Suddently A Favorite Wife

Kalula's eyes slowly blinked, adjusting to the light that entered her eyes. She held her head, which was still throbbing. Her entire body ached, especially in her private areas, which felt both sore and painful.

The girl scanned her surroundings and suddenly realized that she was in a rather spacious room with a white ambiance.

"Where am I?" Kalula whispered. As she tried to get up from the bed, she noticed that she was not wearing a single piece of clothing. Her mind became increasingly confused.

Not long after, a voice came from the direction of the bathroom door. Kalula immediately turned and hurriedly covered her body with the blanket when she saw an adult man wearing a bathrobe with a blank expression staring straight ahead. The man had a strong jaw, a sharp nose, and thick eyebrows. Surely any woman would be captivated, but not Kalula; the girl was very angry.

"W-who are you?" Kalula stammered, her face showing anger as she desperately wanted to curse at the man standing not far from the bed.

Kalula gripped the blanket covering her tightly. However, her back slid back against the headboard as the man started walking toward her with his sharp gaze. She truly felt afraid of the look in front of her.

There was no answer. The man leaned closer to Kalula, their faces now very close as he placed his hands on either side of her head.

"Don't you remember what happened last night, hmm?!"

The man spoke in a very soft tone, but it sent chills down Kalula's spine. After saying that, he moved away from her.

"What really happened last night?" the girl whispered.

After a few minutes of trying to recall, Kalula finally began to remember the events of the previous night. Nimas‒ her best friend, had invited her to a club, but there she found her boyfriend, Mario, making out with Kiara, her half-sister. She ended up drinking a lot of alcohol until she was drunk.

"It's all their fault! If they hadn't betrayed me, none of this would have ever happened."

Kalula's eyes heated up, her vision began to blur. Her chest felt tight. Her head bowed, and her shoulders started to shake. The betrayal from her closest ones, which she had never expected, coupled with the purity she had maintained all this time, was now snatched away by a man she did not even know.

She couldn't imagine what her family would think if they knew what she had done, especially her father, who hated her so much.

Kalula cried uncontrollably, even though none of it would help her get out of her predicament. At the same time, she heard the man's voice again in her ears, "You'd better get dressed quickly, there's no point in crying here because it's all already happened."

The girl looked up at the man with very wet eyes. There was no regret or guilt on his face at all.

"I have to go because I have many matters to attend to. If you still want to cry here‒ it's up to you." The man, now dressed neatly in his black shirt, strode away, leaving Kalula alone.

"Wait! Don't go!" Kalula felt indignant, how could the man take what he had done so lightly? But it was all in vain, the man had already disappeared behind the door.

Kalula cried again. Her phone had been ringing repeatedly. She knew very well who had been calling her, it was probably Nimas‒ her best friend, who would be asking where she was since she had disappeared last night.

The girl quickly wiped her tears and took a deep breath before answering the phone call from Nimas.

"Kalula! Are you okay? Did something happen to you?" As soon as the girl picked up her phone, Nimas immediately bombarded her with questions, and she instinctively moved the phone away from her ear.

"Hello... why are you silent? Answer, Kal." She said again.

Kalula took a deep breath again, "I'm fine... you don't have to worry like that." The girl replied.

"How can I not worry? You said you were just going to the toilet for a moment but didn't come back." Nimas said, "But you're home now, right?" she asked again.

"I-I'm home." Kalula lied because if she told her the truth about where she was now, her friend would ask even more questions, and she would get confused trying to answer them.

"Okay, then I'll hang up now. See you later at the cafe." The girl quickly ended the call.

Kalula got up from the bed, stumbling as she picked up her clothes that were scattered everywhere. Her intimate areas felt very sore and painful when she used them to walk. Kalula quickly put her clothes back on.

The girl left the room in a hurry. Ignoring her pain, she had to get home now before her father got angry.

Just as she arrived at the front door of her house, she found her parents standing with angry glares from Teo Atmaja and Astid‒ her biological father and stepmother.

"Where have you been, huh?!" yelled the middle-aged man, "Do you dare to wander around?" he continued.

Kalula remained silent and did not answer. Suddenly her stepmother walked closer to her, "What is that on your neck, huh?!" the woman snapped, pointing her finger at Kalula's neck.

