“Alia, wake up!”
Ria couldn't believe that a single slap had knocked the woman named Alia unconscious. How hard had that slap been?
The man Ria assumed was Alia's husband was now calling someone. She had no idea who, since she wasn't listening. She was focused on Alia, who still hadn't regained consciousness.
Her mind was still searching for a reasonable explanation. Maybe the woman had fainted from the shock.
“Hey, Citra! Can you come here?”
“Yes, this is important.”
“HURRY UP! I'M NOT KIDDING.”
Ria covered her ears again. That man sure loved to yell. Why would a woman like Alia marry him?
A little while later, the man received a call. Then he left the room, and Ria quickly followed him. He met a beautiful, sexy woman standing in front of the house.
Her flirtatious manner made Ria feel like throwing up. Especially when the two of them embraced for quite a while.
“What a lunatic! His wife is unconscious in another room,” she cursed irritably, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest.
The two of them now climbed the stairs together toward the room they'd just left.
“Are you serious? What exactly did you do?”
“I only slapped her, nothing more.”
“Then why did she pass out?”
“I… don't know either. What if she dies?”
The woman named Citra moved closer to Alia and checked her breathing through her nose.
“She’s still alive.”
“Thank God. I’ll call a doctor over.”
“Wait!” Citra stopped Tio’s hand as he reached for his phone. She grabbed something from Alia’s hand. “Did you slap her because she found out we were having an affair?”
Tio nodded, instantly enraging Citra. She threw Tio’s phone onto the floor, shattering it.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tio shouted angrily.
“Use your brain, Tio. If she wakes up, she’ll sue you. And all the wealth you’ve been enjoying will go back to Alia.” Citra pointed repeatedly at her head for emphasis.
Tio fell silent, apparently thinking it over and realizing Citra was right.
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“Get rid of Alia.”
“Are you crazy?” Tio said incredulously.
“Then what other solution is there? Getting rid of her will erase the evidence of our affair. It will also let us stay together. You don’t love Alia, do you?”
“Yeah, but… what if we get caught? I don’t want to end up in prison, Citra.”
“You’re an idiot! We’re not going to just turn ourselves in. We have to be a little smarter.”
Ria stared at the two of them with her mouth hanging open. She now moved to where Alia lay. She was beginning to understand their evil intentions.
If her suspicions were right, she didn’t want that to happen. So Ria tried with all her strength to wake Alia, trying to touch her.
But she couldn’t.
No matter how hard she tried, her body always passed right through Alia’s. She put her hands on her hips, frustrated.
“Can you carry her?”
“Where do you want to take her?”
“The warehouse at your house.”
“Pick her up! Before she wakes up.”
Ria followed the two of them as they left, Alia carried in the man’s arms.
“Wake up, Alia! They’re going to hurt you,” Ria whispered anxiously as she walked behind them.
They stopped when they reached a warehouse. Ria examined the filthy place, filled with all kinds of scrap and covered in ash.
The man set Alia, who still hadn’t regained consciousness, down on the dusty floor. Ria approached Alia. Her efforts were futile, but at least she had tried.
Citra picked up a coil of rope lying there. She began fastening it tightly across the middle of the room. Ria watched her with narrowed eyes.
“What are you going to do with that rope, Citra?”
“You want to get rid of her, right?”
The man nodded.
“Then are you going to kill her with your own hands? I hope you’re not that stupid, Tio.”
“So…?”
“Stage a murder. We’ll make it look like Alia committed suicide. That way, there won’t be any further investigation, and we won’t be accused of murder.”
Tio fell silent and briefly shook his head as he glanced at Alia. He jolted when he noticed the woman’s hand moving.
“Honey,” Alia moaned as she regained consciousness, though she hadn’t opened her eyes yet. Tio panicked and looked at Citra.
“Damn it!” the woman said. She snatched up two dusty rubber gloves from the warehouse and tossed one pair to Tio.
“W—what are these?”
“Put them on! And hold her legs.” Citra approached Alia, stretching the rope in her hands. Newly conscious, Alia blinked and looked at the person approaching her.
Without warning, the scantily dressed woman wrapped the rope around Alia’s neck and pulled it tight.
“Cough… cough…” Alia choked. Her breathing was cut off. She gripped the rope, trying to free herself, her legs thrashing.
“Hold her legs, Tio! Do you want me to do this by myself?”
“Mmhas… T—Tio,” Alia said with her final breath, her eyes bulging. They conveyed endless hatred before her head lolled helplessly to the side.
Ria collapsed onto the floor, her body limp. She couldn’t bear it, especially watching someone die right in front of her eyes.
These two people were utterly inhuman.
She wanted to run. She didn’t want to see what Alia’s husband and his lover did next. Yet for some reason, her steps were held back. She couldn’t move her legs at all, no matter how hard she tried.
“Bring her closer to the rope I tied over there. Hurry!” Citra ordered.
Tio obeyed. With great difficulty, he lifted Alia’s lifeless body and slipped the woman’s neck into the freely hanging rope.
Alia dangled with her tongue sticking out. Tears streamed down Ria’s face. She couldn’t bear to watch the scene.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the room near the door, the two of them laughed as they left the warehouse. They acted as if they felt no guilt about taking a human life.
How could they be so heartless?
Out of the corner of her eye, Ria saw blood flowing down Alia’s leg. Her eyes widened in shock. She looked at Alia’s stomach, which was indeed slightly swollen.
The woman was pregnant.
Oh my God!
Ria sobbed, unable to bear the sight. She tried to cover her eyes with both hands because she didn’t want to see Alia’s lifeless body.
Alia’s body hung freely, spinning from the rope. Now she was facing Ria directly. It was like a nightmare. When Ria opened her eyes, she screamed as loudly as she could.