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.

***

“Have you been waiting long?” Damian asked as he met Claire at a restaurant not far from the office.

“No.”

“Have you ordered food yet?” Damian inquired.

“Before we eat, I want to discuss my conditions,” Claire said, reaching into her bag to pull out an envelope and hand it to Damian.

Damian opened the envelope and read the draft contract inside.

“Conditions proposed by the Second Party: First, respect each party's personal decisions and private life. Second, the Second Party will not perform the duties of a wife in serving her husband. Third, once the Second Party becomes pregnant, the First Party has no right to touch her. Fourth, the Second Party will not resign from her job at the company. Fifth, maintain fidelity for the duration of the marriage. Sixth, file for divorce immediately after the baby is born. Seventh, the baby will remain with the Second Party until at least five years of age.”

“I don’t agree,” Damian said plainly after reading through the conditions.

“Which part don’t you agree with?” Claire asked.

“Point three, point six, and point seven. I’m the one making the offer, so I decide when this marriage ends,” Damian stated firmly.

“Why? I don’t agree to that.”

“Clair, this marriage will be legally binding in the eyes of both the state and religion. So, I expect us to act like a married couple until the divorce is filed,” Damian explained.

“I will take care of all your needs, whether you choose to work or not. I won’t make an issue of it. I will help you get revenge on Jeremi and Anna, but in return, do as I ask,” Damian added.

“Then when do you want our marriage to end?” Claire pressed.

“Definitely after the child I want is born into our lives. And the baby will be raised by me,” Damian replied stubbornly.

Claire let out a deep sigh. “Fine,” she conceded.

“Tomorrow, we’ll meet my lawyer to revise this agreement,” Damian said.

There was no turning back for Claire. She had already accepted the offer, and she couldn't retreat now. At the very least, her heartbreak would soon be avenged.

Claire stood between two graves covered in green grass. Her parents' names were neatly carved into the tombstones.

“Mom, Dad, Claire’s here,” she whispered softly. “At first, I didn’t know how to move forward. I had lost all direction in life. The person I trusted most betrayed and lied to me without second thoughts. Honestly, I didn't have the courage to continue living with another man because of this trauma. But after thinking it through, I need to avenge this heartache against those who hurt and ruined my life.”

“Mom, Dad, you once told me to forgive other people's mistakes, to be a good person so good karma would follow. But look at me now, my life was merely used, and my kindness was taken for granted by them.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, recalling how her aunt and uncle had pressured her to cancel the wedding without demanding anything from Jeremi.

They had even been cruel enough to reuse all the preparations Claire had arranged for her own wedding with Jeremi. From the makeup artist whose deposit had already been paid, they shamelessly went ahead with everything. Every single detail Claire had prepared was used—the only thing that changed was the bride, who was no longer Claire.

Yes, that was how heartless they were. The very people who claimed to love her, using their daily shelter and food as leverage over her.

“Just this once, please let me get revenge, Mom, Dad. Allow me to settle this pain, even if it might be wrong. Maybe this way, my heart won't hurt as much every time I see them,” Claire murmured.

Claire and Damian went to meet his lawyer. There, they agreed upon the refined terms of the contract and signed it.

“Alright, I’ll keep the original copy, and you each take a signed copy,” Jack, the lawyer, said as he handed the documents to both of them.

After handling the agreement, they walked out of Jack’s office.

“Have you eaten?” Damian asked.

“Not yet, I came straight here,” Claire replied.

“Let’s grab food then,” Damian said, extending his hand toward Claire.

Claire knit her brows in confusion. “W-what?” she asked innocently.

“You’re my fiancée now. Am I not allowed to hold my fiancée’s hand?” Damian asked calmly.

Claire reached out and took Damian’s hand.

“With me, you will never experience heartbreak again. I’ll treat you extremely well—especially in bed,” Damian whispered, making Claire’s eyes widen in shock.

Damian chuckled softly at her adorable expression.

They walked to the parking garage together. Damian opened the passenger door for Claire, which surprised her quite a bit.

“I didn’t think you were capable of acts of service. I thought you only knew how to get angry,” Claire teased.

“Like I told you, you don’t know me yet. You’ll be happy with me, and I’ll treat you very well, even if our marriage is just a contract,” Damian assured her, leaving Claire silent.

Before long, they arrived at a restaurant and ordered their meals.

“It’s the weekend—don’t you have any plans?” Damian asked.

“I do,” Claire replied.

“Oh really? With whom?”

“With my fierce boss,” Claire retorted. “Aren’t we out together right now? Thanks to you, I can’t even use my day off to rest.”

“You really are one of a kind, Turtle,” Damian remarked.

“Oh yeah? What makes me so different?” Claire asked, genuinely curious.

“You’re unique,” he said, making Claire laugh. “And turns out, you’re much more talkative than I thought.”

“Of course. I talk a lot when I’m with someone who actually listens to me well,” she replied with a light chuckle.

They chatted and enjoyed their meal, breaking into laughter every now and then. One thing Claire was beginning to realize about Damian was that he seemed to have two completely different personalities. His demeanor inside the office was starkly different from how he acted outside.

“How’s the food?” Damian asked.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good,” Claire answered.

“Do women like eating messily so their man can wipe it for them?” Damian asked, making Claire frown in confusion—until Damian reached his hand across the table to wipe a smudge of food from the corner of her lips.

“Like this, I mean,” Damian murmured softly.

Claire froze in place. She felt her heart skip a beat, but she quickly brushed the feeling aside.

“Thank you,” Claire said softly, refocusing on her food. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your next move?” she asked, shifting the subject.

“My plan? Well, proposing to you, of course. What else? After that, I’ll introduce you to my family and we’ll prepare for the wedding. The sooner, the better, right?” Damian said casually.

“Um, yeah. I guess so,” Claire replied.

“Claire?” a voice suddenly called out, making her turn toward the sound. A man was standing near their table.

“Jeremi?” Claire murmured in surprise.

Damian turned his head toward Jeremi, whose face instantly fell into utter shock.

“Damian?” Jeremi stammered, completely stunned to see Damian standing there.

***