Ex-husbands Betrayal in Marriage

"Revan... I'm here."

Aruna's soft voice was almost drowned out by the sound of rain that had just stopped.

Her hand clutched a plastic bag filled with medicine, her fingers pale from the cold. In the other hand, she held a small box containing the birthday cake she had spent all night making-simple, but filled with love for Revan, the man she loved more than anything.

She stood for a long time in front of Revan's iron gate.

The house that once echoed with laughter and sweet promises now looked dazzling, crowded, and foreign.

"He said he was sick..." Aruna murmured softly. "Then why... do I hear music?"

Gentle piano notes and the laughter of people drifted from inside.

With hesitant steps, she opened the gate and walked toward the terrace.

Chandeliers glittered above her; guests in elegant clothes held glasses of champagne.

And there, in the center of the room-under the brightest light-

Revan was kneeling, holding a ring.

"Celine..." Revan's voice was clear, steady, full of certainty. "Will you marry me?"

Laughter, cheers, and applause erupted all at once.

Meanwhile, Aruna's world stopped spinning.

The cake box in her hands trembled. The plastic bag slipped from her fingers unnoticed.

Her eyes stared blankly. Her breath hitched.

No... this isn't real.

Revan wouldn't...

"Revan..." she whispered, barely audible.

Revan, who had just slipped the ring onto Celine's finger, turned.

The smile that had filled his face seconds ago froze in place.

"Aruna?"

The crowd began to notice the soaked girl standing at the doorway-her clothes dull, her shoes dirty, her face tired but her eyes still carrying the remnants of love.

Aruna stepped forward, trying to smile.

"I heard you were sick... I bought you some medicine, Revan."

Her hands trembled as she lifted the plastic bag. "And this... your birthday cake. I made it all night... I wanted-"

"Aruna, stop!"

Revan's tone cracked like a whip. Every eye turned to her; whispers rippled through the crowd, and Celine's mocking smile only deepened.

"I just wanted-"

"I said stop!" Revan snapped. He strode toward her, snatched the plastic bag from her hands, and tossed it into the trash can near the sofa.

The bag hit the floor with a dull thud, pills scattering across the marble.

"Revan!" Aruna gasped, her voice trembling. "Why did you-"

"You think I'd take cheap medicine from a street pharmacy?" Revan said coldly. "Please, Aruna. Look around you. Look where I am now."

He glanced at her from head to toe, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Look at yourself... coming to a party like this in shabby clothes and dirty shoes."

Aruna swallowed hard, lowering her head. Her hand, still holding the cake box, trembled even more.

"But... I just wanted to celebrate your birthday. I thought-you'd be happy."

Revan looked at the box and let out a soft laugh. "Happy? With a cheap little cake like that?"

Before Aruna could speak, he grabbed the box and hurled it to the floor.

The small handmade cake splattered across the white marble, cream smeared everywhere.

Soft laughter rippled through the guests.

Celine rested her head on Revan's shoulder, her voice dripping with mockery. "Honey, who is she?"

Revan smirked coldly. "She's the past. Someone who doesn't know her place."

Then he met Aruna's eyes directly.

"Look closely, Aruna. This is Celine. My fiancée. The woman who will be my wife."

Aruna's world collapsed again.

Her heart pounded painfully; her vision blurred with tears.

"Revan..." her voice cracked, barely a whisper. "You promised me. You said we'd get married once you got better. You said I was the only one you-"

"Enough!" Revan cut her off sharply. "That was before. I don't need a poor, pathetic woman like you. I'm tired of your little sacrifices you always flaunt as if they meant something."

Those words hit harder than any slap.

Aruna clutched her chest, bowing her head in silence.

Her tears fell, landing among the crumbs of the ruined cake.

Celine stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with victory.

"You should know your place, Aruna. Not all love is worth fighting for."

Laughter filled the room again.

Aruna looked around-at every face that once smiled kindly at her, now mocking.

With trembling hands, she knelt down and picked up the broken pieces of cake.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to ruin your party."

Then she slowly stood up, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"But I want you to know, Revan... I truly loved you. From the beginning... until this very moment."

Revan turned his face away. "Enough. Leave before I lose my temper."

Aruna took a deep breath.

A faint smile curved her lips-a smile filled with pain, yet laced with quiet strength.

"Alright," she said softly. "You won't see me again. But I promise you, Revan... someday, you'll regret throwing me away."

She turned around and walked out of the grand house.

The laughter behind her grew distant, fading into the rain.

The night sky wept with her, each drop hiding the tears she could no longer hold back.

Under the dark, endless sky, Aruna whispered to herself-

> "The love I gave you with all my heart... you repaid with humiliation.

But Revan, one day... you'll realize that the love you cast aside today will be the one thing you'll spend your life searching for."

"Stop crying, Aruna..."

