Chapter 6 # Footprints of the Past

After the long surgery, the line between reality and fantasy became blurred for Lara. Reuniting with Olivia stirred deep-seated hatred, pushing her on a journey back to her college days, when they were still together.

Nearly a dozen years earlier, Lara’s move to Triguna University in Jakarta marked a significant change after living with her aunt in Surabaya.

Being orphaned since childhood made it difficult for Lara to adapt, her unique appearance attracting both admiration and bullying.

Although considered beautiful, Lara saw herself as ordinary, her mixed heritage making her an outsider.

The bullying escalated, leading to a traumatic incident that prompted her uncle to transfer her to a new school.

***

“Lara, let’s join the Campus Queen contest,” the class president invited back then.

“Campus Queen?” Lara asked curiously. She had never heard of it before.

“Yes, beautiful girls like you will compete to be the most beautiful student on campus,” explained the class president.

“Um, no thanks. I’m not interested,” Lara politely declined.

“Come on, you’re the most beautiful student here. Our department has to win. It’s part of the success program for the Literature Student Association, please!” the class president urged.

Lara felt conflicted. Should she agree or keep refusing? Her past experience, nearly becoming a victim of assault, made her hesitant. To her, beauty was just a superficial aspect, and she didn’t see anything special in herself.

“Hey! Yesterday you said I should join, why the change of heart now?” a woman in a yellow top and denim mini skirt suddenly interrupted their conversation.

“Oh! Olivia!” the class president exclaimed awkwardly, realizing the interruption was from a girl he knew.

“You’re not loyal! I already signed up earlier!” Olivia accused.

“Well, it’s okay, right? Whoever wins between you two will bring honor to the whole department!” the class president tried to mediate.

“Sorry, I’ll pass,” Lara decided, but the class president kept insisting.

“I promise I’ll help you with the Indonesian literature assignments, really! You know how hard that course is? Especially for someone like you who was born and raised in Canada. Are you sure you don’t need help?” the class president offered, trying to change Lara’s mind.

Lara hesitated. She admitted that the difficulty of the course was no joke. She wanted help but hadn’t found anyone reliable.

“You promise?”

“I promise!”

“Okay. Fine.”

With renewed enthusiasm, Lara finally agreed to the invitation. Little did she know, this decision would mark the beginning of her tumultuous relationship with Olivia.

***

“Lara....”

Lara began to open her eyes after being unconscious for a while. Slowly, she heard someone calling her.

The voice, it was her husband’s. Lara merely blinked, ignoring Seno’s call. She truly wanted to avoid him.

“Lara... forgive me,” Seno said as he kissed the back of her hand.

Lara could feel the lips of that bastard touching her, and she felt disgusted!

“Lara....” Seno called again. Lara heard his voice quiver. Could it be that he was finally regretting his actions?

“Hm...” Lara only groaned. Her voice felt trapped inside her throat. Seno then smiled and leaned closer.

“Sweetheart,” he called again, this time his voice was near her ear. Lara shivered.

“You must be shocked, right? I’ll make sure Olivia never comes to our house again, okay?” Seno kept rambling on, mentioning the name of the woman Lara didn’t want to hear.

“Olivia is—”

“Stop!” Finally, Lara could speak. “Don’t talk about her anymore. I’m sick of her!”

“Sorry...” Seno began to stroke her head again, even though Lara didn’t want him to, but she couldn’t resist because she was still too weak.

Tubes and cables were still connected to her body. The sound of the monitor and the special medical equipment from the doctors accompanied her recovery process.

Lara felt like a prisoner who couldn’t go anywhere.

“What day is it?” Lara asked, trying to calculate how long she had been unconscious.

“Friday, Sweetheart. Why?”

“Where’s Bi Yani?”

“Bi Yani... Uh....”

“Don’t tell me you fired her!” Lara tried to sit up, holding back the anger she felt. If Seno had dared to fire her favorite maid, she would make him pay!

“Bi Yani is resting. She’s at home. Don’t worry, okay?” he said while kissing Lara’s forehead.

“Don’t lie!”

“I swear! I’m not lying. Be patient... we can check when we get home, okay?”

Lara tried to read Seno’s expression, which didn’t seem to change or show any signs of nervousness. It seemed like he was telling the truth.

“Okay.” Finally, Lara gave him a bit of trust. She didn’t want to waste energy arguing with her husband. Her whole body felt broken. She wasn’t sure what she had gone through while unconscious. It was clear that she had undergone surgery. However, it felt like she had only slept and dreamed.

“I’m sorry, Sweetheart. I was wrong. This won’t happen again,” Seno said, referring to his infidelity.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time he had apologized, but this time was different. Lara no longer had any doubts. She had seen with her own eyes that Seno had an intimate relationship with his mistress. What wife wouldn’t be heartbroken?

“Enough, Seno. I don’t care anymore.” Lara turned away. She even felt disgusted just looking at her husband’s face. Lara could vividly recall how Seno and Olivia looked when they were at the peak of pleasure together, without caring about their surroundings.

Her lecherous boss and his secretary didn’t care about rumors or witnesses who might have seen their relationship.

Seno and Olivia weren’t ashamed to display their illicit affair in the workplace, which should have been a place of formality and professionalism, not just about lust.

Lara truly couldn’t understand it. But she didn’t want to bother anymore.

To her, Seno’s presence was like a thorn, small but painful.

“My heart is now made of stone, but that doesn’t mean it will stay hard forever without softening over time.”

Lara’s vow seemed to be heard by the Creator, as a doctor was about to enter her hospital room.

That doctor. The doctor who shouldn’t be involved with her, but who would have thought? Fate indeed could put on an unexpected show.

It was that doctor who eventually uncovered the hidden secrets within Lara’s household.

***

“Y-you?”