Home For My Soul

188|No Equivalents

“No,” replied Theo when I asked permission to leave the house that afternoon. “Lo know myself I brought the car. I do not allow you to take a taxi or motorcycle.”

“Ya, already. I'm out tomorrow only.” I had to give up.

“Not usually Richo invites to meet on Monday. What do you want out of the house? If you meet Sonata, you must be permission to come out in the afternoon,” he said full investigation.

I decided to be honest. After all, her bodyguard will report to whom I met. “Pak Norman wants to talk to me.”

“No,” reply quickly. “For what married men invite to meet married women alone? If he wants to talk to you, he can do it when we attend the same event. No need special appointment.”

How can we talk if we're not close? I knew it would end this way, but I couldn't possibly not ask first. Mr. Norman can't talk if there's nothing important he wants to discuss with me. I'm sure this has something to do with Chika.

Since Theo did not allow it, I answered honestly to his message. I could not meet him specifically and let him discuss anything with me if we met at the event we attended together.

The door of the study was knocked, so I let her in. The butler told me there were guests who wanted to see me. Only Brother and Matt know this house. Both are at work, so it is impossible for them to come.

As soon as I heard the name of the person intending to pass through the gate, I frowned. What's the matter with him coming here? How did he know our address? Ah, yes. What can't a rich man like them do? Any information they can get easily.

“Tante, please come in.” I led him to the front room.

Aunt Ruth stood on the porch, waiting until I let her in. Strict protocol from Theo. No guest can enter the house without our permission. Jericho and Matt had to go through the same process. My husband might be angry with them and not want to see their faces around him.

“Which money can you buy a house this big?” tanyanya.

“Ah, long story, Aunt.” I decided not to be honest about it.

He sat on one of the couches, so I sat opposite him, with the table between us. I'm sure he wouldn't like us sitting in the same chair. The waiter moved swiftly by serving drinks and snacks in front of us, then saying goodbye.

“I'm happy to see Aunt healthy,” I said sincerely, trying to open the conversation.

“Until any time I won't change my mind.” He put the bag he was carrying onto the sofa. “You are with Theo for decades though, I will not accept you to be a son-in-law. So, instead of you wasting time, the sooner you get divorced, the better.”

I gulped down the tea in my mouth, then put the cup and the saucer on the table. “Tante wrong people. The one Aunt should be talking to was Theo. He who wants to marry me, he also takes care of our marriage deed.”

He and Om Azarya must have talked to Theo and he flinched. Therefore, he came to see me as the last way to separate us. Why haven't they studied as well? It wasn't me who played a significant role in our relationship, but Theo.

Even if I leave him, he will bring me back. I'd rather give up if the things I'm fighting for don't pay off. Theo doesn't. He'll keep trying until what he wants, he gets. So, talking to me is a waste of time.

“If you're not flirtatious about flirting with him in that apartment, he might not be interested in marrying you,” he said fiercely. “Do you think I didn't know you were deliberately selling expensive so he couldn't stand it and married you this fast?

“Again, what are poor women like you wasting their time studying abroad for? After graduation, I noticed that you were relaxing at home. Only my son works hard to make ends meet for you both. You went to college just for this?

“You must have intentionally, ‘kan, become a private tutor Matt.” He laughed in surprise. “I didn't expect I hadn't thought of this before. You have calculated everything until finally Theo trapped pellets, magic, or something that makes him crazy every time you.”

“Tante,” I cut it, “don't forget where Aunt is. I respect and cherish Aunt as my husband's mother, but I don't allow anyone to insult me in my own home. No pellets in America, Auntie. There is also no magic whose effect is permanent.

“What Aunt forgot who had a big role with our closeness?” He frowned at my words. “Tante himself asked Aunt's son to drive me home after teaching Matt. Did Auntie never think of the consequences of being together so often?”

He was stunned for a moment. We might not have gotten close had he not told Theo to drive me home. If Matt were to drop us off, we wouldn't have any feelings because of all these years of being his teacher, we loved each other as brother and sister. Not more.

His eyes then rounded, and looked at me in disbelief. He must now have understood that our process of being together also has something to do with him. He was busy thinking to himself, then I waited until he finished digesting the information I was conveying.

“I-it's not true. I'm not doing that because I'm supporting your relationship or trying to bring you closer. I just don't want anything to happen to you for coming home tonight. Do not distort the facts. You seduced Theo with pellets,” he accused.

“She has never been interested in women, never been close to any girl. So, I'm not worried about having him drive you home. Don't try to involve me in your evil efforts to ruin my son's future and our family's reputation.” His face was red.

“Tante, once again. Auntie's at my house. If Auntie just wants to insult me, please come out.” I glanced at the door. If he thinks I'm rude enough to do this, I don't care.

“Leave Theo. My son has the right to marry an honorable woman, who can earn him the respect of many. Not like you who have always been the material of media banter to drop his reputation.” He stands.

“I give you two weeks. If you still insist on refuting, I will not stay silent anymore.” He looked at me seriously. I hadn't seen for a long time the cheerful, friendly expression she showed me on the first day we met.

“Tante don't need to wait for one week,” I'm standing, “I won't leave Theo. Forever. Please Auntie do whatever it takes to separate us. All of that will only further strengthen our relationship.”

He's laughing a little. “Confidence is also you. Underestimating your opponent will make you lose before you go to war. I'm not the guy yesterday afternoon who didn't know the enemy's weakness before threatening.”

I would love to return the sentence to him. Because he is the one who is making the accusation, underestimating the opponent. But I held back. After all, she was my mother-in-law, my husband's birth mother. I don't want to be disobedient.

“When we met for the first time, Aunt was very kind and friendly to me. Aunty knew I was poor so needed extra money by teaching private. But Aunt does not look at me one eye.” I tried to persuade him.

“Did I turn bad for being in a relationship with Theo? Am I not worthy of being part of the Aunt family just because of status? I wasn't even given a single chance to prove I could be the Husada Family's son-in-law. That's not fair, Aunt.”

She smiles. “Life is unfair.”

I felt like I was being hit right on my left chest. So hurt. His heart was so hard that whatever I said, everything came back in vain. He was touched when I talked about the beginning of my closeness with Theo. But he closed his heart just because I was poor.

What plan has he prepared that gives me two weeks? He has been married for twenty years. It was easy for him to ask a wife to leave a husband who was already legal in the eyes of the law. Moreover, that man was his own son. Doesn't he see Theo happy with me? Why did he think only of reputation and status?

The door opened and Theo entered. But he was stunned for a moment to see that I was not in bed. His face panicked, then looked for me around the room. His cold expression only showed emotion in such a moment, losing me.

How can any parent prefer to see their child suffer from being with a woman they are equal to, rather than being happy with the chosen woman they love? Yes, the world is unfair. But the ones who are treating me unfairly are them, not the world.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw me sitting on the sofa, then his face returned expressionless. “What's up? Why aren't you sleeping? Lo forgot to stay up late is not good for mom?”

I stood up when he was near me for a moment, and hugged his waist. I've been through a lot with him. This hug I will never let go. Aunt Ruth can do whatever she can to start separating us. But Theo will still be mine.

[How can I sleep hugged on? 🙄 Already, dong, Kat. Hey, Kat. Well, where's the guy gone. 😒]