Falling for My Contract Husband

"Huh, Sir, why is my house sealed?" Mario asked in confusion as he arrived home to find his door locked, and marked with the word "SEIZED" by bank officials.

A group of burly men dressed entirely in black had carried out the seizure without his consent.

Mario had just returned from the gym after finishing a personal training session with one of his exclusive clients. He was bewildered to discover his home had been seized by a bank he didn't even recall ever borrowing money from.

"This is the court order for asset seizure by the bank, Sir. Please read it. You've been delinquent on your loan for six months," one of the men in black said, handing him a document.

The letter stated that Mario had put up his house as collateral for a 1 billion rupiah loan two years prior. What? How could he have no idea? The lending institution wasn't even a well-known national bank, it seemed more like a predatory lender. Mario pressed his palm to his forehead, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Sir, all my belongings are still inside. Can I go get my things first?" Mario pleaded with the debt collector.

"I'm sorry, Sir, that's not possible. Also, we'll need the keys to your Pajero Sport. It was included as collateral for the loan," the collector added.

Mario felt his legs give out beneath him, and he sank to the floor of his porch.

"This is insane, Sir! I've been tricked by my ex-wife. I never signed any loan documents!" Mario protested weakly.

The debt collector grew impatient, showing no sympathy for his plight. "That's not my concern, Sir. Hand over the Pajero keys now!" the bald, burly man demanded sharply.

Reluctantly, Mario handed over the keys to his Pajero Sport.

"Now I'm locking the front gate. Please leave the premises," the collector said, ushering Mario out of his own home.

Mario ran both hands over his face, his thoughts in complete disarray. He was unprepared for the string of misfortunes that had hit him that morning. Shuffling unsteadily, he stepped off the porch of his once-luxurious home, and moved toward the front gate.

With a pained gaze, he looked back at his house one last time. He was now officially homeless, suddenly without a roof over his head.

Mario sat down on the sidewalk in front of his former home, still unsure what to do next. His body felt weak; he hadn't eaten breakfast all morning, and had only drunk bottled water at the gym.

Mario had officially divorced his wife, Rosita Mulya, two months earlier, and they'd been living apart for three months. Before becoming his spouse, Rosita had been his manager. They'd first met when Mario was launching his career as a fitness celebrity.

Mario Chandra had risen to fame after winning first place in a men's bodybuilding competition several years ago. The victory brought a flood of offers to model fitness products, and muscle-building supplements.

At the peak of his career, he'd married his manager, the beautiful woman who'd captured his heart. Rosita handled all his needs as a model, and together they'd built up a substantial fortune as his career soared. Mario never had to worry about logistics, everything was always taken care of.

Recently, however, Rosita had grown distant, and his workload had begun to dwindle. Many of the supplement and fitness product ads he'd starred in were discontinued, and his contracts were terminated one by one.

His only steady work left was as a personal trainer at his own gym, located in a popular downtown mall. While the space was rented, all the fitness equipment belonged to him, and he had a small group of loyal private clients.

After composing himself, Mario booked a ride-hailing motorcycle to return to his gym, he needed a quiet place to think.

All he had with him was his wallet, phone, and a gym bag containing a towel, and sweat-soaked workout clothes.

When he arrived at PS Mall, he thanked the driver, and headed inside. His gym was on the fifth floor, so he took the elevator up.

But when he reached his space, his shock was overwhelming: the same debt collectors who'd seized his home were there too. A knot formed in his stomach. Had Rosita put up his gym equipment as collateral as well? He cursed under his breath.

"Sir, why are you here again?" Mario asked the collector who'd given him the house seizure notice earlier.

The bald, burly man replied flatly, "We're here to seize the assets in this location. Did you think you'd still be able to run a gym?"

Mario's eyes widened, his worst fear had come true. "Do you have a seizure order for this too? I want to see it," he said.

The man handed him another document, then roughly told the few clients using the equipment to leave.

"Sir, please don't be rough with my customers," Mario said quickly.

His clients hastily gathered their belongings, and left, looking annoyed.

"Enough, save your words. We're closing this place down, and we'll be moving all the equipment out," the collector snapped.

