Only Rakia seemed to be enjoying breakfast alone at the large dining table. After her morning workout with Dashtan, she showered and ate breakfast alone while her husband met her father-in-law. She wanted to know what they discussed; it was a journalist's instinct to know everything, especially if the objects were people like Dashtan and her father-in-law. After finishing breakfast, she had nothing else to do, so she went to the kitchen to see what was happening and chat briefly with the working maids. They had been working with their employer for quite some time, especially the head of the household, whose name Rakia always forgot, probably because she felt awkward and clumsy in such a luxurious place. Rakia left the kitchen for another room on the second floor. When she reached the top of the stairs, she faintly heard the sound of a piano. Curious, she followed the direction of the sound with slow steps, and the closer she got, the more apparent it sounded. Chopin's tones flowed so
Neither Dashtan nor Rakia spoke during their ride in Dashtan's Lamborghini. "Where are we going?" Rakia opened the conversation; she felt Dashtan was hiding something. "You'll find out later, for sure this place you have to know, it's important," said the man who seemed to be thinking about many things. Rakia turned to look at the husband she got from a marriage based on that agreement. She was sure that something must be on his mind. She also tried to open the man's mind little by little; as a journalist, she had a way of getting her sources to be more open in conveying information. "I don't know much about a country's economic issues, but this country is always in the top three hottest topics. And apparently... This country is amazing." Rakia began to try her hand at foreplay. Dashtan smiled at the woman's ramblings. "In recent years, we've opened up to several investors from Western countries." Dashtan tried to respond; Rakia was happy with this promising start. She would not b
The seven-hour trip back to Singapore was like a trip to the moon. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red, and her face no longer radiated enthusiasm. She couldn't even make it through the dinner with Dashtan's family. All the happiness she felt instantly disappeared. She did not hear Adeline's repeated calls because she left her cell phone in the room. Upon arrival in Singapore, Dashtan rushed Rakia to the hospital where Doctor Pedro worked. At that time, Mr. Reynaldi was being treated in the ICU after surgery. Rakia met Doctor Pedro as she arrived at the door of the ICU room where her father was being treated. "How is Dad?" asked Rakia in a hoarse voice after crying all day. Doctor Pedro let out a long sigh as he looked at Rakia with an anxious gaze mixed with trying to be strong. "The team of doctors have tried their best, hopefully a miracle can make him open his eyes again." Doctor Pedro's words only worsened Rakia's mood, sinking to the deepest point. She burst into tears aga
Dashtan seemed to be struggling with his necktie as Rakia walked into his room. "Oh, Hi, do you need help? Sorry for not knocking." Rakia smiled at the doorway of the room, to which Dashtan responded with a smile. Without waiting for the man's reply, Rakia went deeper and approached Dashtan and helped the man tie his tie. "I'm going to Dubai tomorrow," Dashtan told Rakia, who frowned for a moment. "Any important business?" asked Rakia, half curious and half not. Her hands moved gracefully to tie Dashtan's necktie. The man formed his lips into a straight line and nodded. "My father asked me to come because he wanted to talk about something." "You want to tell me?" Rakia was getting interested. She had finished with her tie-making. “It’s about Dalilah.” Rakia's gaze changed as she looked at the man; she was suspicious. "Did she do something out of control?" Slowly, Rakia began her talent as a journalist to pry for information. Dashtan exhaled. "It seems so, but I hope it's not
They passed by a month without significant problems for Dashtan and Rakia. Although Mr Reynaldi showed no signs of waking up from his coma, Rakia tried to stay strong and visited her father regularly in the hope that he would open his eyes and return to his old self. That afternoon, after Rakia got off work and was at the hospital where her father was being treated, her cell phone rang. “Yes, hello. Brand?!” Rakia looked unsure. “Yes, it’s me. Hey, can you come back to the office at six? We need to discuss something.” Her boss sounded unusual. Rakia realized something was up, and she wanted to know, so she agreed to the man’s request to come to the office at six. After hanging up the call, Rakia looked at the wall clock in the room. It was about half an hour later. She stood by her father’s side and looked at him with all the hope that he would return soon and open his eyes. “Dad, I’ll come back later,” Rakia said, leaving the room. On reaching home, she rushed to her room to showe
For the second time, someone broke her heart and her trust. If her nature had been human, she would already be battered, bruised, and currently in a coma. She was waiting to see if she would die or have a chance to live again. Rakia cried all night and locked herself in her room. After she fought with Dashtan yesterday afternoon, she didn’t leave her room for hours until Rakia made sure he was asleep; she decided to go out to eat and drink something. By then, it was three in the morning. Rakia rummaged through the fridge and found four slices of pizza; she took them out and put them in the microwave, after which she ate them with a glass of cold cola. Her face looked terrible, with swollen eyes and a red nose. She swallowed as fast as she could. The memory of her fight with Dashtan yesterday afternoon at her current place came rushing back. The fact that he broke his promise not to bring another woman into their marriage hurt more than the pain Benjamin gave him. The tears started a
They fought again when they met at home in the afternoon. Dashtan slammed the suit he had taken off his body onto the living room sofa when he saw Rakia passing by the living room and going towards the kitchen. He approached the woman who had also stopped waiting for him. He looked at Rakia with all the emotions mixed inside him. “Don’t make our relationship more difficult.” Dashtan began his attack. “Tell that to yourself. I’m just trying to make myself comfortable from the mess you made.” Rakia parried the attack so nicely that Dashtan was entirely surprised by it. It hit him hard. He stared at Rakia with his jaw set, his gaze sharp and intent on discouraging the woman. But Rakia changed quickly because of the circumstances that began to pressure her; she became immune to every threat. “So you’re going to hate me?” The question caused Rakia’s forehead to rise and her lips to a purse. She thought. “Probably yes, but I honestly thought of another idea.” Rakia responded to the curr
After Rakia returned from Peru, she found Dashtan and Dalilah arguing in the living room. They hadn’t noticed her presence, so Rakia had watched them say with a flat expression. While in Peru, she pondered whether to move into her new apartment immediately or wait for the right moment. She listened to the material debated by the two humans upsetting her lately. They still discussed Dalilah’s insistence on moving in with Dashtan and Rakia. “Ash! I’m your wife now, too, and we’ve agreed to go through with this until you fix your mistake.” Dalilah spoke with anger visible in her eyes. Dashtan sighed while Rakia was confused and wondered. “Did they discuss this while I was gone? Oh, my God... It’s a good thing I came back today.” Her mind began to nag. “Yes, I know that, but I can’t hurt Rakia by making you guys share a house and fight every day, I’m the aggrieved one here, this is my house and I’m free to decide who can live here.” Dashtan persisted in arguing. “Are you going to let