found herself in Alexander's house. Lastri had asked her to come and help for extra bonuses, as opposed to seeking help from her fellow domestic worker friends. Lastri believed it was better to involve her own daughter.I
Cesilia had meticulously planned the event, and it was filled with joy. The sound of music blended with the laughter of the invited guests, creating a vibrant atmosphere. The attendees included entrepreneurs, models, and even A-list celebrities, both as MCs and guests. The atmosphere was lively, brimming with happiness. Every guest who arrived continuously congratulated Alexander and Cesilia on their sixth wedding anniversary.Amidst the well-wishes, prayers for the couple to have a child soon were also uttered. The most cherished gift desired by every married couple."If you have a son, I will arrange for him to marry my little girl. She's incredibly beautiful and adorable.""We always pray for both of you to be blessed with a child.""Don't lose hope. Keep trying and praying; we believe that you will be entrusted with that blessing someday."Such additional prayers were commonly expressed by the guests. They sincerely hoped that Alexander and Cesilia would soon experience the same j
Casandra, who challenged, and Meri, who took action. That very night, Meri sent her subordinate to handle all the preparations for Alexander's wedding to Casandra. Following all the regulations set by the government to ensure Casandra's position was as strong as Cesilia's, in order to make Alexander's current marriage the only one.Meri, who was fed up with Cesilia's behavior, planned to gradually remove her with Casandra's help. However, Meri had to pray a lot for Casandra to be willing to assist and truly become Alexander's wife forever.With an unknown source of strength, Meri, who was previously weak and lying in a hospital bed, was now sitting up. She arranged and prepared her hospital room to make it suitable for Casandra and Alexander to have their wedding ceremony. With enthusiasm, Meri contacted several people to pick up Casandra's family, especially her father, so that Alexander and Casandra's marriage could take place as soon as possible.Meri dispatched quite a few people,
A few hours ago...Cesilia, still angry, was forced to sign a declaration letter allowing Alexander to remarry. Now she was faced with a bitter reality."As a brand ambassador for our product, you must follow all the rules we have set according to the agreed-upon contract. And one of them is to be willing to wear costumes according to the theme." A man pointed to a rack filled with various clothes.Cesilia narrowed her eyes, observing the type of clothing displayed there."That? All of them?" She asked, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Those look like lingerie." Cesilia shook her head. It was impossible to wear such clothes for work. She couldn't imagine Alexander's reaction when he saw her body displayed on social media and magazines in revealing outfits."That's correct. You will wear them to promote lotion and soap. For skincare, you can choose costumes according to your preference," said the man, whom Cesilia recognized as her new superior's manager.To add to her misery, t
I don't know whether to feel sad or happy. When she found out that her father had been hospitalized and started preparing everything before the surgery. It was something Casandra had always dreamed of. To be able to bring her first love to the hospital, to regain his health as before.And today, everything became a reality after she agreed to marry her mother's employer. Becoming the second wife and giving birth to a baby from her own womb. It was extremely challenging, and Casandra never expected her destiny to be written like this. She had her own dreams, but she had to let them go for the sake of her father.Although it was difficult and she had initially resented her mother's decision, now Casandra would try to accept it all. Because her father's recovery was her ultimate dream, and it was about to come true. Not only that, Casandra was also very happy to see her three younger siblings able to live in a decent house. Although it was simple, there was no water dripping when it rain
"Grandchild? Children?" Casandra thought to herself. Those two words had been swirling in her head, causing her to lose focus on whatever she touched. When she tried to cook, Casandra only ended up staring at the ingredients in the fridge. She never went through with the execution because Meri forbade her from working, fearing that Casandra would tire herself out and fail to fulfill her duties as a wife. Even when it came to tidying up, Casandra would only dust the same spot, as her mind wandered elsewhere. She imagined Alexander sleeping next to her. A handsome man with thick hair, sharp eyes, tall stature, and a slight muscular build. It would be so comfortable to be in his embrace. However..."I'm not willing to marry him. Let alone have children!" Casandra shook her head, the words Alexander had uttered echoing in her ears. They emphasized that there would be no possibility for them to be together, let alone have a child. "Ck, Cas, be a bit more self-aware, can't you?" she whisper
"Alexander, how is it?" Meri hugged Casandra's shoulder as Alexander stood in front of them. Meri's smile widened, showcasing how proud she was of her daughter-in-law, who may not come from a wealthy family and has a significant age gap with Alexander, but Casandra's kind and polite personality and her way of speaking convinced Meri. It wasn't much, but Meri hoped that Casandra and Alexander would become a complete family with many successors. As for Cesilia... well, Meri didn't consider Cesilia much of a daughter-in-law, as the woman never considered Alexander her husband."How is what?" Alexander loosened his tie, which had felt suffocating around his neck as soon as he saw Casandra. "I'm tired, Mom. Don't make it weird.""Who's making it weird? Mama was just asking, how is Casandra? Is she beautiful?" Meri let go of Casandra and blocked Alexander's path as he tried to go upstairs.Before going to dinner with Robert, of course, Alexander would take a short rest and change his clothe
Upon arriving at the event venue, Alexander was immediately greeted by a middle-aged man who had just formed a partnership with him."Let's go inside," said the man, Tomas, as he often referred to himself. "Oh, wait, who is this girl? I already know this one, he's Robert. But who is this beautiful girl?"Alexander and Casandra exchanged glances."This is my girlfriend, sir!" Robert said before Alexander could respond. "Allow me to introduce her, sir. Her name is Casandra. Cas, this is Mr. Tomas."Casandra nodded, clasping her hands in front of her chest."Casandra, sir," she replied politely."Tomas, just call me Mr. Tomas," Tomas replied. "You are very beautiful and sweet. If only you weren't Robert's girlfriend, I would have matched you with my son Maxime."The man chuckled slightly. "Don't take my words to heart, Bert," he said, patting Robert's shoulder. "Alright, you two go straight to the backyard, where young couples relax. I'll take Alexander upstairs; there's something import