The voice was faint-coming from her own trembling lips.

But the tears refused to stop.

Her steps were heavy as she walked down the narrow path away from Revan's house.

The rain poured hard again, biting into her skin, soaking her hair until it clung to her face.

But the cold was nothing compared to the ache trembling inside her chest.

"He even... threw away the cake..." she whispered hoarsely.

Her trembling fingers clutched the dented cake box.

"God, I just wanted him to get better... why did it turn out like this?"

Her steps faltered as she stumbled toward the parking area where her old motorcycle waited.

The lights from Revan's house still glowed behind her-bright, grand, dazzling.

Mocking her. Whispering, You don't belong here.

Aruna started the engine, her hands shaking.

The rain lashed against her face mercilessly, but she didn't care.

She just wanted to leave. Far away. From everything.

---

"Why, Revan... why were you so cruel to me?"

She spoke to the air, to the darkness of the night, to the silent God above.

Her sobs were swallowed by the roar of the rain.

"I spent every cent I had for that medicine. I worked late, until my hands bled.

I thought you'd be happy. I thought... you still loved me."

Her cries broke into the storm, blurring her vision as the wet road shimmered under the dim streetlights.

The wipers on her helmet visor couldn't clear the water fast enough.

But Aruna kept riding. Without direction. Without purpose.

---

> "Why, God? I didn't even get to say happy birthday to him..."

The words came between sobs.

She stopped by the side of the road, taking a long breath, lifting her face toward the sky.

Rain and tears mingled on her cheeks.

"God... I did everything right, didn't I? I was loyal, I was honest, I fought for him.

So why did he hurt me... like I was nothing?"

She lowered her gaze, clutching her abdomen as a faint pain pulsed within-a pain she had been feeling lately.

But she never knew the reason. She thought it was just exhaustion.

"It's okay, baby..." she whispered softly, caressing her stomach. "Mommy's strong. We're strong..."

A flash of lightning split the sky, blindingly bright.

Aruna twisted the throttle again, cutting through the curtain of rain down the lonely, slippery road.

---

But a small step of fate was already waiting for her.

From the distance, headlights approached-blinding, fast, uncontrolled.

The horn blared.

"BRAAAAK!"

Everything happened too quickly.

Aruna's motorcycle spun out of control. Her body was thrown violently against the asphalt.

The crash of metal and shattering glass echoed beneath the pounding rain.

Her body rolled several meters before coming to a stop in the muddy roadside.

Dark red blood streamed down from her temple. Her breaths came ragged, shallow.

"Ahh..."

Her hand moved weakly, pressing her abdomen-now searing with unbearable pain.

A pain that stabbed deep, as if something inside her was crying out.

"No... please... don't..." her voice was faint, carried away by the storm.

"My baby..."

She tried to crawl, but her body wouldn't move.

The sounds of rain, thunder, and screeching tires blended into chaos.

A man rushed out of the stopped car, a black umbrella in his hand, his footsteps splashing through puddles.

"Oh God! Miss! Can you hear me?!"

Aruna blinked weakly toward the voice.

Her vision blurred, everything fading and drifting away.

"D-Don't touch me..." she whispered, barely audible. "I just... want to go home..."

The man's eyes widened when he saw the blood soaking her abdomen.

"She's bleeding out-call an ambulance! Now!" he shouted to someone still in the car.

Aruna forced a faint smile, though her body trembled uncontrollably.

"No... I'm... I'm fine..."

But her lips were pale, and her eyes slowly began to close.

---

With the last fragment of consciousness, she pressed her hands against her stomach.

"Please... save her..." she whispered weakly. "Don't let... my baby go..."

The rain poured harder.

The man knelt beside her, trying desperately to stop the bleeding with shaking hands.

"Miss! Stay with me! Hey, can you hear me?! The ambulance is coming!"

But his voice was fading-distant, muffled.

All the colors around her dulled into gray.

Only the sound of rain remained... and the slowing beat of her heart.

Aruna's lips curved into a faint, broken smile as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

> "I promise... I'll live... even if everyone else leaves me behind..."

Then, the world went dark.

The rain kept falling, washing away blood and pain-

and on that silent, rain-soaked road,

a girl who had lost everything...

had just begun the story of her second life.

"She's awake! Quick, call the doctor!"

The voice echoed faintly in Aruna's ears, as if coming from a faraway place.

Aruna blinked slowly. A blinding white light pierced her eyes. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled her nose.

Everything felt unfamiliar. Cold. Empty.

"W-where am I?" her voice rasped, barely a whisper.

Her body felt heavy. An IV tube was attached to her arm, bandages wrapped around her stomach and head.

"Calm down. You're in the hospital."

A deep, baritone voice came from beside her bed - low, steady, reassuring.

Aruna turned her head slightly.

