“Claire, wait!” Jeremi quickly grabbed Claire’s arm as she ran away from her house the moment she spotted her ex-fiancé.

“Let me go!” Claire harshly brushed Jeremi’s hand off. They arrived at a quiet park not far from her residence.

“Claire, I’m sorry. That night... it just happened. I made a mistake, I was under the influence of alcohol, Claire,” Jeremi tried to persuade Claire, attempting to explain everything.

“Yeah, and that 'mistake' of yours has had far-reaching consequences, Yud!” Claire wiped away her tears. Her body trembled violently as she fought with all her strength to keep from hitting the man before her.

“I know. This was completely unexpected. Even though I used protection—” Jeremi stopped abruptly, realizing what he had just blurted out.

Claire turned her face away, wiping the tears streaming down her cheeks. “You can hide the fire, but you can’t hide the smoke, Yud. Whether you were drunk or not, you somehow still remembered to use protection!” Claire snapped, utterly furious at the man standing in front of her.

“We were supposed to get married in two months, Jer. How could you do this and get Anna pregnant? Where on earth were your brains?!” Claire demanded, unable to contain her rage any longer.

“How could you be so cruel to me? Could you really not control yourself? Anna is my cousin!” Claire shouted, causing the man before her to hang his head in shame.

This time, Jeremi had no excuses left and couldn't find a single argument to defend himself.

“What was lacking in me? Our relationship was always peaceful without any major issues. Did I not understand you enough? Did I not give you enough care and attention, Jeremi? Please answer me, don't just stand there silently! How could you be this heartless to me, Jer?!” Claire screamed, breaking down in tears once more.

Jeremi suddenly fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around Claire’s legs in desperation. “Forgive me, Claire. I know I made a terrible mistake. I was out of my mind,” Jeremi pleaded.

Claire took a deep breath and let it out harshly. Her heart bled with agony—the man she had known for years had the audacity to do something so treacherous with her own younger cousin.

Claire stepped backward until Jeremi’s grip slipped away. “From this moment on, we are over. Just marry Anna and take responsibility for your actions,” Claire wept again. She pulled off her engagement ring and dropped it right in front of Jeremi.

“Go. I’ve accepted it. And I never want to see you again. Now let’s go our separate ways. You go your way and do whatever you want. And I’ll go mine with my own goals,” Claire said with a calmer, cold voice.

“I have only one last message for you: make sure I am the last woman you shatter this completely.”

After saying those words, Claire turned and walked away, leaving Jeremi kneeling where he was.

Claire left the park and walked along the sidewalk. She didn't know where she was going; she had no home to return to.

Suddenly, a loud crackle of thunder boomed across the sky. Claire stopped in her tracks and looked up at the dark clouds.

Raindrops began to fall on her face, gradually turning into a heavy downpour that drenched her entire body and clothes. Claire didn't budge from her spot, simply letting the cold rain soak through her.

Standing there with her face tilted upward and her eyes closed, she suddenly froze when she felt the rain stop falling on her face. Opening her eyes, her gaze met the sharp, intense eyes of a man holding a black umbrella over her head.

“Mr. Damian?” Claire called out, quite shocked to see her boss standing right in front of her.

“Are you a kindergartener?” Damian asked in his usual flat tone. “Standing out in the rain by the roadside.”

Claire scoffed under her breath. “What business is it of yours, Sir? Just leave me alone,” Claire snapped, feeling both embarrassed and irritated. Of all the times to run into Damian, it had to be during an emotional breakdown like this.

“Get in the car,” Damian instructed.

“No thanks. I can go home on my own,” Claire replied.

“Oh? Would you prefer I assign you to catalog all the files in the storage room?” Damian asked, making Claire frown in confusion.

“You can’t even differentiate between working hours and off-hours,” Claire muttered, attempting to walk past him. But Damian grabbed her wrist, making her glare at him sharply.

“What is it, Sir? I want to go home,” Claire demanded, trying to shake off his grip.

“Get into the car. I need to talk to you,” Damian emphasized firmly.

“Sir, can we please discuss work matters tomorrow?”

“Get in!” Damian ordered, refusing to take no for an answer.

Hearing Damian’s stern tone, Claire burst into loud, uncontrollable wails instead, covering her face with both hands. Damian was thrown into complete disarray.

