Ignoring her parents calling after her, Qiara ran up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door shut, locked it, and collapsed onto the bed. The large backpack she had been carrying slipped from her shoulder and fell to the floor.
Her sobs broke loose, completely uncontrollable. Qiara bawled, pouring out all the heartache, disappointment, and emptiness crushing her chest. Dewa's betrayal and her parents' forced marriage arrangement had shattered her world in an instant.
Downstairs, Zacky let out a long sigh. After making sure the situation was under control, he excused himself.
“I'm going home, Dad, Mom. Let Qiara calm down.”
“Thank you, Zacky. I'm sorry for Qiara's behavior,” Dad said remorsefully.
The night grew deeper, but the darkness in Qiara's room brought her no peace. Midnight came, and Qiara was still awake. Her sobs had faded into resigned whispers, but her chest still felt unbearably tight.
Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Dewa's fake smile and Zacky's cold stare kept circling through her mind, haunting her.
The next morning, sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains. Qiara sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly into space. When she walked over to the vanity mirror, she winced softly. Her face was deathly pale, and both eyes were severely swollen from crying all night.
Suddenly, a soft knock sounded on her bedroom door, followed by her mother's voice from outside.
“Qia... Sweetheart, open the door for a minute, honey. There's someone downstairs who wants to see you,” Mom called carefully.
Qiara roughly wiped her face. With dragging steps, she unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Who is it, Mom? Qia doesn't want to see anyone right now.”
“Qia, Zacky’s parents are downstairs. They came especially to check on you,” Mom whispered, gently stroking Qiara's arm.
Qiara froze for a moment. Zacky's parents? Her own sister's former in-laws?
Resigned, Qiara hastily combed her hair and went downstairs. In the living room, a simply dressed yet dignified middle-aged couple sat chatting with her dad.
“Peace be upon you...” Qiara squeaked softly.
Zacky's mother, Mama Haris, immediately stood when she saw Qiara. Her eyes shone with warmth, but her expression turned concerned when she noticed Qiara's red, swollen eyes.
“And peace be upon you... Oh, Qiara, sweetheart,” Mama Haris said gently. The middle-aged woman hurried over and immediately gathered Qiara into her arms.
The warmth of the embrace made Qiara's chest tremble again.
“Forgive us, honey. Zacky told us everything yesterday,” Mama Haris whispered as she gently rubbed Qiara's back.
“Mom knows this is really hard for you. You must have been shocked, sweetheart.”
Qiara slowly pulled away from the embrace and lowered her head, unable to meet her sister's former mother-in-law's eyes.
“Q-Qia's okay, Auntie...”
“Don't call me Auntie anymore. Call me Mom, like you did when Laras was still here,” Mama Haris interrupted with a sincere smile.
The middle-aged man beside her, Papa Haris, nodded slowly.
“Qiara,” Papa Haris said in a hoarse yet warm voice.
“We didn't come here to pressure you or burden you. We only want to make sure you're all right. Zacky is a stiff and cold man, but we're sure he can protect you the way he protected Laras.”
Qiara bit her lower lip, holding back the tears threatening to fall again.
“But... Big Sister Laras only died three months ago. Qia feels so guilty about taking Big Sister Laras's place...”
“No one is replacing anyone, Qiara,” Mama Haris interrupted gently as she clasped Qiara's cold fingers.
“Laras has her own place in our hearts, and you have your own place too. We love you very much, honey.”
Qiara could only remain silent beneath the loving gazes of Zacky's parents, while deep doubts still churned inside her chest.