"What do you mean, Astrid?" Teo replied, now standing very close in front of her.

"Look, Dad. Your daughter has red marks on her neck, who knows what she has been up to." Astrid said.

Teo tried to prove it for himself, and indeed it was true‒ there were many red marks on Kalula's neck, which were undoubtedly caused by the man who had taken her purity last night.

SLAP!!!

A slap landed hard on Kalula's smooth cheek, causing her to fall to the floor, "What did you do, huh?!" yelled Teo.

"Answer me! Don't just sit there crying!" he continued.

Kalula's hands quickly grabbed Teo's arms, begging for mercy in a trembling voice, "Dad... forgive me‒ I didn't mean to do it!" she said.

"Didn't mean to? You say you didn't mean to?!" her father shouted, releasing her body roughly, "I never expected that you would do something as vile as this, Kalula!" he continued.

"Forgive me, Dad. I truly wasn't aware last night." Kalula kept pleading and reached for her father's legs again.

"I will not have a daughter like you anymore! You'd better leave this house now and never consider me your father again!"

Finally, what the girl had feared the most had happened; her father was extremely angry with her-the middle-aged man also kicked her out of the house.

"I don't want to! Where am I supposed to stay if you kick me out of this house?"

"I don't care! Whether you sleep under a bridge or even become a beggar, I don't care!"

Meanwhile, Astrid‒ her stepmother, looked at Kalula with delight because the middle-aged woman had finally succeeded in getting rid of Kalula from this house.

After that, Teo called the security guard at his house, "Agus! Please drag this cheap woman out of here. I can't stand to see her here anymore!" he shouted.

***

Kalula rested at a bus stop, contemplating where she would live next.

While she was lost in thought, her phone kept ringing. Reluctantly, she checked it and saw several messages from her best friend.

[Where are you, Kalula? Why haven't you arrived at the cafe yet? The boss has been anxious since earlier looking for you.]

After reading the message from Nimas, the girl sighed heavily, "Am I going to lose my job soon as well?" she murmured.

Not wanting to lose her only source of income, she quickly hailed a motorcycle taxi that happened to pass by the bus stop.

A few minutes passed. Kalula arrived at work, quickly stepping inside, and once inside, she was greeted with sharp stares from the manager.

"Good job, Kalula! You just arrived at this hour, huh!" said the manager.

"I'm sorry, sir. I had a little problem at home, so I forgot to say that I would be late today." Kalula said, bowing her head.

"Hmm... I'll let you off this time," the manager said, "But if you repeat it, I won't hesitate to fire you from here!" he added.

"Okay, sir. Thank you for giving me this opportunity." Kalula replied gratefully as she did not lose her job.

Kalula exhaled in relief; now the girl had changed into her work uniform and was ready to work.

"Come on, Kalula... starting today you have to start a new life!" The girl motivated herself.

Kalula was busy arranging the bread she would deliver to her customers, as everyone else was busy, so she had to deliver it herself, "Alright! Ready, now it's time to go."

***

A few minutes passed. She walked quickly as she entered the office area. After getting permission from the security guard, the girl immediately got into the elevator heading to the 16th floor where the meeting room was. She hurriedly stepped out of the elevator door.

Kalula didn't realize that on the right side, not far from her was a handsome man named Sagala Bagaskara, the CEO and owner of the company, who had also slept with her last night, was discussing matters with his personal assistant and the company secretary.

But Sagala accidentally spotted Kalula hurrying toward the meeting room while struggling to carry several white plastic bags in her hands.

"Who is that girl? Why have I never seen her before? Is she a new office girl here?" Sagala asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"Oh no, sir. That seems to be the person delivering bread from our regular store." The secretary replied politely while bowing her head, "Should I call her in to meet you?" she asked.

"No need!" Sagala replied shortly, then turned to his personal assistant and whispered something to him.

Kalula hurried into the meeting room with one of the office girls from the company. It was quiet‒ there was no one inside, just a long table, some black chairs, and a neatly arranged folder on the table.

"Is there going to be a meeting, miss?" Kalula asked the office girl while her delicate hands arranged the pastries on the table.

"Yes, miss. That's why we need to hurry before the boss arrives," replied the office girl.

Kalula turned and frowned, wondering why the office girl sounded so scared. Was her boss that fierce?