“Clair, why are you crying now? I only asked you to get in the car. What’s so hard about that?” Damian asked, totally bewildered on how to soothe her.

Honestly, Damian felt awkward and embarrassed—they were on a main road, and passing vehicles were slowing down to stare at them as if they were a couple having a heated lovers' spat.

“Don’t cry here, Claire. Come on, get in,” Damian pleaded, clueless on how to comfort a weeping woman.

“What did I do wrong? Why are you yelling at me? Sob... Why are all of you so heartless to me... Do you have any idea how much this hurts?” Claire sobbed uncontrollably.

Unable to think clearly anymore and seeing several onlookers pulling out their phones to record them, Damian scooped Claire up over his shoulder like a sack of rice without another word.

“Let me go!”

“Quiet, Claire. Do you want us to get dragged to the police station on kidnapping charges?” Damian asked sternly after placing her into the passenger seat.

“Nobody forced you to be so pushy!” Claire snapped back.

“Put on your seatbelt, Claire.”

“Sir, my name is Claire! My parents gave me a perfectly good name. Why do you keep calling me 'Claire'? It sounds like a boy’s name,” Claire complained, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Stop complaining. I can call you whatever I want. Besides, I’m not your father, so stop calling me Sir,” Damian countered, prompting Claire to glare at him.

Annoyed, Claire clicked her seatbelt into place.

“I know what happened between you and Jeremi,” Damian stated casually, taking Claire by complete surprise.

“How do you know Jeremi?” Claire asked in utter confusion.

“I’m not your elder or father, Claire. Didn’t you hear me?” Damian retorted, making Claire scoff under her breath.

“How do you know Jeremi?” Claire rephrased, feeling somewhat awkward.

“He’s my cousin,” Damian revealed, leaving Claire thoroughly shocked.

“Y-your cousin?” Claire stammered, stunned beyond belief.

“Yes. So you’re the woman he dumped for someone else?” Damian asked in a flat tone.

“You seem awfully pleased about it,” Claire sarcastically remarked, turning her head toward the window.

Damian let out a soft chuckle, which instantly drew Claire’s eyes back to him. This was the very first time she had ever heard her super cold and fierce boss laugh.

“Why are you looking at me like I’m a ghost?” Damian asked, amused by her expression.

“Just surprised. I thought you got possessed by a ghost under that big tree earlier,” Claire retorted randomly.

“Hey! Watch your mouth,” Damian scolded gently.

“Well, I don't have a filter,” Claire shot back, leaving Damian silent for a moment.

“I know about you and Jeremi. How does it feel to be betrayed by your fiancé and your own cousin?”

She turned to look at Damian with a sharp, piercing glare. “You seem to take great joy in my suffering.”

Damian chuckled softly. “You’re far too naive, Claire. That’s why people take advantage of you and betray you so easily.”

Claire remained quiet until Damian spoke again. “I have an interesting offer for you. Want to give it a shot?”

Claire fell silent for a long moment, unable to believe what her notoriously short-tempered boss was suggesting.

“What’s wrong? Do you doubt me?” he asked, looking straight into her eyes.

“Marry me, and I’ll help you get revenge on them. I’ll make the man who betrayed you regret ever hurting you,” Damian stated plainly. “In exchange, you must help me bear an heir.”

Thump!

“W-what?!”

Claire stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was made up naturally, and she was wearing a pastel-colored kebaya matching the theme of today's event.

Before she knew it, the wedding day of Jeremi and Anna had arrived. Two hypocrites, if you asked Claire.

‘You’re strong, Claire,’ she whispered to herself, even as tears spilled over once again, wetting her cheeks.

“Please, stop crying, you’ll ruin the makeup,” she muttered to her reflection, wiping her tears with a tissue. But it was useless; the tears only rolled down her face faster.

Claire covered her face with both hands. She turned out to be not strong enough to face this trial. It hurt so much that it was even hard to breathe.

“Claire, I’ve never asked for a single cent from you. Your uncle and I took you in and raised you all this time without ever complaining about the expenses. After all, you’re our niece. But just this once, Claire, I’m begging you. Please let Jeremi go and let Anna marry him. Don’t you feel sorry for Anna? You’re not pregnant; you can still find another man who is better than Jeremi.”

The words of Aunt Terry, Anna’s mother, kept echoing in her ears. It hurt deeply; she said it so easily simply because Claire was living under her roof.

