Chapter 2 # Fainting

Olivia's sudden appearance after the confrontation was the greatest humiliation for her.

"That woman! How dare she!" Lara collapsed, feeling her world shake after the series of events she had just experienced. Suddenly, her stomach hurt, her muscles tensed again. Lara had just promised the doctor to take good care of her almost 6-month pregnancy after nearly having a miscarriage previously.

Seno hadn't come home for several days, continuously claiming to be working late. Now Lara knew why some properties were secretly in Seno's name. Did Seno buy an apartment or a house for Olivia? Just thinking about it made her head hurt. How dare they play with fire behind her back!

"Mrs. Lara!" called Bi Yani, Lara could hear her voice faintly. But she was still struggling to breathe.

Seno's drastic increase in wealth prevented her from interrogating him like she did at the beginning of their marriage. That man had changed.

Seno, who used to be sweet and caring, had now become an irritable man. Now, Lara could only weave their household together with a mediocre sense of togetherness. She couldn't even feel disappointed because she had been experiencing this for a long time.

Somehow, she managed to endure.

Was it due to naivety, foolishness, or the principles she had unconsciously upheld?

Lara grew up in an incomplete family, and she didn't want her child to feel the abandonment she had experienced.

"Bi... Bi..."

Finally, Lara called Bi Yani. She felt she couldn't hold on any longer.

Thud!

"Mrs. Lara! Oh God!" Bi Yani screamed, even dropping the tray of fresh fruits she had brought for Lara. Bi Yani quickly ran towards her employer before danger could befall her.

"Mrs. Lara!" she called again, panicking, as she saw that Lara's feet seemed to be bleeding.

"Bi—Bi..."

"I—I'm going to call the doctor! Madam! Please hang in there!"

Lara was about to faint, but fortunately, she could still adjust and position her body well. Bi Yani helped her sit on the nearest sofa, and Lara was laid down there temporarily.

"Oh no... what should I do?" Bi Yani looked confused because she had never experienced such a shocking incident before.

She was panting as she tried to find the doctor's or hospital's contact information that Lara usually visited in her handbag.

"Where... where's the doctor's business card? Oh God!"

Bi Yani kept searching for the doctor's or hospital's contact number that Lara usually visited. But she couldn't find it.

The maid then emptied all the contents of Lara's bag while praying that the business card of the obstetrician or midwife they usually visited would soon be found.

"I'll call Mr. Seno!"

"No... don't."

"But, Madam!"

Lara just shook her head slightly and began to lie down. She felt sleepy but the pain started to spread throughout her body.

"Oh no!" Bi Yani panicked. She looked confused and rummaged through things to find something. A moment later, Bi Yani took the phone and called someone.

"Hello? Andromeda Hospital? Please send an ambulance now! My mistress is bleeding!" Bi Yani began talking to the operator on the other end of the line. Her voice sounded panicked and she could be heard crying.

Lara was still grimacing in pain, but the drowsiness seemed not to go away.

Bi Yani was a new maid. A maid chosen by Lara. She had fired all the maids hired by Seno. This was because no maids responded when she asked about Seno. They even conspired to hide her husband's affair with various excuses.

Lara had only found out and had evidence from her bad feeling from someone she didn't know. The anonymous message sent showed shocking pictures of her husband with a naked woman.

Her heart broke when she saw the message. Without hesitation, she immediately went to her husband's office and discovered the bitter truth she had been unaware of all this time.

***

"Hello?!"

"Yes? This is Andromeda Hospital, how can we help you?"

"Please! Ambulance! My mistress is bleeding! Please, Miss!"

"What? Madam! Calm down! Give us your address."

"Block GG No. 7, West Avenue Road, Menteng. Please! Hurry!"

"Alright! Please wait and make sure the patient remains conscious!"

***

While Bi Yani continued to communicate with the hospital in a panic, Lara struggled to stay conscious. The pain was unbearable, and every second that passed felt like forever. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Seno and Olivia, about betrayal and deceit.

Suddenly, in the midst of the chaos, Lara felt a sharp pang of fear. What if Seno arrived home before the ambulance? What if he found out about this situation? Would he care? The uncertainty gnawed at her, adding to the physical pain she was experiencing.

Bi Yani's voice trembled as she relayed their address to the hospital, her hands shaking as she held the phone. Lara could hear the approaching sirens, a glimmer of hope in the midst of the overwhelming darkness.

But just as relief began to wash over her, there was a sound. Was it Seno? Oh God!

Lara couldn't check; she was on the brink of losing consciousness. The world around her blurred, the sounds merging into a cacophony of chaos. Bi Yani's panicked voice faded into the background as darkness closed in on her vision.

In the midst of the haze, she felt a hand grasp hers—a familiar touch in the midst of the turmoil.

"Hold on, Madam!" Bi Yani's voice cut through the haze of Lara's fading consciousness, anchoring her to the present moment.

Lara tried to muster the strength to respond, to reassure that she was still there, still fighting. But the pain enveloped her like a suffocating fog, rendering her speechless and powerless.

Bi Yani's grip tightened around Lara's hand, her desperation palpable as she pleaded for her to hold on. Tears welled in her eyes, reflecting the chaos raging within Lara. But even as she teetered on the edge of oblivion, a surge of determination coursed through her veins.

Lara couldn't give up—not now, not when her child's life hung in the balance.

With a monumental effort, Lara forced her eyes open, struggling to remain conscious despite the overwhelming pain. Bi Yani's face came into focus, etched with worry and fear.

"Madam, please, you have to stay awake," Bi Yani implored, her voice trembling with concern.

Lara nodded weakly, a silent promise to fight until the end. Together, they clung to hope amidst the chaos, awaiting the arrival of the ambulance that would bring them to safety and salvation.

As the sound of sirens grew louder, Lara closed her eyes and steeled herself for the journey ahead. Whatever lay on the other side, she would face it with courage and resolve—for her child, and for the remnants of her shattered heart.

***

"That's the ambulance!"