But before Kalula could finish her task, the door opened, and they both turned to look at the entrance. Kalula froze, her heart racing‒ she knew exactly who the man standing in front of her was.

She didn't expect to see the man who had taken her innocence and left her without remorse. Her fists clenched tightly, and their eyes met, holding each other's gaze for a few seconds until they were interrupted by Erik, Sagala's personal assistant.

"Is everything ready? If so, you two can leave here immediately," Erik said to the office girl and Kalula.

The two girls nodded, although Kalula's eyes never left Sagala. She walked slowly past Sagala and Erik, and once outside, Kalula took a deep breath and exhaled slowly several times.

"Excuse me for a moment," Kalula said to the office girl.

"Be careful on the road, miss," replied the office girl, while Kalula nodded and smiled politely in return.

For a moment, Kalula stood silent in front of the office. Her eyes widened in shock. She saw Mario with Kiara, holding hands intimately in public. At that moment, her heart pounded violently. She even had difficulty swallowing.

The girl never expected that her boyfriend would betray her with her half-sister. Kalula stood frozen, hoping what she saw was wrong, but it wasn't‒ everything was real, truly real before her eyes.

"K-Kalula?" Mario exclaimed. The expression on his face was one of shock as he quickly let go of Kiara's hand when he saw Kalula, "This isn't what you think; I can explain everything," he continued, reaching for Kalula's hand.

Meanwhile, Kalula put on a blank face, trying to look away. Her heart rumbled with anger and disappointment. Tears fell one by one, as Kalula couldn't hide her feelings any longer.

"Hey, why are you crying? What's wrong, dear?" Mario asked gently, reaching for Kalula's hand again, but she pushed him away.

"Where were you last night?" Kalula asked, her voice trembling.

"Last night? I told you, I had a photo shoot. How could you forget?"

"A photo shoot in a hotel room, you mean?" Kalula thought but couldn't bring herself to say it. For some reason, her mouth went dry‒ should she really speak her mind?

"What's with you today? You're acting so different. Did I do something wrong?" he asked again, noticing Kalula's silence.

"You're very good at lying behind my back, Mario. You clearly cheated on me, and yet you still ask me why," she thought.

Mario surrendered. He exhaled heavily.

Meanwhile, Kiara, still standing next to Mario with her arms crossed, looked at Kalula with a disdainful and sickened expression.

"Mar... why are you taking so long? I'm hot," Kiara shamelessly complained, wrapping her arm around Mario's in front of Kalula while pouting.

Kalula glared at them sharply, "You're cheating on me behind my back?" The question she had been holding back finally came out.

"What do you mean? Who's cheating, Kalula?" Mario asked, pretending not to understand what his girlfriend was saying.

"I saw everything with my own eyes, Mario," Kalula said. She paused for a moment, trying to take deep breaths while closing her eyes to keep her emotions in check.

"Last night, I saw you two at Galaxy Hotel, making out and going into a room. What else do you call that if not cheating?" she continued. Kalula could no longer hold back; she was going to end everything right now.

"You must have seen wrong, Kal. I had a photo shoot last night; I didn't go anywhere," Mario insisted.

Mario sounded so convincing. There was no way Kalula could have seen wrong; his face was unmistakable.

"Trust me, I would never betray you, dear." Then Mario stepped closer to Kalula, "Are you heading back to the store? Let me give you a ride," he offered.

"No need. I've ordered an online ride, it'll be here soon," Kalula declined.

"Alright then. Be careful, and I'll pick you up after work," Mario said with his sweet smile.

"Hmmm..." Kalula only responded with a grunt; she felt so nauseated just looking at him-she had to be patient until she found valid proof that Mario was indeed cheating.

Upon arriving at the store, Kalula took a seat at the cashier's desk, her friend had just come over.

"Why does your face look so pale?" Nimas asked.

"Nothing. Just feeling lazy after running into that jerk," Kalula replied.

"You mean Mario?" she asked again.

"Hmmm... who else?" the girl answered. "He didn't admit that he was with my half-sister last night instead, he thought I saw wrong. I'm so sick of his sweet words they make me nauseous." She added.