Standing there was a man in a sleek black suit. His hair was neatly combed, his features sharp yet composed.

His gaze was piercing, but within it flickered something strange - compassion, and perhaps... admiration.

"Who... are you?" Aruna asked weakly.

The man offered a faint smile. "I'm the one who helped you last night. My name is Leonard."

He pulled a chair closer and sat beside her, eyes never leaving her face.

"I happened to pass by the road when you had the accident. Honestly, I thought... you wouldn't make it."

Aruna stared at the ceiling as flashes of memory flooded back -

the blinding headlights, the screech of brakes, the crash... and-

"My stomach..." she gasped, her hand instinctively reaching under the blanket.

A doctor entered the room, glancing briefly at Leonard before focusing on Aruna with careful eyes.

"Miss Aruna... I'm sorry, but..."

The words stopped mid-sentence.

Aruna's eyes widened, tension gripping her entire body. "But what? Tell me!"

The doctor sighed deeply. "We couldn't save your pregnancy."

Silence.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor roared in her ears like thunder.

The world shattered all over again.

"What... what do you mean?!" Aruna tried to sit up, but the pain made her flinch.

"No... no, that can't be... I didn't even get to-"

Her voice broke into uncontrollable sobs. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking the white sheets.

Leonard remained still, his jaw tightening.

He wasn't used to seeing someone cry - especially not someone who still radiated quiet strength, even in despair.

The doctor lowered his head and gave them space.

"Your body's still weak. Please rest for now."

Then he quietly left the room, leaving the two of them in a heavy silence.

---

"The baby... was the only reason I kept going..." Aruna whispered between sobs.

"I've already lost everything... but at least I still had her... and now-"

Her voice broke again, the grief spilling out louder this time, more desperate.

Leonard slowly leaned closer, sitting on the edge of her bed. He watched her in silence for a long while before finally speaking softly:

> "You've lost a lot, Aruna. But I can give you a chance to start again."

Aruna turned to him, eyes wet and red. "Start again? With what? I don't even have anything left."

Leonard's gaze deepened - calm, but heavy with something unspoken.

"With a new life," he said at last.

"Not out of pity. But because I know what it's like to lose something you've fought for with everything you have."

Aruna studied his face - the stranger who had pulled her from death itself.

"Why do you care about me? You don't even know who I am."

Leonard gave a faint, wry smile. "Maybe because I can see it - the kind of pain that's too heavy to bear alone."

He stood and looked out the window, where the late afternoon light streamed through.

"Life has given me many things... but it's taken just as much. I've learned one truth: if you want to fight the world, don't do it alone."

Aruna stayed quiet. The rain outside the glass fell softly, as if listening too.

"I don't want your pity," she said at last, her voice trembling.

"And I don't need your kindness."

Leonard turned to her. His eyes were sharp, but his tone remained gentle.

"Good. Because I'm not offering kindness. I'm offering... a deal."

Aruna frowned in confusion. "A deal?"

Leonard stepped closer again, meeting her gaze directly.

"One year. You'll live with me. Marry me."

Aruna's eyes widened. "What?"

"This marriage... won't be out of love," Leonard continued evenly.

"I have my reasons - ones I can't explain yet. But in return, you'll have a life no one's ever given you before. Protection. A name. Power."

"And in exchange?" Aruna's voice trembled.

Leonard's eyes locked onto hers. "In exchange, you'll be my wife - in the eyes of the world. Nothing more."

Silence. Only the soft beeping of the monitor filled the air between them.

Aruna lowered her gaze, gripping the bedsheet tightly.

"Why me?" she whispered. "Out of all the women in the world... why the one who almost died on the road?"

Leonard smiled faintly.

"Because you didn't give up - even when your body was bleeding. Because when I looked into your eyes that night... they still wanted to live."

Aruna looked at him again. Tears welled up, but this time they were different - not just of sorrow, but of something else.

For the first time in so long, someone saw her.

"And if I refuse?" she asked softly.

Leonard arched an eyebrow. "You're free to refuse. But think about it, Aruna - sometimes, to fight fate, you have to make a deal with it."

Aruna fell silent.

Her eyes drifted to the darkening sky outside the window.

Revan. The child she lost. All the pain and betrayal replayed in her mind.

Finally, she took a deep breath and met Leonard's gaze - her eyes now steadier, sharper.

"Fine," she said quietly but firmly. "I'll marry you."

Leonard nodded once, a small but satisfied smile tugging at his lips.

"From this day on, Aruna... you're no longer the woman discarded by love. You'll become someone no one can ever trample again."

Aruna held his gaze for a long moment, then whispered - almost to herself:

> "Alright. Then from this day forward... I'll learn to return pain with elegance."

Leonard paused, then gave her a faint, approving smile.

"Welcome to your new life, Miss Aruna."