Prologue
Indonesian Mall.
The girl stepped into the shopping center like a soft symphony, her steps gliding across the shiny marble floor like flowing water. Her long, wavy hair shimmered under the mall’s crystal lights, reflecting like strands of gold. Every move she made looked like an unscripted dance—calm, graceful, untouchable.
People turned. One by one. As if time slowed down just to watch this rare creature walk in. Her eyes—dark, deep, and captivating—held a world no one could quite understand. Even her smile... was enough to make any heart beat twice as fast, then skip, just to be sure she was real.
A crowd started to form. Some pretended to shop, others just stared outright. A few tried to approach—offering to carry her bags, giving out discount vouchers, or simply saying hello. But she answered all of them with a small smile and a subtle nod, like a queen who’s used to being the center of attention.
From a distance, a group of teenage boys looked restless. They whispered to each other, guessing who she was—an actress? A billionaire’s daughter? Or maybe a lost angel wandering between luxury boutiques? One of them tried to walk over but hesitated. He stepped back. She looked too perfect to touch, too flawless to approach.
But not every gaze was full of awe.
Some young women started throwing different looks. Envy. Discomfort. Jealousy. Whispers began to spread—about her dress, her walk, her smile that seemed “too fake.” But none of it touched her. She kept walking—unbothered, unfazed.
She walked into a boutique, tried on a dress. Walked out. Entered a jewelry store. Walked out again. Every time she reappeared, it felt like a scene from a movie—followed by whispers, gasps, and footsteps chasing the moment.
The mall wasn’t just a mall anymore—it became an unofficial stage, with a girl no one knew standing at the center of the universe.
Who is she?
—
Mandalika. A name that sounds like a fairytale. But this is a real story—once hidden from the world.
She was once just a seven-year-old girl, experiencing the world for the first time. Her heart was light, her eyes sparkled at the streets, the shops, the wide open sky. But that freedom didn’t last. On her first day of elementary school, the world stole her smile—when a teacher, someone meant to protect her, kidnapped her.
The reason was simple… and terrifying: her beauty.
She was considered too beautiful to live an ordinary life.
Her parents were shattered. They blamed the world, then themselves. In fear and tears, they made a decision:
Mandalika would never go outside again.
The world was too cruel for a face like hers.
From that day on, Mandalika grew up behind high walls. She had private tutors, everything she needed—but one thing was missing: freedom.
Her days were spent staring out the window, watching other kids laugh, fly kites, ride bikes. She wasn’t jealous of their joy—just their freedom.
Time passed. That longing turned into pain. But that pain eventually faded, when one big decision was made.
The day came.
The day Mandalika stepped outside again—for the second time in her life.
It felt like a fairytale.
But a dark one.
From that moment, everything changed.
Her parents, with heavy hearts, finally gave her the freedom she had longed for. She was free to leave the house, choose her life, and build her own path.
But the world wasn't just dark—it was full of temptation.
And Mandalika... chose to explore it.
Handsome men came—bringing flowers, sweet words, promises, even tears. But her heart had grown cold. Shaped by wounds of childhood, she now played the game they started—and won, in ways they never expected.
She’d love them… then leave.
Letting their hearts break, confused and bleeding, never knowing what went wrong.
And as one name disappeared from her list, another quickly took its place.
379 days passed...
No regrets. No heartbreak.
Only the thrill of freedom she was once denied.
She collected failed loves like trophies, quietly asking herself:
Is this what happiness feels like?
—
To be continued.
