A Love Between Conflict

While I Was Bleeding Out, He Lit Lanterns For Her

Katie Oettgen

As I lay on the floor of our manor, bleeding out from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, I used my last ounce of strength to call my husband, Cole. I begged him for help, my vision blurring. But the only thing I heard was the clinking of champagne glasses and his mistress's giggle in the background. "Stop the drama, June," Cole snapped, his voice cold. "We're about to go on stage. Don't call again." He hung up, leaving me to die alone on the Persian rug while he accepted an award with another woman on his arm. I woke up in the hospital days later. My baby was gone. They had removed my fallopian tube. Cole finally arrived, smelling of expensive scotch and his mistress's perfume. He didn't hug me. He didn't cry. Instead, he leaned over my hospital bed, pressing his knee into the mattress until my fresh stitches tore open and bled. "You embarrassed me by calling an ambulance," he hissed. "My mistress, Alycia, says you're faking it. Clean yourself up." He left me bleeding again to go announce a $10 million donation to Alycia's "groundbreaking" medical research. I stared at the TV screen, numb. The research Alycia was taking credit for? It was mine. I wrote that patent years ago under a pseudonym. They thought I was just a poor, orphan housewife who needed Cole's money to survive. They had no idea I was actually a billionaire scientist hiding my identity. I pulled the IV needle out of my arm. A drop of blood fell onto the divorce papers I had been hiding. I didn't wipe it off. I signed my name right over it. Then I walked into the bank, reactivated my dormant account with $128 million, and bought the penthouse directly overlooking Cole's house. The mourning widow is dead. The avenger is born.

Romance Crime Revenge Pregnancy Enemies to Lovers Pregnancy Personal Growth

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That morning the weather in Padang City was very bright, Ridwan and Kintani who that day planned to go home together to their village to hold their engagement event, were already on the veranda of Mr. Hendra and Mrs. Indri's adoptive parents' house.

"Hopefully your engagement event goes smoothly," was Mrs. Indri's hope and prayer.

"Amen," said Ridwan and Kintani together.

"We're taking our leave to go home to the village," continued Ridwan and Kintani while taking turns greeting Mr. Hendra and Mrs. Indri.

"Yes, son, be careful on the road, okay? Convey our greetings to your parents," requested Mr. Hendra, Kintani and Ridwan nodded their heads while smiling.

The journey from Padang City to the village where they were born took approximately 5 hours. Around 1 pm, the car driven by Kintani stopped in front of Ridwan's parents' house, Kintani only got out and stopped for a while then she got back into the car and went to her parents' house.

In relation to the agreement that had been planned long ago by Ridwan and Kintani's parents to immediately tie their sons and daughters in an engagement, Ridwan and Kintani decided to return to their village that day.

Their decision to return to their village was not without reason, besides wanting to hasten their engagement ceremony, at that time it also coincided with Kintani's semester break. The engagement ceremony itself was planned to be held tomorrow morning, Ridwan's family had rented a vehicle to go together to visit Kintani's family house.

The weather that morning was not friendly, black clouds blended together to cover the blue sky. Not long after, the rain fell, getting heavier and heavier, but that was not a barrier for Ridwan's family to carry out their plan to visit Kintani's family house.

With the Avanza car rented by Ridwan and his driver, Ridwan and the two people along with Fitria, his younger sister, set off for the Kintani family's residence located in the P sub-district.

About 15 minutes, the Avanza car containing Ridwan and his family arrived at the courtyard of the magnificent house owned by Mr. Wisnu and his family, using umbrellas they got out of the car and stepped onto the terrace of the house.

"Asalamualaikum," said Mr. Rustam and his family.

"Waalaikum salam," replied Mr. Wisnu and his family from inside the house.

"Come in, please!" invited Mr. Wisnu accompanied by his family members approaching Mr. Rustam and his family at the front door.

"Thank you, Mr. Wisnu," said Mr. Rustam.

In the room that had been prepared for the engagement between Ridwan and Kintani, the two family groups sat according to the customs that still apply to this day in the sub-district in West Sumatra Province.

For the men, they sat cross-legged, while for the women, they sat kneeling. After introducing themselves to each other, it was time for the Mamak (Uncle) from Kintani who had a high position according to tradition in the Minang family to recite a proverb to start the event.

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