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, which resulted in a significant amount of money spent for such a sudden wedding. Among Meri's subordinates was someone tasked with the challenging mission of finding Cesilia and obtaining her signature. It was a sign that Cesilia allowed Alexander to remarry.
Cesilia, upon receiving the declaration letter, was naturally shocked. She wanted to protest because the initial agreement between Casandra and Alexander was to have a secret marriage and divorce as soon as their child was born. And now?
"Cesilia, hurry! The boss is waiting inside. Don't delay any longer, unless you want the contract to be canceled," a woman admonished Cesilia, who was still staring at the declaration letter. In her hand was a phone she used to contact Alexander.
Cesilia wanted to make sure what kind of marriage Alexander and Casandra were going to have before she signed the declaration letter. Unfortunately, until the final admonition, Alexander still hadn't answered her calls. Reluctantly, Cesilia stood up and signed the letter, immediately following the manager to take care of her work contract so that she could become a brand ambassador for a product she had long dreamed of.
***
While Cesilia started to attend to her work matters, Alexander stared blankly at the phone in his hand. He let Cesilia call him without any intention of answering. Alexander, who was already hurt, didn't want to receive any calls from Cesilia to maintain his strength to go through with the forced marriage with Casandra.
If he were to answer, Alexander knew his heart would rebel and strongly reject this forced marriage. Therefore, for the sake of his sanity, Alexander chose to ignore the calls and let two women prepare his appearance.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the hospital room, Casandra was also getting ready. The girl wore a kebaya that Meri had hastily ordered from her favorite boutique. It didn't matter if it was expensive because it was ordered on short notice; what mattered was that Alexander and Casandra could get married officially. They could have their own wedding photos if, someday, Cesilia gave in and left.
***
The atmosphere in Meri's hospital room became lively, crowded with several people ready to witness a supposedly secret wedding. However, seeing who was present, Alexander wasn't sure if it was just a secret wedding. He noticed the presence of an middle-aged man known as a wedding organizer in his area.
"Don't be surprised. Mama doesn't want Cesilia to have control over the child conceived by Casandra. Even though she won't have you completely, at least your child will know who brought them into this world." Meri gently tapped Elang's shoulder. "Don't resist and just go along with it because this is your mother. Without me, you would have never existed in this world, Lex."
Alexander winced. The gentle tap from his mother had no physical impact, but the softly spoken words pierced him. They shattered the loyalty he had nurtured wholeheartedly.
Alexander vowed that he had never even considered having two wives or marrying another woman, let alone having the approval of his mother and his current wife. It was truly distressing how the loyalty he had built all this time crumbled in the presence of Casandra.
"Everything is ready. Let's get married!" Meri exclaimed, dispersing Alexander's thoughts as he sat on the edge of the bed. He had no idea how long he had been lost in his thoughts. Now, Casandra was seated next to her father, wearing a pristine white wedding gown that hugged her slender figure. Not only that, but Casandra's beautiful face had been lightly adorned with makeup to preserve her natural beauty.
Alexander hesitated for a moment, looking at the girl he had belittled just a few hours ago. He had insulted her and called her a rustic girl. And now? Alexander couldn't utter a word. If Meri hadn't tapped his arm, perhaps Alexander would still be captivated by Casandra's beauty.
"Valid."
"Valid."
The words echoed harmoniously in the VIP hospital room, confirming the newly spoken wedding vows that officially made Casandra Alexander's wife. The simple ceremony concluded with a collective prayer, followed by a medical examination for Casandra's father. As promised, once Casandra became Alexander's wife, her father would receive proper medical treatment.
This is the only part that makes Casandra not regret becoming a paid wife. It doesn't matter how she will live her life as long as her family can live decently. Seeing Meri fulfilling all her promises, Casandra is willing to sacrifice even further to improve their lives, especially her father's treatment.
"Wait, you can't get married before explaining the letter I signed earlier," Cesilia said as she entered Meri's hospital room. She seemed out of breath, as if she had just finished a race.
Cesilia's appearance was also disheveled, as if she had just woken up and rushed straight to the hospital. Alexander furrowed his eyebrows upon seeing his wife's appearance. It was the first time he saw Cesilia in such a poor state in a public place. As a famous model, Cesilia always maintained her image and looked attractive, even when going out to buy vegetable rice. And now?
