2

“Sebastian, listen to me. You need to know something.” Sara’s voice was firm, but Sebastian could feel the tension behind it.

They had been in this uncomfortable situation for a few minutes, but Sara’s next words would change everything.

“What else do you want to explain?” Sebastian asked in a flat tone, trying to remain calm even as his anger boiled beneath the surface. He didn’t know what else Sara could say after the affair was revealed.

Sara took a deep breath, then in a bold tone, said, “I may be married to you, but that doesn’t mean I lose my sexual freedom. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean I’m completely yours.”

Sebastian was silent. His eyes stared at Sara sharply, waiting for the continuation of her sentence, but in his heart, he could hardly believe what he had just heard.

“As a woman, I have the right to explore my own desires. I don’t think this is wrong. We haven’t been together for a long time, so I—I have the right to find my happiness elsewhere!” Sara continued with a boldness that seemed to convince herself, not just Sebastian.

Sebastian heard every word, but the longer it went on, the thicker the wall between them felt.

“So, you see this affair as your right, is that it?” His voice was calm but cold.

Sara thought she could lower Sebastian’s self-esteem as she had done so many times before. Usually, Sebastian would back down, try to understand and forgive her, no matter how much he hurt her. But this time was different. There was something in Sebastian’s eyes that she had never seen before—a strong, almost scary determination.

“I want a divorce.” Sebastian’s voice flowed without hesitation. Firm, certain.

Sara was taken aback.

“What? What are you saying?” She chuckled, but it sounded unnatural, nervous. “Sebastian, you’re not serious, are you? I know you’re angry, but… divorce? Don’t be stupid. We have a child.”

“I’ve decided, Sara. This has gone too far. You’ve destroyed something that can’t be fixed.”

Seeing Sebastian not wavering as she had expected, Sara began to panic. Fear appeared on her face. She knew that Sebastian, although often gentle, could be very firm when he made a decision. But this time, Sara wouldn’t let it happen.

“You can’t divorce me! We have a child, Sebastian. What will happen to her? Do you want Dinda to grow up without both of her parents together? How will she feel if she finds out you left her mother?” Her tone became sharper, trying to dig into Sebastian’s guilt.

Sebastian felt a tremor in his chest when Sara mentioned their daughter’s name, Dinda. For a moment, he was silent. Sara’s words about their child stabbed his emotions, making him doubtful. How would this affect Dinda? Would she really be able to live peacefully without her family intact?

However, in the midst of that doubt, his phone vibrated. An incoming call from Dinda. With shaking hands, Sebastian picked up the phone.

“Hello, dear Dinda,” he said in a soft voice, trying to hide the tension behind his voice.

“Daddy! I miss you, Dad. When will you come home?” Dinda’s cheerful voice on the other end made Sebastian’s heart ache.

Sebastian smiled a little, though only to himself.

“I will be home soon, honey.”

As he spoke to his daughter, his mind was thrown back to Dinda’s birthday a few months ago. At that time, Sara suddenly disappeared for hours on end, citing urgent work. At that time, Sebastian didn’t suspect anything; they just felt disappointed that Sara missed that important moment. But now he knew—Sara was having an affair with another man on their daughter’s birthday. A day that should have been filled with happiness was instead tainted by betrayal.

The anger he had been holding back for so long finally exploded. How could Sara do that to them, to Dinda?

After the call ended, Sebastian looked at Sara again, this time with a sharper gaze.

“You were having an affair with another man on our daughter’s birthday. How could you do that? Do you really not have the slightest bit of respect, even for Dinda?”

Sara’s face turned pale. She tried to defend herself, but there was no excuse Sebastian could accept any more.

“You don’t deserve to be a good mother. Not after what you did.”

“You can’t do this! You can’t leave us! Dinda needs both of us!” Sara shouted, her voice now filled with anger. She knew she was losing control, and now she was trying her best to regain her power over the situation.

But Sebastian wasn’t listening anymore.

“I’ve made up my mind. I want a divorce. It’s best, not just for me, but for Dinda as well. I won’t let her grow up under the influence of someone who can easily destroy her family’s trust.”

Sara glared at him angrily, her eyes full of threat.

“If you leave, I will make sure you never see Dinda again! I will fight you in court!”

However, this time Sara’s threat did not sway Sebastian one bit. He had already crossed the line where threats or manipulation could change his mind. Without another word, Sebastian turned and left the room, leaving Sara still full of anger and confusion behind him.

Sebastian opened the door to the house. His emotions were still raging after his tense conversation with Sara at the hospital. However, as he stepped inside, the cheerful voice of his daughter, Dinda, greeted him enthusiastically.

“Daddy!” Dinda shouted happily as she ran towards him. Sebastian tried to force a smile as Dinda jumped into his arms. For a moment, the pure joy and love from his daughter distracted his mind from the chaos he had just experienced.

“Daddy, you are home! You brought a present for Dinda?” Dinda asked with sparkling eyes. The joy on his daughter’s face was the thing he missed the most every time he came home from work.

Sebastian took a deep breath and tried to hide his tiredness behind his smile.

“Of course, honey. I have prepared a special gift for you.”

He took out the Barbie doll that he had bought earlier, remembering Dinda’s birthday a few days ago. The doll was neatly packaged, complete with a bright pink ribbon, perfect for a girl Dinda’s age.

However, when Sebastian handed over the gift, Dinda looked at him with an expression he didn’t expect. Not the big smile that usually appeared when she received a gift, but a blank expression, even a little disappointment.

“Barbie doll? I already have this one, Dad.”

Sebastian was silent for a moment.

“What do you mean? Isn’t this your favorite Barbie doll?”

Dinda shook her head slowly, her eyes no longer shining like before.

“I already have a limited edition Barbie that is better than this. I got it this morning.”

Sebastian furrowed his brows, confused.

“Who did you get it from, Dinda?”

Dinda seemed hesitant for a moment, as if unsure of how to answer the question.

“The doll… was given by the man who came this morning,” she answered quietly.

“A man? Who was the man who came to the house early in the morning?” His voice rose a little without his realizing it. Dark thoughts began to take over his mind.

Dinda looked at Sebastian awkwardly, as if she felt something was wrong. She took a breath before answering, “Rich Daddy.”