Holding back the turmoil in his chest, Naro called Naiva. He was resigned to enduring his girlfriend's anger if it meant she wouldn't be mad anymore afterward. He had never imagined that he might lose his girlfriend right now.
“Morning, Nai. Are you ready to leave for the office?” Naro greeted her as soon as she answered. He tried to sound normal, even though it was difficult.
Instead of being yelled at, Naro heard no answer at all from the other end of the phone. Naiva was listening, but she chose to stay silent. She was still annoyed because Naro had unilaterally ended their call the night before.
“Yeah, I know you're still upset. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I was really busy at the office last night,” Naro explained.
Naiva remained silent. The only sound was her harsh breathing.
“Sweetheart, don't just stay quiet. Yeah, I know I was wrong. But what could I do? I didn't actually want to be busy either,” the man coaxed.
Naiva, who had still been busy touching up her makeup in front of the mirror, finally couldn't take it anymore. She set down her makeup brush roughly, then focused entirely on Naro.
“Busy? I called the office, and they said you weren't there. I even asked security to check your office, and they still found nothing. What else are you going to lie about?” Naiva began venting her frustration. “Be honest, Naro. Where did you go, and what were you doing last night?” she demanded.
Naro fell silent in shock. He clenched his teeth so tightly that his jawbone stood out sharply.
“I… actually met up with some of my high school friends. You know who they are, right? And I know you wouldn't like it if I met up with them. I actually turned them down at first. But Dani just launched a new business and asked me to come give him some advice. So I had to lie to you. I'm sorry, sweetheart.”
Naro's heart was pounding hard. The prominent bulge in his neck bobbed up and down with anxiety. He wasn't worried about being dumped. He was more worried that he had hurt Naiva's feelings.
“Okay. What can you prove to make me believe you?” Naiva challenged. She was the kind of firm, intelligent girl who wouldn't accept empty excuses.
“Um… you can ask Dani directly if you want. I'll send you his number now.”
Naro thought quickly and decided to take a bold step this time. He figured he could talk to Dani and ask for his help before sending his number to Naiva.
“Okay, send me his number. I'll contact him this afternoon during my lunch break. I'm busy getting ready to leave right now,” Naiva said as she let out a long breath. She felt relieved enough because Naro hadn't turned his back on her or cheated on her.
“Okay, all right. But wait… one more thing, sweetheart.”
He had almost forgotten about his ridiculous marriage to Sofia three days from now. Of course, he had to give Naiva a reason for it.
“What now…?” Naiva snapped, her voice rising.
“Um, Dad asked me to oversee the Semarang branch this week. I might have to stay there for about a week. During that time, if I don't contact you or reply to your messages very often, please understand, okay? Things over there are a little chaotic. I'll definitely have to work extra hard to make some improvements,” Naro explained smoothly. Before the accident, Edwin had already mentioned this trip to Semarang a few days earlier. So he wasn't actually lying about this part.
“Hmm… whatever! I'm leaving now.”
“Yeah. Be careful, Nai. Love you.”
“Whatever!”
Without another word or any small talk, Naiva ended the call. She walked out of the room with an annoyed expression, repeatedly letting out long sighs to calm herself down.
Meanwhile, at the same time, a young woman had just woken up. Yes, it was Sofia Hermawan. Her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, as if several pounds were weighing them down. But after trying several times, she finally managed to open her eyes fully. Sarah was still sleeping soundly on the sofa not far from her bed.
“Where am I? Why is my head so dizzy? Ow,” she mumbled in confusion. Her gaze swept across the entire room.
Unfamiliar. That was her first impression. How could it not be? The hospital room was large and luxurious. It was probably three times the size of her bedroom at home. And that wasn't even counting all the amenities inside. Even the refrigerator at home wasn't as nice as the one here.
Sofia tried to remember and process what had happened to her. The last thing she remembered was seeing a car speeding toward her and hitting her from the side. She remembered feeling pain in her legs, then losing consciousness. After that, she couldn't remember anything until now.
Confused and unsure what to do, Sofia finally tried to sit up. But something felt strange. Both her legs… she couldn't feel anything. Curious, Sofia pulled back the blanket covering part of her body.
The girl nearly cried out when she saw that both her legs were wrapped in casts and bandages. The pain around her groin felt terrifyingly real. Confusion, panic, and fear blended together.
“M-Mom… Mama…” Sofia called softly for her stepmother, holding back tears.
Sarah woke up. Then she looked toward Sofia, who was already sitting up in bed. The older woman walked over casually, fixing her slightly messy hair with one hand.
“You're awake? How do you feel? Does it hurt? Oh, you poor thing…”
The words were incredibly painful to hear. However, Sofia understood. She was already used to her stepmother's harsh treatment.
“Sofia… why am I here, Mom?” she asked, still not understanding what had happened.
“Ugh! You're still asking? Can't you see what happened to your legs?” Sarah shot back harshly, pointing at Sofia's legs.
“B-But what happened?”
“It was an accident, duh, idiot! And because of it, I have to sleep at the hospital too. Hmph! My back hurts so badly, you know!” she replied uncaringly. Sarah truly didn't have even the slightest bit of pity for Sofia.
“Oh, God… my legs…” Sofia hissed. She couldn't hold back anymore. She cried and sobbed uncontrollably.
“Shut up! You crybaby! You're just like your father. You're both nothing but trouble.” Sarah turned away, then sat right beside Sofia's bed. “But soon, you'll become my favorite daughter. My source of money,” she continued, before bursting into laughter. She imagined money pouring down in abundance, like rain drenching the earth.
Sofia, who didn't understand, stared at her strangely. “W-What do you mean, Mom?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
“Yes, my beloved daughter. Soon you'll be marrying a rich man. He's the one who made you like this.” Sarah laughed again. She looked extremely pleased and happy right now.
“What?! Getting married?” Sofia was utterly shocked by Sarah's words. The pain in her thighs seemed to surge into her head. It throbbed so painfully that she fainted again and lost consciousness.