Chapter 3 # Bi Yani's Dilemma

The ambulance arrived swiftly, its siren roaring like a lion's roar. Bi Yani panicked as she opened the door and pointed to the sofa where her mistress lay.

"Move the patient!" one of the paramedics shouted to his colleague. Bi Yani cried and felt anxious, worried that Lara might have a miscarriage.

"Ma'am, come with us, okay?" one of the paramedics coaxed, and she nodded. They quickly headed to the hospital, which was not far from Lara's residence. There, Lara was already awaited by the on-duty doctors.

***

"Where's the operating room?"

"At the end of the second corridor, follow me!"

A nurse quickly led the medical team to the operating room. Their footsteps echoed alternately, creating a tense atmosphere in the hallway.

"Careful!" The hospital nurse and the medical team on duty pushed the stretcher at a controlled speed. They looked calm despite their heavy steps. The paramedics moved with precision like cavalry on the battlefield.

The nurse and the medical team hurriedly crossed the quiet hospital corridors. Bi Yani, following behind, struggled to keep up but did not give up. She ran to follow the people in front of her, panting.

"Turn here," They then entered the operating room. After that, the doctors took over everything.

"Oh, God. Please save Mrs. Lara," whispered Bi Yani, raising her hands in prayer, pleading for protection. She hoped God would hear her prayer.

"Please wait in the waiting room," said a nurse, pointing to a row of seats not far from the operating room.

"Alright," Bi Yani sat there as instructed and once again prayed for Lara's safety, both for herself and her unborn child.

She hadn't expected that the arrival of the stranger at Lara's house could bring such danger. Who exactly was that woman?

Bi Yani did not anticipate that the married life of rich people could be so complicated and unhappy. After all, the married life of poor people like herself was often the same. The difference was, Seno never hit Lara. Unlike her husband who often beat her.

So, what was the problem?

"Is he having an affair?" Bi Yani began to speculate, thinking that the presence of the stranger was like a TV drama when dealing with the legitimate wife of her lover.

But she admired Lara. Instead of crying and asking for an explanation, she just kicked the homewrecker out and slammed the door. After that, Lara cried, but the homewrecker did not know that her mistress's heart could also be hurt.

"Thank goodness, she's not like those wives in soap operas," thought Bi Yani, perhaps because Lara was more beautiful than the homewrecker who wore heavy makeup and cheap clothes.

Lara was very graceful and mesmerizing. Bi Yani didn't understand why Mr. Seno was attracted to a cheap woman like that girl. Her style was like the love sellers commonly found at traffic intersections. Her level was indeed different from Lara!

"Hhh... what am I thinking?" Bi Yani hit her head, feeling too bold to meddle in other people's marriages. One thing she didn't understand about Lara's principle was that she didn't want a divorce.

When she asked why, Lara said that divorce would only ruin her child's mental health. So, what about her own mental health? Was she happy?

Talking about others was more enjoyable than talking about oneself. Until now, Bi Yani had also not divorced her husband. Even though he was old, unemployed, and a wife-beater! They also had no children. What made her stay?

Bi Yani did not know either.

"Unpleasant rumors, maybe?" Bi Yani suddenly considered divorce. A man like her husband, shouldn't he be rotting in prison? Who knows.

Bi Yani was neither rich nor powerful. She was also old, 50 years old. Unlike Lara, who was still young and beautiful. She was nothing. If that was the case, shouldn't Lara be able to pursue more happiness by letting go of Seno?

"Should I call Mr. Seno?"

Bi Yani began to wonder about the next step. Shouldn't her husband know about Lara's condition? But, they were fighting. Should she stay silent?

Ah. If only she could think faster, she wouldn't be fired.

***

"You dare! How dare you not call me! You wretched maid!"

Mr. Seno's voice echoed in the hospital corridor, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a sharp knife. Bi Yani was startled to hear the venom in Seno's words, his anger weighing down on her like a physical force.

"Mr. Seno, please calm down," she pleaded, her voice trembling with fear. "I did what I thought was best for Mrs. Lara—"

"Best for her?" Seno's laughter was bitter, devoid of humor. "You have no right to make decisions for my wife! She is my responsibility, not yours!"

His words hit Bi Yani like a slap in the face, igniting a spark of defiance within her. "Your wife needed help, and I acted quickly to get her the help she needed," she retorted, her voice shaking with anger. "If you were here instead of gallivanting with your mistress, none of this would have happened!"

Mr. Seno's face turned red, his fists clenching at his sides. "How dare you speak to me like that, you insolent maid!" Seno spat, his words dripping with contempt. "You are just a maid, and you should respect me as I deserve!"

But Bi Yani refused to back down, driven by a newfound sense of determination. "Respect must be earned, Mr. Seno, and you have done nothing to deserve it," she shot back, her voice firm with defiance. "Mrs. Lara deserves a husband who doesn't cheat and neglect her, and if you can't see that, then you are blinder than I thought!"

For a moment, silence enveloped them, thick and charged with tension. Seno's chest heaved with anger, his gaze boring into Bi Yani with searing intensity.

Then, without warning, Seno lunged forward, his hand raised in a threatening gesture. Instinctively, Bi Yani stepped back, her heart racing as she braced herself for the blow.