It wasn't that easy to let go of and surrender the man who had been by her side for five years.

“Why does this hurt so much?” Claire sobbed, thumping her chest a few times.

A knock on the door made Claire turn her head. She wiped away her tears with a tissue and looked back into the mirror, ensuring her eyes didn't look too swollen—even though it was hard to hide.

Claire walked to the door and opened it. The wedding was being held at Anna’s house, which had a spacious yard set up for a garden party.

“Claire,” said a motherly-looking woman wearing a hijab.

“Aunt Sarah?” Claire called out.

The plump woman stepped into Claire’s room and pulled her niece into a warm hug. Claire couldn't hold back her tears any longer; she broke down and wept uncontrollably in her aunt’s arms.

“Stay strong, sweetie. Maybe this is Allah's way of showing you that Jeremi wasn't a good man for you,” Aunt Sarah said softly.

Sarah was the younger biological sister of Claire’s late mother, just like Terry. Previously, Claire had lived in Bandung with Sarah and her husband, Iwan, who didn't have children of their own. They loved Claire dearly and treated her as their own daughter. However, after graduating from college, Claire decided to work in Jakarta when she received an interview call. That was why she was currently staying at Aunt Terry and Uncle Cornor’s house—the parents of Anna, who was still a university student.

Claire and Jeremi had been dating since their college days in Bandung. Jeremi’s parents lived in Jakarta, which was why Jeremi moved to Jakarta after graduation.

“Stay strong, Claire. I know it’s hard, but you have to let him go,” Sarah said, gently rubbing Claire’s shoulder.

“He told me he loved me so much. He promised he would always be by my side and that he only wanted me to be his wife. But now, he broke every single promise, and I’m the one left in unbearable pain. We were already engaged; we even set the wedding date! The venue was booked, the wedding organizer was hired... but he ruined everything, Auntie. What did I ever do wrong for him to be this cruel to me?” Claire wept, tears continuously streaming down her cheeks.

“I can’t even bear to watch their wedding. I’m not strong enough to stand out there and put on a fake smile. I just can’t, Auntie.” Claire sobbed even harder.

“Then don't go out. Stay here; no one will come looking for you anyway,” Sarah comforted her.

“You should go back downstairs, Auntie. Aunt Terry might need your help,” Claire said, wiping her tear-stained cheeks.

“How can I leave you like this?” Sarah asked, gently stroking Claire’s hair.

“I’ll be fine,” Claire replied. “Maybe once I feel a bit better, I’ll come down.”

“Are you sure?” Sarah asked carefully.

“Yes, Auntie, go ahead. I’ll be fine. I’ll come down later after the holy matrimony is over,” Claire assured her.

“Alright, then. I brought you a drink. Drink this and calm yourself down. If you really can’t bear to watch, just stay up here,” Sarah advised, and Claire nodded.

Sarah then left the room, leaving Claire all by herself.

Left alone, Claire could only stare blankly, trying to cope with the aching pain in her heart.

Claire stayed inside her room for a long time. She sobbed quietly as she heard Jeremi reciting his sacred vows downstairs in front of everyone—binding himself to Anna and making her his wife before Allah. Sadly, it was Anna’s name she heard being spoken, not hers.

When a heart is broken, only tears can ease the pain—even if they can't heal it or make one forget.

Once she felt calmer, Claire went into the bathroom to wash her face. She even used a damp towel as a cold compress over her swollen eyes, hoping to reduce the puffiness so it wouldn't be noticeable.

Returning to the mirror, Claire reapplied her makeup—this time a bit heavy and striking to conceal her puffy, frog-like eyes.

When she felt presentable enough—though her heart was still far from okay—Claire decided to step out of her room. She walked outside where the bride and groom were on the stage, performing several Sundanese cultural traditions, as Anna’s parents were originally from Sunda.

Claire chose to stand quite a distance away from the crowd near the stage.

‘I let you go with as much sincerity as the love I gave you. My heart and I will deal with our own pain, so go be happy in your new life,’ Claire thought somberly, staring at the stage.

“Stop staring at him with that foolish look,” a voice suddenly interrupted, making Claire turn toward the sound. She was shocked to see Damian standing there, dressed in a batik shirt and black jeans.

“Why are you here?” Claire asked, taken aback.