Feeling devastated and confused, Mario stepped out as the collectors began hauling his fitness gear away.

Now he had nothing left, every asset he'd built up over his career was gone in a single day. Was this all just a nightmare? he wondered to himself.

He found a bench in the mall corridor, and sat down to clear his head. He needed to contact his ex-wife immediately.

What Rosita had done was completely out of line.

Without delay, he pulled out his phone, and called her number. After several rings, she answered.

"Hello, Rosita. It's Mario. Where are you right now? I need to meet you," he said urgently.

"Hello ... oh, Mario. I'm at Aldo's office right now. Sure, come over, I'll wait for you," Rosita replied casually.

Mario's mind spun further. The "Aldo" she mentioned was Rinaldo Situmorang, the lawyer who'd handled their divorce. Why was she there? Their divorce had been finalized two months ago.

Once again, Mario booked a ride-hailing motorcycle to meet his ex-wife at the office of attorney Rinaldo Situmorang downtown.

After a 30-minute trip, he arrived at the law firm. He thanked the driver, and entered the impressive five-story office building.

"Good afternoon, Sir. How may I help you?" the front desk receptionist greeted him.

Mario stood at the counter and replied, "Good afternoon, Ma'am. I have an appointment to meet Rosita. Is she here?"

The receptionist glanced at a colleague beside her, who gave a meaningful nod. "Oh yes, Sir. Please wait just a moment while I let her know. Have a seat first," she said politely.

Soon after, Rosita emerged from the back of the office, and walked toward where Mario was sitting. She gave him a sweet smile, looking striking in a black cocktail dress that showed off her smooth white arms, and thighs. She carried a designer handbag, and the click of her high heels echoed clearly against the floor as she approached the sofa.

She brushed her long, straight hair over one shoulder, and looked at him. "What do you need, sir? It's unusual for you to look for me," Rosita said casually, as if she felt no guilt at all.

Mario stared at her with a troubled expression, part anger, part sadness, part despair. "Ros, my house, car, and gym equipment have all been seized by the bank. Did you know about this?"

To Mario's shock, Rosita burst out laughing. "Hahaha ... so they seized everything today, did they?"

Mario was stunned. "Why are you laughing, Ros?!"

"I'm sorry, Mario. I used the bank loan money for my daily expenses. You know how it is, women have so many needs," Rosita said without a hint of remorse, still smiling.

"Daily expenses? Ros, that loan was nearly two billion rupiah. Have you lost your mind?!" Mario shot back, barely able to believe his ex-wife's words. He felt like exploding with rage.

Rosita glanced down at her sharp, blood-red manicured nails. "Lots of things, Sir, body treatments, bags, clothes, group savings clubs ... I mean, there was a lot. I don't feel like listing everything one by one!"

Mario pressed his palm to his forehead. All his assets had been used as collateral for a loan his ex-wife had spent on frivolous luxuries. His heart shattered, just like his future.

"Ros, have you gone crazy? My life is ruined! You're having fun at my expense," he said weakly.

His ex-wife scoffed, eyeing him coldly. "You should know better! You married me, yet you were so stingy with spending money. Women need cash to take care of themselves, and look good. How embarrassing to be married to a fitness celebrity, and look plain!"

"Oh my god, Ros. I never knew you were this materialistic. Did you ever even love me during our two years of marriage?" Mario asked in disbelief, as if he didn't recognize the woman in front of him. This was the same person who'd shared his ups, and downs since the start of his career, who'd shared his bed for nearly two years.

"LOVE?!" Rosita exclaimed with a sneer. "What's love, sir? It doesn't fill your stomach, and it certainly doesn't make you beautiful!"

Mario covered his face with both hands, fighting back tears. His ex-wife felt no guilt, or concern for his situation, instead, she judged him. The love he'd once given her meant nothing to her now.

He remembered how she'd showered him with praise in the past, how she'd whispered words of love when they were dating, and in the early days of their marriage. Nothing like now. It was just like that popular saying these days: "If you have money, I love you, dear. If you don't, I'll kick you to the curb."

