Chapter 2. Ready, Not Ready, Must Be Ready

Aditya was stunned. For a moment, he felt so angry and moved by Sandra's words. This woman, even though she hated him, still thought about and prioritized him when it came to inheritance issues. Aditya was so amazed by Sandra's sincerity; she was a woman who was not crazy about wealth. For that reason, it was appropriate that his father preferred to live with Sandra, even without children, because Sandra was a woman worth defending.

 

But Aditya did not want to inherit any of their property; he realized who he was. It would be better if Sandra was the one who deserved to receive all the property from her husband.

 

"No, madam, I cannot accept this position; I cannot be the heir to your company; you are more deserving." Aditya's refusal sounded so sincere.

 

"No, Aditya, I don't want that treasure; that position; that company is all yours; I just want to be next to my husband until his breath stops. I'm afraid, Adit; I'm afraid if my husband leaves, I will live alone. What's the use of that treasure? What's the use of that position?" Mrs. Sandra said and continued to plead with Aditya to help her.

 

"Please help your father and Mrs. Sandra, young master; the company will be destroyed if it falls into the wrong hands." Yosef was heard saying.

 

"It won't be long, Adit, and I will always be by your side, teaching you how to lead the company like your father. That way, I will be calm when accompanying your comatose father because you are there protecting our company." Mrs. Sandra said.

 

Insistence after insistence made by Mrs. Sandra and Uncle Yosef made Aditya finally accept their request for help on one condition: his mother must always live with him, and Mrs. Sandra was forced to accept the conditions, which for her felt heavy.

 

"But young master, the presence of Mrs. Aletta is very dangerous for your recognition as an heir; actually, the condition of living together is a necessity so that Mrs. Aletta is safe if she lives with you and Mrs. Sandra, but still, Mrs. Sandra must be your legal guardian, sir, for now." Joseph explained.

 

"What does that mean, uncle? I still don't understand," asked Aditya.

 

"You cannot recognize Mrs. Aletta as your biological mother, because if they find out, they will dispute the status of you and your biological mother." Yosef replied again.

 

"For this matter, it seems that the great mistress and uncle will have to confer with my mother first." Aditya said he still couldn't believe his illegitimate status was complicating things so much.

 

"I support you, son," suddenly came the words from a woman behind the curtain.

 

"Mom!" Aditya exclaimed when he saw his mother coming out from behind the curtain. "Why are you here? Did they kidnap you too?" He asked.

 

Aletta, his mother, walked up to Aditya with very puffy eyes; it looked like she had been crying earlier or since she came to that place. Aditya hugged his beloved mother and kissed her forehead.

 

"No, my son, I willingly came when they picked me up." Aletta replied while holding her son's hand.

 

Sandra felt so jealous seeing the romantic sight of the mother and son because she did not have children, so she never felt the warm embrace and kiss of affection from a child.

 

Aletta led her favorite son to approach Sandra.

 

"Great lady, I leave my son to you; you don't need to worry. I will also help take care of the great master if you wish and allow it." Aletta said to Sandra.

 

Sandra just nodded and didn't say a word.

 

"Mom, no, mom, how about later? Think carefully; you can't call me son." Preventing Aditya looked unwilling.

 

"It's okay, my son; the big mistress will love you more than anything; mom is still your biological mother; someday we will still be together; the important thing is that mom can see you every day." Aletta said.

 

"Are you being pressured by them to be used like this, mom? Do you still remember how they humiliated you, kicked us out of that big house, and dumped us both to live in a slum housing complex? Have you forgotten what they did?" Aditya asked angrily to the man lying down and uncle Yosef.

 

"No, son, they didn't pressure me or threaten me; this is the only way to keep your father's company from collapsing. I'm sincere; it's okay for us to separate statuses as long as I stay by your side." Aletta replied emotionally.

 

Aditya cried like a child, with tears falling down his cheeks, which he continuously wiped with both hands.

 

Aletta could only hug and rub the back of her son, who sobbed like a 5-year-old who was not bought a toy by his mother.

 

Sandra also felt so sorry when she saw Aditya crying sadly like that. If she were his mother, she would also not be willing to let her only son have to forget his biological mother and call his stepmother a mother, like the things that would happen to her in the future.

 

"Come on, look at your father, son; whisper words for him to wake up soon; I'm sure he must have heard your voice." Aletta then led her son to approach Fajar's body, which lay helplessly.

 

Sandra stood up and stepped back slightly, making room for Aletta and Aditya to approach her husband's body.

 

Aditya looked closely at that face—the face he had hated and missed.

 

"Mom, won't our lives be calm if he dies? Isn't it true that if he disappears, our lives will be happy? This life is only about me and you, mom. I don't want to see mom crying over this man anymore." Aditya said to himself.

 

Because, as he knew, all this time his mother often cried silently longing for Fajar's figure beside her, even though his mother could be called a pelakor or a woman who snatched someone's husband, but Aditya knew that his mother was loyal only to Fajar; she did not want to marry again even though when Fajar left her she was still young and very beautiful, because it was her beauty and beauty that made Fajar entangled in Aletta's love and cheated on Sandra, his legal wife.

 

Now, after 10 years apart, they are exiled, even though they are still in the same city, but they never meet, and now, when they meet again in terrible condition, his father is lying there, so weak and helpless, even though Aditya knows that his father is a mighty figure. Only someone so cunning can make him so helpless like now. Aditya's feelings were overwhelming at the moment; he felt hatred, anger, and resentment towards the person who was so willing to do this to his father.

 

"How is it, son? Are you ready?" Aletta asked, breaking Aditya's reverie.

 

"Alright, mom, I'll follow your orders. Hang in there, mom. I'll finish this business and find the mastermind behind this stabbing tragedy, so I can get back to you soon." Aditya replied.

 

"Thank you, son; you must also endure and prepare mentally for this battle." Aletta said she was encouraging her son.

 

Can Aditya complete the mission?