"Ugh... now you realize! Where were you before? I told you repeatedly, but you wouldn't listen," Nimas said, nudging her friend's head to the side. "Stop thinking about that guy; you should have lunch first." She added.

---

The day turned dark, signaling it was time to go home.

All day long, Kalula did her work without enthusiasm. She sighed with relief when she finished everything well, just like usual, without making any mistakes that could provoke her boss's anger.

Not long after, she headed home as soon as everything was tidy. But while Kalula was happily chatting with Nimas and some of her other coworkers, she suddenly stopped when she spotted a familiar figure standing right in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Kalula asked curtly.

"Kal... wait!" Mario quickly grabbed Kalula's hand as she tried to run away from him.

"Let go!" The girl yanked Mario's hand away forcefully. This was witnessed by Nimas and her other coworkers, who were still standing nearby.

"What's wrong with you, Kal? Please explain what I did wrong that makes you not want to see me," Mario asked.

"How can you still ask what your mistake is with such confidence?" Kalula said in a raised voice, beginning to tremble, "You've been cheating on Kiara! Even though I don't have proof of your infidelity right now, I saw it myself last night, Mario! You don't need to deny it anymore!" she continued.

"So, I'm asking that we break up. I can't continue a relationship with a cheating jerk like you." Kalula made her final decision.

Kalula turned her face away, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "How could you cheat with my half-sister, Mar? What were you thinking?!" Kalula asked, unable to contain her anger any longer.

"How could you do this to me? Can't you find another woman? Kiara is my half-sister!" Kalula exclaimed, making the man in front of her lower his head.

"Please forgive me, dear. Let's not break up; I promise I won't do it again," Mario pleaded, holding Kalula's hand. Meanwhile, the girl struggled to free her hand from his grip.

"Let go, Mario! I don't want to be with you anymore!" Kalula shouted.

"No! I won't let go until you forgive me and we don't break up," Mario insisted.

"My hand hurts, Mar," Kalula began to whimper in pain as Mario's grip tightened.

"Let her go!" suddenly, a man's voice was heard, a voice Kalula recognized.

Kalula and Mario turned to the source of the voice. Their eyebrows knitted together in confusion, why was the man she had met earlier that afternoon here? The man she had spent a steamy night with.

He walked up to the two of them, wearing a flat and cold expression, "I said let go of her!" he repeated, sounding very intimidating.

"Pfft... who are you? Don't interfere in my business with my girlfriend!" Mario shot back. The man was truly challenging him, unaware of who was standing before him.

"What if I said I'm the man who slept with this woman‒ you'd want to know?" the man said casually.

Kalula was stunned by what the man said. How could he say something like that in front of everyone here? She felt resigned, knowing she would soon be labeled as a cheap woman.

"Ha ha ha... Don't dream. She wouldn't do something as crazy as that. I've been with her for two years and have never done anything that far, let alone with a random guy like you."

The man shrugged, "Believe what you want. You can ask her yourself if I'm lying."

"Is what this man says true, Kalula?" Mario asked.

Kalula was silent for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, "Yes... what this man said is absolutely true. I did sleep with him." Kalula said, her face firm and her gaze full of conviction.

SLAP!!!

"You cheap woman! You accused me of cheating with another woman, but it turns out you're the one who's been cheating, Kalula!" Mario shouted in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Sagala, witnessing Mario's actions, immediately grabbed the man's hand and twisted it hard, "Watch your mouth! Don't let me tear that filthy mouth of yours!" Sagala said in a cold tone.

"Ahh... it hurts! Let go of my hand!" Mario groaned in pain as Sagala twisted his arm tighter.

Then, Sagala signaled to his assistant by raising his hand in the air. Erik, understanding the cue, rushed over to the three of them with an iPad and showed a video to Kalula and Mario.

"Look closely with your own eyes at the video here! You're the one who made your girlfriend make a mistake with me; she has a boyfriend and a half-siter who is completely inappropriate," Sagala said.

After watching the video, Mario truly could no longer deny or find excuses to defend himself, as the evidence was painfully clear.

"What else can you say now, huh?!" Kalula asked in a low tone.

The girl felt a deep pain; the man she had known for the past two years- the one who had always been kind and attentive- had betrayed her with his half-brother.

