Les Laches
The Beginning of Chaos
After ending his phone call to Tian, a smile flashed across Afgar's lips. At first, the smile looked weak, but for a long time the smile widened. That smile even turned into a loose laugh.
Afgar cheered in heart. Plan succeeded. He deliberately confronted Tian first about his little quarrel with Meda. He pretended to admit his mistake before declaring his resignation and shunning Tian at Meda's request.
Afgar did all that because he knew Tian very well. No matter how angry Tian was to him, the girl would never be able to get away from him. The history of both is too long to be destroyed only by orders from Meda based on jealousy. Even so, if Afgar did nothing, Meda would further poison Tian's mind and make the girl hate Afgar.
Afgar knows how it might get dirty. But he doesn't care. Maintaining Tian's sympathy in order to remain on his side was more important than finding the best solution to his problems with Meda. Afgar himself had no intention of making peace with the young man.
Meda's remarks tonight made her even more convinced that Meda was not the right person for Tian. He would make sure the young man stayed away forever from Tian's life.
As he was engrossed in thinking of the best plan to achieve his goal, Safira called out his name.
“You don't want to spend a gift in your room?” asked the girl while folding her hands in front of her chest.
Afgar was a little confused as he looked at the cold expression that his fiancee was showing. However, he did not question it any further and walked towards his room.
Several wrappers of wrapping paper were scattered on the surface of the rug lining the floor of his room and various kinds of foreign objects were neatly arranged on his king-size bed.
“You have almost opened all the gifts for me. So, why did you call me?” asked Afgar while turning to look at Safira who was now closing the door to her room.
“Because there is something I want to ask you,” Safira replied as she looked back at Afgar with a sharp look.
Afgar sat on the sofa by the side of the window of the room without his balcony before looking back at Safira, waiting for the girl to continue her speech.
“Three days ago, I asked you to pick me up at college after I finished my practicum exam. Remember?”
Afgar nodded. “That day I couldn't pick you up because there was an appointment.”
“Whose promise?”
Afgar narrowed his eyes before answering Sapphira's question.
“Why did you name it?”
“There was an acquaintance of mine who said that he met you near his subscription boutique. He saw you again the same girl I wasn't. So, who are you going to be?” ask Safira.
“Sama Tian,” the answer is calm. “You suddenly asked about the problem today because you already know the answer, right? What I don't understand is what is your purpose in bringing up the problem again?”
“Neither understand nor understand? Or are you asking me to understand that the actions of those of you who prefer Tian over me are natural?” safira asked who was starting to get inflamed looking at Afgar's attitude that did not show the guilt at all.
“I told you that you can't compare Tian with you. You have a different position in my life!” exclaiming Afgar while rising from his sitting position.
“Different priorities too, right? Tian will forever be number one for you!”
“Because Tian my friend.”
“Oh, yes? I doubt that you will still prioritize 'friend' when our position exchanges.” Sapphira narrowed her eyes.
“No need for pleasantries, Fir. What exactly do you want to say?” Afgar asked coldly.
After saying all that, Safira stepped out of Afgar's room. He left the building through the back door so that there was no need to meet his fiancee's family. It was also impossible for him to say goodbye to the appearance that would somehow look like what with that tear-soaked face. He entered his car parked in the side yard along with the personal vehicles of the family's close relatives and began driving his car at full speed. Being in the same place as Afgar made his chest even more tight.
After Sapphira's departure, Afgar threw his body on his bed. Surprisingly, he did not think at all about his fiance's anger. Perhaps it was because not once or twice the two quarrels broke out because of the problem of petty jealousy from Sapphira to Tian. Although, well, of course the quarrel this time was not arguably small. But again, that's not what Afgar thought.
Afgar thought of the last words of Sapphira. He or Tian? Afgar laughed a little. Of course Tian. Until at any time, the priority was Tian. It doesn't matter that the choice might get him a label asshole. In the mind of an Afgar, as long as he could always get close and protect Tian, there was nothing more important than that.
***
Hera's phone rang while she was chatting with Alvin in her room. The young man frowned as he looked at the confusion on Hera's face which was staring at her phone screen.
“There's a problem?” ask Alvin.
Hera shook her head uncertainly before showing Safira's ID that appeared on her phone screen.
“Thank you first,” Alvin's orders, but Hera answered with a brief skirt and put her phone back on her room table.
“I'll call him later,” break up Hera.
Alvin shrugged his shoulders before continuing the conversation with his girlfriend.
“So, you agree us to Ubud?” ask her with sparkling eyes.
The two lovebirds were busy talking about a mid-semester vacation plan that will start in a few weeks. This time the two agreed not to take a vacation as usual. Tian already had Meda, so Hera and Alvin thought that this time they could all be free to plan a vacation with their respective partners.
“I agree we to Ubud, but you are sure there is a place for camping?” ask Hera sangsi.
Alvin did mention that he intended to spend his vacation time in the art center city in Bali by doing camping.
“You didn't catch me all right, anyway. This isn't just camping, honey. It's glamping. It comes from the word glamour and camping. So, we will later camp with complete and luxurious facilities. The location is near the forest and rice fields. You must love it,” obviously Alvin is excited.
What I like is you, Vin.
Of course, Hera only said that in her heart. He did not want his words to make Alvin think that he would not like the trip that time as much as he did. In reality, Hera was even ready to do anything to make Alvin forget his problem. Unfortunately, there was not much Hera could do to help solve her lover's problem.
Alvin told me about the conflict that was happening in his family. Dominiq, her boyfriend's older brother, was almost imprisoned for the violence the man had committed against the woman he was dating. The case did not get to the media thanks to Yorik's hard work, but the act made the eldest son of the Petra family lose a lot of support as the strongest candidate to inherit his father's airline company, Tristan Petra's.
Unfortunately, the position of the successor to the number one company did not necessarily fall into the hands of the second most influential person in the airline company. The figure was sent by Tristan's father to oversee the way Tristan Petra ran his business. In office, the figure is under Tristan Petra. However, by authority, he has almost the same power as the President Director.
Some of Dominiq's supporters who were on the board of directors not only refused to change sides, but also raised Alvin's name to replace Dominiq. Their high trust in Tristan Petra makes them unable to accept others who are outside the Petra family lineage to become their leaders.
This is what makes Alvin confused. Because, he not only does not like the business world, but also hates the world that makes some members of his family can not get along. From childhood, he saw how his father treated all of his brothers as if they were business rivals to be dropped. The father even poisoned his two sons to follow his pattern of thinking.
Alvin was fortunate that he was a second son and did not accept his father's strict doctrine. However, Dominiq was clearly different. As the first son, he was required to be the one who carried on all Tristan's actions.
That's how Dominiq was raised. The young man was even taught to antagonize his own family. So, there was no reason for him not to make a stranger his enemy either.