Mario suddenly recalled why he'd come to see her. "Ros, what about our joint savings account? Is that still there?" he asked hopefully. It held money he'd set aside throughout his career.

Rosita laughed loudly, looking at him with bewilderment. "Sir, what joint savings account? That's been empty for a long time."

Her answer left Mario reeling. There should have been several hundred million rupiah in there-earnings from his commercial contracts, and social media endorsements.

"ROSITA, YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR!" Mario shouted, standing up, and pointing at her face. He could no longer hold back his emotions.

Rinaldo Situmorang rushed over to him. "Sir, please calm down!"

Rosita stood up quickly, and wrapped her arm around Rinaldo's waist. "Mr. Aldo, I'm scared ... my ex-husband has been yelling at me this whole time," she said in a feigned innocent tone, acting as if she were terrified.

Seeing his ex-wife being affectionate with their divorce lawyer left Mario stunned. Had they been seeing each other behind his back?

"Mr. Aldo, are you dating Rosita?" Mario demanded impatiently.

Rinaldo looked at him seriously, and replied, "Rosita is my wife now, sir. We got married two weeks ago."

The words hit Mario like a punch to the gut. It hadn't taken his ex-wife long to move on from him.

Mario let out a heavy sigh. Life had dealt him a cruel hand. He'd clearly chosen the wrong wife. His mother had been right when he'd asked for her blessing to marry, beauty wasn't a guarantee of marital happiness. His luck was truly terrible!

"Mr. Mario, if you're done talking to me, you should probably head home ..." Rosita said sarcastically, still clinging to her new husband's waist.

"Oh, Mr. Aldo. Should we go have lunch at PS Mall?" she asked.

"Absolutely, let's leave now, Ros," Rinaldo replied tenderly.

"We'll be going now, Mr. Mario," Rinaldo said, smiling with a look of triumph as he put his arm around Rosita's shoulder, and led her toward the building's exit.

Mario collapsed onto the sofa. His world was in ruins. He held his head in his hands, and stared at the floor.

Clear tears streamed from the corners of his eyes. He couldn't hold back the pain in his heart any longer.

Once, he'd been adored, and praised by millions of women across the country. They'd called him handsome, sexy, hot, macho, and more.

Now, he couldn't even bear to look at himself in a mirror. Everything inside him was gone. His confidence was shattered, and he felt his self-worth had been trampled into the ground with no way to fight back. Everything he'd owned had vanished without a trace. He'd become a penniless man with no future.

Mario Chandra was no longer the glamorous fitness celebrity admired by women everywhere. He was nobody at all!

Finally, Mario left Rinaldo Situmorang's office building, and began walking. He had no idea where to go. He wandered along the sidewalk until he spotted a small street food stall, then stepped under its awning, and sat on the long wooden bench in front of the cart.

"Sir, one sweet tea, and one serving of vegetable rice, please," he ordered, feeling weak from not having eaten all day.

When his food arrived, Mario ate it quickly without complaining about its simple appearance, or taste. He needed to regain his strength, that was all that mattered right now.

After his simple meal, Mario booked another ride-hailing motorcycle using the app on his phone. He had no vehicle of his own now, and there was only one place that would welcome him at this point; his parents' home.

A few minutes later, the driver arrived, and Mario climbed onto the bike. He remained silent for the entire trip to his parents' house, his mind too exhausted to think anymore.

After navigating narrow, winding alleyways, they finally reached the front of the house.

It was a sturdy, medium-sized older home with clay tile roofing, built back during the New Order government era. The front was enclosed by a sliding iron gate, its faded yellow paint peeling and spots of rust visible across the metal.

Mario slid the gate open and walked toward the porch, then knocked several times on the solid teak wood door.

"Coming ... just a moment," a voice called from inside.

The door swung open, and his mother looked at him in surprise. "Mario ...? What a surprise ... you didn't call ahead? Come in ... come in."

Without hesitation, Mario wrapped his arms around his aging, wrinkled mother and wept openly, unable to speak a single word. He felt ashamed to have failed at everything, returning to his parents' home with his pride shattered, his future uncertain, and now homeless as of that very day.