Damian let out a sigh. “Does your world revolve entirely around Jeremi? How long were you two together anyway?” Damian asked, leaving Claire confused.

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday? I’m Jeremi’s cousin. Naturally, I’m here,” Damian stated.

“Ah... right, I forgot about that,” Claire murmured.

“They say love makes people stupid. It turns out they’re right,” Damian remarked, prompting Claire to scoff and cross her arms over her chest. She turned her head away from him.

“Jeremi’s father is my mother’s younger brother,” Damian explained.

“What a coincidence... But why did Jeremi never mention it? He knew you were my boss,” Claire noted.

“I’m not your Father.”

Claire glared at the composed man standing next to her. “Should I just call you Uncle then?” she teased deliberately.

“No. Call me Honey.”

Claire shot her boss a sarcastic look. “Sure, Honey who happens to be super fierce.”

“Only people with low IQs call me fierce,” Damian retorted coolly.

“What do you mean? My IQ is low?” Claire snapped, turning around to face him directly.

“I didn’t say it, you did,” Damian said. “You’re just like a turtle—so slow.”

“You clearly don't know that a turtle can beat a long-legged horse like you!” Claire shot back, glaring fiercely at Damian.

“A long-legged horse?” Damian questioned. “How bold of you to call your manager a long-legged horse. Are you tired of having a job?” Damian threatened playfully.

“Always resorting to threats! Hmph, you long-legged horse,” Claire grumbled under her breath.

Their lively banter as they faced each other did not escape Jeremi’s gaze from the wedding stage. Jeremi kept staring at Claire and Damian with a pang of jealousy, completely ignoring Anna, who was trying to talk to him.

‘How on earth does Claire know Damian?’ Jeremi thought bitterly.

***

“Good morning, everyone,” Claire greeted as soon as she arrived at the office.

“Morning, Claire,” her colleagues replied.

Claire glanced toward Damian’s office, where the man was already sitting comfortably on his throne, his sharp gaze fixed directly on her. She quickly looked away and took her seat.

“Word is someone’s being sent to the field today,” Sunny whispered.

“Why? Is there a network issue?” Claire asked.

“No, but I heard there's a site visit for the project,” Sunny replied.

“It’ll probably be Derek again, right?” Claire asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Claire, in my office,” Damian called out.

Claire and Sunny exchanged meaningful looks. Claire was confused as to why she was being summoned; usually, Derek was the one who accompanied Damian to field visits.

“You called for me, Sir?” Claire asked once she stepped inside Damian’s office.

Damian looked at her intently. “You’re coming with me to the field site.”

“Why me?” Claire asked, looking perplexed.

“Why not you? Are you disobeying your manager’s order?” Damian asked, his eyes narrowing sharply.

“It’s not that. Derek usually accompanies you, Sir.”

“Honestly, it’s really bothering me listening to you call me ‘Sir.’”

Claire blinked, confused by Damian’s sudden remark.

“It’s not like I can call you Honey here, right?” Claire teased sarcastically.

“Whatever. Go get ready. We leave in five minutes,” Damian instructed.

Without arguing further, Claire turned and walked out of his office.

“What happened?” Sunny asked.

“I’ve been assigned to accompany Mr. Damian to the field,” Claire answered with a slumped face.

“That’s unusual. Don’t male employees usually go with him? Derek is his go-to guy,” Sunny said.

“Who knows? Maybe he’s in a bad mood with Derek, or maybe he just wants to mess with me,” Claire grumbled, making Sunny chuckle.

“Hang in there. Mentally prepare yourself and brace your ears for his outbursts,” Sunny giggled, to which Claire simply responded with a shrug.

“Clair, hurry up!” Damian called, already walking out of the department suite.

“Ugh, such a Mr. Bossy!” Claire muttered under her breath and rushed after Damian.

“Sir, wait!” Claire called out just as the elevator doors were about to close. A moment later, the doors slid back open, revealing Damian standing alone inside.

“Tsk. Such a slow turtle.”

Claire stepped into the elevator, annoyed. “Zebra-legged horse,” she grumbled silently.

“Log in to the company portal and access our division’s account. You’ll see a tab labeled 'Projects.' Open it and fill out all the reports later,” Damian commanded.

“Understood,” Claire replied.

“You should be glad I’m taking you out of the office. Consider it a little getaway after being dumped at the altar,” Damian added coldly.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened, and she followed Damian out into the basement parking lot, heading straight toward his car.

