Chapter 9

This afternoon, while visiting his father’s office, Ethan accidentally ran into Evan. Both had their own matters to discuss with Raphael, who is the head of a shipping and oil company.

After discussing work for a while, Raphael, who hadn’t had lunch yet, invited his son and nephew to one of the restaurants nearby.

“How’s work, Ethan? Everything going smoothly?” Raphael started the conversation.

“So far, so good, Dad. I just hope there aren't any more issues like before.”

“Did you have a problem before?” Evan asked, curious.

It seemed that his cousin hadn’t mentioned anything about this to him. As two close brothers, Ethan and Evan often shared their troubles and problems with each other. That’s why Evan was wondering, or maybe he had just missed this particular story.

“It wasn’t specifically my issue. But it was about a hospital that was sabotaged. Some medications were intentionally altered by the supplier to damage the hospital’s reputation.”

“Wow! Were there any victims? I mean, if someone with diabetes was given heart medication, that would be malpractice.”

Ethan nodded. “There were three patients who were affected. Fortunately, they received prompt treatment and their conditions weren’t fatal.”

“Oh my God,” Raphael said, shaking his head. It’s frightening to imagine being a patient who ends up being a victim of someone else’s crime without knowing.

“So, were the culprits caught?” Raphael asked.

“Yes,” Ethan nodded. “One of the culprits was even a doctor at the hospital. But everything has been handled properly by the authorities.”

“That’s a relief. By the way, speaking of marriage, how’s your family life, El?” Raphael shifted the topic, although he had been wanting to ask this from the beginning.

“My family life is fine. It’s only been three days.”

“But so far, you’re treating them fairly, right?”

Ethan just nodded. He wasn’t about to tell his father that he was still sleeping on the sofa when he was in Amelia’s room. “Yes, of course.”

“So where are you putting Amelia, Ethan? In your Park Avenue apartment or Senopati?” Evan asked.

As far as Evan knew, Ethan had several apartment units and even luxury houses besides the one he lived in now. It was unlikely that he wouldn’t give one of them to his newlywed wife.

However, when asked, Ethan didn’t answer right away. He was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. After Evan repeated the question, Ethan finally spoke.

“Amelia is staying in Pondok Indah.”

“You mean, living in the same house as Flora?”

Ethan nodded.

“Oh my God.” This time, Raphael and Evan both exclaimed in shock. They were both surprised by Ethan’s revelation.

“How could you let both your wives live under the same roof?”

“Isn’t it okay, Dad? Besides, Flora arranged everything. Amelia didn’t protest.”

“Is it really just a matter of not protesting or does she not have the opportunity to voice her opinion?” Raphael retorted sharply.

“The law does permit it, but you should first ask Amelia if she’s willing to live in the same house as Flora. It’s better to separate their living arrangements to avoid jealousy or discomfort. If you’re reluctant to put Amelia in your apartment, I’d be happy to accommodate her in my home.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Well, I’m afraid you don’t want to separate them because you worry one of them will be alone. Besides, if you’re worried, just hire a housekeeper to accompany Amelia in her new place. You’re rich, Ethan. You could even afford to pay for ten housekeepers at once.”

Ethan sighed. He then started to consider what his father and cousin had said. It really was unfortunate if Amelia had to live in the same place as Flora.

“Besides, aren’t your house and several of your apartments close by? So distance shouldn’t be an issue, right?” Evan continued.

Raphael nodded, agreeing with Evan’s point. Moreover, he felt it was unfair if Ethan’s second wife was treated differently from his first.

“You decided to get married, so you should be responsible for taking care of and protecting both your wives, El. I don’t want you to be unfair to them.”

“Yes, Dad. I’ll think about this.”

“Don’t just think about it,” Raphael’s voice rose with emphasis. “This is a must. I want you to prepare separate living arrangements for Amelia as soon as possible. Provide for her needs just as you do for Flora. Don’t treat them differently. This is why I warned you from the beginning that polygamy is not easy. There must be fairness in every decision you make. And your wives must be willing to accept the decisions you’ve made.”

Ethan took a deep breath. From now on, he would have a lot of work to do to avoid making mistakes. Making the wrong decisions could complicate his family life.

***

With the help of Ethan's personal driver, Amelia finally arrived at her husband's house precisely at five in the evening. From now on, Clara decided that her twin sister would come home earlier than usual to settle in and take on her new role as a wife.

Clara wanted her sister's job outside the home not to interfere with her duties as a wife. That's why, as soon as she learned that Ethan's driver was waiting in the lobby of the boutique, Clara hurriedly asked Amelia to stop her work and prepare to head home.

"Risma, has Flora not come home yet?" Amelia asked as she entered the kitchen and saw the housekeeper arranging some dining utensils in the drawer.

"Yes, Ma'am. Mrs. Flora might come home late."

Amelia simply nodded and walked towards the refrigerator. She glanced over the freezer and vegetable storage box, contemplating what dishes she might want to prepare for dinner later.

"Are you cooking again, Mrs. Amelia?" the housekeeper asked.

"Yes. I'm thinking about what would be good for dinner tonight."

Amelia stood in front of the refrigerator for a while. Shortly after, she reached into the freezer to take out a box of fillet meat. She also grabbed some eggs and various vegetables, which she took to the sink, washing them one by one until they were clean. She then began cutting and preparing them for cooking.

"So, Mrs. Amelia, what are you cooking for dinner? Let me help," Risma offered.

"I’m going to make something simple—fried rice and beef black pepper."

"Oh, that sounds good. Fried rice is Mr. Ethan’s favorite."

"It seems like everyone loves fried rice."

Risma nodded in agreement. The dish is simple to make and widely liked because it’s so common. While helping cut the ingredients, Risma continued chatting next to Amelia.

"Mrs. Flora asks for fried rice for Mr. Ethan at least once or twice a week. Sometimes, when she gets bored, she asks to buy seafood fried rice from a restaurant."

"Does Mrs. Flora never cook herself?" Amelia asked as she continued working on the ingredients.

"Never," Risma shook her head. "Since I started working here, Mrs. Flora has never cooked. She says she can’t cook. That’s why she hired a housekeeper who specializes in Indonesian and Chinese food. Mr. Ethan really likes local dishes. Mrs. Flora, on the other hand, prefers Chinese food."

Amelia nodded. She had known since their friendship began that her friend preferred Chinese and Middle Eastern food, and didn’t like Indonesian dishes that use many spices or coconut milk.

"Mr. Ethan would be very pleased if he got home-cooked meals like this every day," Risma remarked casually.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Mr. Ethan prefers home-cooked meals over eating out or from restaurants. Didn’t you notice this morning? The porridge was completely gone. Usually, for breakfast, he just eats bread or fruit and milk."

Amelia smiled. She had seen how her husband enjoyed the meals she prepared in the morning, a similar sight to what she had observed when they were closer before officially becoming married.

"But, ma'am..." Risma continued. "How do you know Mr. Ethan's favorite foods? Have you and Mrs. Flora known each other for a long time?"

Amelia just smiled and didn’t answer Risma's question.

"Sorry if my question is too forward."

"It’s fine. No worries. By the way, the fried rice and beef black pepper are ready. Please set them on the table. After that, fry some eggs. I’m going upstairs to shower and get ready."

After giving her quick instructions, Amelia headed to her room to clean up and prepare for dinner.