Mario was the second of three children born to Indah Nurhayati and Burhan Raharjo. His older brother Rudi Prasetyo, 32, was married and lived in Balikpapan, while his younger sister Maharani Meirasty, 18, would graduate from high school this year.

Seemingly understanding her son's pain, Mrs. Indah said, "It's okay to cry, Son. Let it all out." She led Mario to a bamboo chair near the porch door and gently stroked his head as he rested it on her shoulder. She could tell he was carrying an enormous burden.

Once he'd calmed a little, Mario began telling his mother what had happened. "Mom, I have nothing left now. Everything I worked so hard for is gone. Rosita put up all my valuables as collateral with a predatory lender ... everything was seized this morning!"

Mrs. Indah's heart ached as she listened. She knew how hard Mario had worked since he was young, sending part of his earnings home to them every month. He'd never been lazy or irresponsible.

"Be patient, Son. Don't lose hope. You're still young, and you have your whole life ahead of you. This home will always be open for you to come back to. Wealth can be rebuilt, but I want to tell you one thing ... if you marry again someday, find someone whose heart truly accepts you for who you are," Mrs. Indah advised, gently patting his back.

"Yes, Mom. I never imagined Rosita only wanted a life of luxury. I thought she was someone who'd stand by me through good times and bad," Mario said, staring down at the floor.

Mrs. Indah just smiled in response. She'd known about her former daughter-in-law's unpleasant nature for a long time. Rosita had always been rude and arrogant whenever they'd met, likely because Mario's family came from humble means and was used to living simply.

"I'll pray you find the right person for you, Mario. A woman who can stand by you through life's hardships," Mrs. Indah said softly.

Mario looked at his mother's calm face and found peace there. "Amen. Thank you, Mom. But I need time to heal first, what Rosita did has left me so disappointed in women," he said, his eyes glassy with tears.

Mrs. Indah patted his back again. "Not all women are like Rosita, Dear. Before you decide to marry again, make sure you get to know your partner well first. Don't end up failing a second time because you weren't compatible."

"Yes, Mom. I'll remember your advice," Mario replied, smiling at her.

Suddenly, his phone rang inside his bag. He answered the call from an unknown number.

"Hello," Mario said.

"Hello, Mr. Mario Chandra. This is Aliya from BNI Credit Card Services. Your bill for this month is 3 million rupiah and remains unpaid, Sir," the voice on the other end said.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I've never made any purchases with a BNI credit card. How could there be a bill like that?" Mario asked, confused and his heart beginning to race-he only had about 5 million rupiah left in his personal account.

"The transactions are listed on your monthly statement, Sir. Our records show payments to Kanaya Boutique and Rotteli Shoe Outlet," Ms. Aliya explained.

Mario sighed heavily and rubbed his temples, feeling dizzy. It seemed Rosita had been using a credit card in his name to shop. He'd been too careless to entrust all financial matters to her, and he likely signed loan documents without reading them carefully.

"Ma'am, can the card be closed?" Mario asked, not wanting to be dragged into more debt caused by his ex-wife.

"Yes, Sir. But all outstanding balances must be paid first. For your information, the 3 million rupiah is just this month's bill, your total unpaid balance is over 30 million rupiah, Sir," Ms. Aliya added.

Oh my god! Mario had no idea where he'd get 30 million rupiah. He felt completely overwhelmed, and finally ended the call with BNI's credit card department.

"What is it, Son? You look so shocked," Mrs. Indah asked, confused by his reaction.

Mario closed his eyes, feeling like life's path had never been harder. "Rosita was shopping with a credit card in my name, Mom. The total bill is around 30 million rupiah. I only have 5 million left in savings now. To close the card, I have to pay all 30 million first."

"Oh my goodness, Son. Just stay strong," Mrs. Indah said, covering her mouth in sympathy.

"Come on ... you should take a bath and rest now," she added, taking his arm and leading him inside the house.

"Thank you, Mom. I'm truly exhausted, both in body and spirit. I hope I can find a way out of all this," Mario said, walking side by side with his mother.