Inside the car, both remained silent. Neither made a move to speak until a loud rumble suddenly resonated from Claire’s stomach, causing her face to flush bright red with embarrassment. How on earth, in the middle of traffic and complete silence, could her stomach be so loud?

Damian held back a smile. “How many days have you gone without food? Is the heartbreak effect really this severe?” Damian remarked, prompting Claire to glare at him.

“If you don’t plan on buying me food, you don’t need to criticize,” Claire countered sarcastically.

“Fine. After all, I’m a boss who cares about his team. What do you want to eat?” Damian asked.

“Aren’t we going to the project site? We’ll be late,” Claire said, not wanting to disrupt their work schedule.

“We have thirty minutes. We can eat first before heading over. What do you want, Turtle?” Damian asked.

“Why do you enjoy changing people’s names so much?” Claire demanded, thoroughly annoyed.

“Once we’re married, I’ll call you Khayr. How’s that?” Damian asked—acting like a complete comedian disguised as a stoic block of wood.

“Who said I want to marry you?” Claire scoffed. “I’m afraid after marrying you, I’ll end up skin and bones from being yelled at every day.”

Damian chuckled at her response. “You don’t know me yet,” he said, pulling his car into a restaurant open early for breakfast.

“Let's get out. They have plenty of breakfast options here,” Damian said, stepping out first.

Claire followed Damian into the restaurant, which was already filled with people enjoying their breakfast.

“What would you like to order?” Damian asked as Claire flipped through the menu.

“I’ll just have the yellow rice with a plain omelet, no spicy chili sauce, please,” Claire told the waitress.

“Understood,” the waitress replied.

“And warm tea to drink,” Claire added.

“And what about you?” the waitress asked Damian.

“Just coffee,” Damian answered before the waitress walked away.

“See that? Even the waitress has normal eyesight. She called me Damian, not Sir, because I still look very young,” Damian remarked, making Claire roll her eyes in exhaustion.

“You really are an authentic Sundanese girl, aren't you? Breakfast has to include rice,” Damian noted.

“Well, eating bread doesn't fill me up,” Claire replied candidly, causing Damian to laugh softly.

“I want to ask about your offer,” Claire spoke up, bringing Damian’s gaze back to her.

“Yes, what about it?” Damian asked.

“Why did you choose me to bear your child? And why does it have to be a contract marriage just to have a kid? Don’t you have a girlfriend or a female friend you could marry? You could build a happy marriage together and have as many children as you want,” Claire pressed.

“I only need a child, not a wife,” Damian replied simply, making Claire let out a sigh.

“Why not just adopt? There are plenty of orphanages taking care of parentless children,” Claire argued.

“I want a biological child—my own blood,” Damian answered.

“Why not just get married normally then? And why did it have to be me out of all women to give birth to your child?” Claire asked, growing increasingly curious because none of Damian’s answers seemed believable to her.

“You’re certainly not as quiet as your face suggests,” Damian remarked. “Bottom line: you need someone to help you get revenge on Jeremi, don’t you? Look at me—my job is far better than Jeremi’s, I’m more mature than Jeremi, and my looks? Obviously, I’m much handsomer than Jeremi,” Damian declared with such supreme confidence that Claire was left staring in utter disbelief.

Their conversation paused as the waitress delivered their orders and placed them on the table.

“So, what do you say?” Damian asked once the waitress left.

“I want to eat first,” Claire replied, digging into her food immediately.

Damian took a sip of his coffee, his gaze occasionally lingering on Claire, who was eating heartily, her cheeks puffing out with food.

After a few minutes, the food was completely cleared. Claire gulped down her drink until the glass was empty.

“Full?” Damian asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“Good. It looks like we still have fifteen minutes left. I want your answer now—don't waste time,” Damian stated firmly.

Claire went quiet for a moment. “Alright, I agree. But I have my own conditions,” Claire said.

“What conditions?” Damian asked.

“I’ll write them down later. Just wait,” Claire answered. “We should get to the project site now.”

“Fine. I’ll wait for your conditions,” Damian said, rising from his seat.

“Thanks for the breakfast treat, Ka-ivan,” Claire said with a beaming smile, turning around to walk out ahead of him.

“Sheesh... Heartbroken, yet still asking for a free meal,” Damian muttered, shaking his head.

***