"What wedding?" Meri retorted, looking cynically at Cesilia as she approached her and Alexander.
"Alexander and Casandra's wedding, duh, Mom. Who else?" Cesilia grumbled, while trying to catch her breath.
"Oh, why does it matter? Do you want to cancel it?"
"No, I can't go back on my word for that. But please explain the meaning of the letter I signed. That's all. Once it's clear, they can get married."
"That letter is proof that you allowed Alexander to remarry." Meri raised her hand to silence Alexander. "Without that letter, Alexander and Casandra cannot get married."
"But why not, Mom? As far as I know, a secret marriage doesn't require all of that. Unless Alexander..."
"Marriage according to religious and state law!" Meri emphasized each word she spoke.
"T-that's impossible! If that's the case, I can't bear to see Alexander remarry, Mom! I'd rather..."
"Have a child? Divorce Alexander? Do whatever you want, Cesilia. It's no longer important. Because Alexander and Casandra are already married."
"W-what? No! This can't be. Weren't they supposed to get married this morning?"
"No. They got married early this morning. Now, you prepare the payment for Casandra."
Cesilia shook her head. "I don't want to, Mom!"
"You don't want to? How so? You agreed before, and now you want to go back on your word?!"
"I-I..." Cesilia looked at Alexander. "Lex, I beg you, divorce Casandra!"
Alexander turned his head. His eyes widened upon hearing Casandra's unexpected request.
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
"Wait here, Miss. I'll go to the car first. Usually, there are spare clothes for Alexander in the car," Robert said as he was about to leave, but he stopped when Casandra grabbed the edge of his jacket."No need.""Huh, why not? You're wet. Soaked, in fact.""Don't worry about me. Everything will be fine.""But, Miss!"Robert clenched his fists, frustrated by Casandra's refusal. If he continued to let her stand by the edge of the swimming pool, soaking wet, there were only two possible outcomes: catching a cold or getting a fever."No need to give me extra attention. I don't deserve it.""Ugh, Miss, this is so strange. I'm treating you like a living being, not giving you special attention. If you were a chair or a table, I would just leave you alone. Whether it's raining or hot, wet or diving into a whale pond, I wouldn't care at all."Casandra took a deep breath. "Please help me to the car. I'll just sit there."Robert shook his head. "No. If you sit there in this wet condition, then
Alexander sat in the corner of the living room, observing the interaction between Casandra and her mother. The two of them looked more like mother and daughter rather than mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. They appeared familiar and engaged in a warm conversation, unlike when Meri spoke with Cesilia. The two of them seemed more like enemies than in-laws."Now, tell Mama what happened that made you come back home all soaked like this," Meri spoke to Casandra, but her gaze was directed at Alexander."I was just looking around the backyard. Accidentally, I fell into the swimming pool because I was too focused on the decorations there. I didn't realize my feet touched the pool water, and I fell," Casandra explained."Is that true?" Casandra nodded."Then where was Alexander when you fell?" Meri asked, her gaze sharpening. She clasped her hands together, trying to suppress the mix of nervousness and fear."Alexander..." Casandra paused. She squeezed her hands, trying to dispel the anxiety
Don't expect Casandra to wake up in Alexander's embrace. Smiling to herself, she felt pleased that she had finally conquered her husband's hardened heart. But remember, that scenario doesn't exist here because Alexander is not a man with a gentle and loving heart.He is stubborn, selfish, and devoid of compassion ever since Cesilia ignored him. That's why when Casandra woke up due to the sound of knocking and excitement outside the room, the first thing she saw was the folded laptop, an inactive computer, and a pile of papers, just as they were before she closed her eyes.Swearing to anything, her waist felt sore from sleeping in a sitting position. Her body also felt achy, experiencing chills and feverishness from not using a blanket. She was drenched last night.She should be sleeping under a blanket, not in the cold AC room."Alexander, Lex, Casandra! Wake up, Mama wants to talk. Mama wants to hear the story from both of you. Come on, wake up, and let's have breakfast!"That's roug