Kalula repeatedly took deep breaths, closing her eyes. Then, she stepped back, raised her head, and looked at Mario again, "From this moment on, our relationship is completely over. This is the last time we'll meet.. I don't want to see you again, and don't ever bother me after this." Kalula's tears broke out again.

After saying that, Kalula turned to leave everyone there. Nimas called her name several times, but she ignored him. The girl walked along the sidewalk, crying, not knowing where to go- now that she had no home to return to.

Kalula arrived at a quiet park, not far from the store where she worked. Suddenly, it rained heavily, soaking her completely. But Kalula didn't care at all and just sat there in silence.

A black car belonging to Sagala stopped not far from the park. The two men inside the car kept staring straight at Kalula, "That poor girl, cheated on by her boyfriend and ending up sleeping with you," Erik said.

"Shut up!" Sagala flicked Erik's head. The two men were very close, as they had been friends since college, "So what if she sleeps with me, huh?! I'm handsome, and I'm also a CEO, all women want to sleep with me, but I turn them all down," he continued.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... you've always been so confident since back then, never changed a bit," Erik replied.

"Tsk... what is that girl doing, acting like a child, just sitting in the rain?" Sagala muttered.

Meanwhile, Kalula was looking down, her shoulders shaking from crying. However, suddenly she felt no rain falling on her body anymore. Then Kalula looked up, and her gaze met Sagala's eyes- he was holding an umbrella, shielding her from the rain.

"Do you think sitting in the rain like this will solve all your problems?" Sagala asked flatly, "Sitting in the park in the rain, like a child."

Kalula really didn't want to meet the man in front of her again‒ she scoffed, "What does this have to do with you? And why are you here?" Kalula snapped, feeling annoyed.

"Tsk! This girl is so annoying," Sagala mumbled.

Sagala began to feel irritated. However, he also felt pity for Kalula, as she looked like she was starting to get cold. He lifted her small body with one hand and carried her like a sack of rice.

"Put me down!"

"Where are you taking me?"

"Don't scream! Someone might see and think I'm trying to kidnap you," Sagala said.

He quickly set Kalula down in the back seat of the car rather roughly, then sat down beside her, "Let's go home now," he ordered Erik.

There weren't many vehicles passing by on the road since it was already night and raining heavily, everyone preferred to stay inside their homes, unlike Kalula, who was still wandering around.

A few minutes passed. The black car carrying Kalula entered a very spacious yard, even larger than her own house. Her eyes looked very amazed.

The expansive yard had several cars lined up in the garage. There was also a garden beside the house and several guards at every corner of the property.

"Hurry up and get out!" Sagala said curtly, "Do you want to stay here, hmm?!"

Annoyed, Kalula got out of the car, then followed closely behind him. When they reached the house, she was left speechless again by the various rooms inside.

"This man is really rich, his house is this luxurious," Kalula thought to herself, "He seems like someone out of the ordinary." She noticed several men in all black outfits guarding various points in the house.

"Tika! Please help her clean up in the room next to mine," Sagala ordered one of his maids.

"Yes, sir." Tika replied politely, bowing her head, "Please follow me, miss." she invited Kalula.

Without arguing, Kalula quickly followed Tika to the second floor, "Please come in, miss." Tika opened the door to the room and invited the girl to enter first, after which she also entered.

"What a beautiful room," Kalula exclaimed. Her eyes were truly pampered by the ambiance of the room, which was quite spacious with white tones and a touch of gold on the walls, adding a luxurious feel.

Moreover, the room had large windows, allowing anyone occupying it to enjoy a beautiful view in the morning.

"Please, miss. The hot water is ready; there are towels inside as well," Tika said, breaking Kalula's reverie.

"Ah... thank you, sorry for the trouble," Kalula replied.

"It's my duty to serve you, miss," the woman answered, "If you need anything else, you can call me by pressing the button next to the bed." Tika pointed out a button.

***

The next morning, Kalula's eyes fluttered slowly as they adjusted to the light coming in, "I slept so well last night," she said while stretching her muscles.

The clock showed six o'clock. The girl immediately got out of bed and cleaned herself up in the bathroom. As she came out of the bathroom still wrapped in a towel that barely reached her thighs, she screamed in surprise at seeing Sagala.

"Wh-what are you doing in my room?!" Kalula shouted. She looked very nervous, gripping the towel tightly to prevent it from slipping off.

"This room is in my house, so I can go into any room I want," the man replied flatly.

He didn't realize how nervous Kalula was. Her heart was racing irregularly, feeling like it was about to leap out of her chest.

"Just say what you want. Why did you come in here?" Kalula asked, starting to get a little annoyed. "I have to go to the kitchen to help prepare breakfast."

"Come closer," Sagala said, looking at Kalula, "Besides, I didn't bring you here to be a maid."

While the girl stood frozen in place, she wondered why he was asking her to come closer, which only made her feel scared and think of inappropriate things.

"Why are you still standing there? Or do you want me to carry you again, hmm?!" he said again.

"N-no need." Kalula quickly stepped forward and stood in front of Sagala.

Their gazes met. Nervousness- Kalula definitely felt that at the moment, even her heart was racing much faster than usual.

"Kalula Anjani Putri, daughter of Teo Atmaja, owner of TA Group," Sagala said, causing Kalula to be taken aback, "And because of what happened last night, you were kicked out of your home by that old man." How could he know her identity? Who told him?

"You don't need to be so shocked. Getting information about you is not difficult for me," he continued.

"Tsk... so arrogant," Kalula scoffed.

"If you already know my identity, then what do you want from me, huh?!" Kalula asked curtly.

Sagala explained everything Kalula needed to do. He looked serious while talking. Kalula just listened, showing a shocked expression. Of course, she was surprised; suddenly, Sagala asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend.

"So, Kalula‒ do you understand?" Sagala asked after explaining some of her duties while pretending to be his girlfriend.

"What kind of crazy idea is this? Why do I suddenly have to be his girlfriend?" Kalula thought in surprise, "Tsk! A pretend girlfriend, Kalula," she added, hitting her forehead.

"Hmmm... I'll think about it," the girl replied.

"If there's nothing else to discuss, you can leave now because I'm going to change clothes," Kalula dismissed Sagala.

Kalula escorted Sagala to the door of her room, then quickly turned around. However, just as she was about to close the door, she heard Sagala call out again.

"Wait a moment!"

When Kalula turned back, she was shocked to find Sagala so close to her. The scent of his body overwhelmed her senses. The girl remembered the events of the previous night.

"Why are you staring blankly? What are you thinking?" Sagala asked, slightly lowering his head, his breath brushing against the girl's hair.

"W-who's staring blankly?!"

Kalula bravely lifted her head. The rush of breath from the man brushed against her face, making her even more nervous, "What situation is this, Kalula? Stay calm, Kalula. Don't let yourself appear nervous."

Just as Kalula was about to speak, the maid's voice startled them both. Kalula and Sagala immediately reflexively distanced themselves. Then, quickly, Kalula hid behind Sagala's body.

"What is it, Tika?" Sagala asked coldly.

"Um... sir, someone is looking for you downstairs," Tika replied nervously, knowing she had interrupted her master.

"Alright... you can go back and tell them to wait for me in the living room," the man said.

Without answering, Tika quickly bowed politely, turned around, and went back downstairs.

After the maid left, Sagala turned back to Kalula, who was still hiding behind him, "Why are you still here? You're not trying to tease

me, are you?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh?! I'm not teasing you!" Kalula denied, "I'm just startled."

Sagala couldn't help but laugh at Kalula's response.

"Just think carefully, you have to pay for your father's sins. This is a way for you to take revenge. Besides, I can give you a better life than you've had so far," Sagala explained.

"That's nonsense... I don't want to be a pretend girlfriend," Kalula replied curtly.

"Are you really going to throw away this chance?" Sagala asked seriously.

"I... I'll think about it," Kalula replied, her voice softening.

"Just so you know, if you choose to be my girlfriend, I'll make sure to treat you well," Sagala said.

"I-I'll think about it," Kalula reiterated, now contemplating the possibilities.

Sagala smiled, satisfied that she was considering his offer.

Kalula pushed Sagala's body, causing him to step back, and then she quickly slammed the door to her room shut.

"How annoying. Why does that man always like to talk so close? Doesn't he know how my heart races when he's like that?" Kalula grumbled.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Sagala was sitting on a single sofa with a flat expression on his face.

"What are you doing here so early, hmm?!"