Love Because Love
CAN YOU HELP ME?
Laurel's eyes look swollen, it feels like she no longer has the strength to cry anymore, looked at by her mother who can only be bowed lethargic with puffy eyes in front of her aunt, the only sister of her papa, who can only be seen, Aunt Lina.
"I'm really sorry Brother, I can't do anything anymore." Denia, Mama Laurel nods lethargic, it feels like the only way she has to sell the house left by her husband who died of a heart attack a month ago.
"I can't help much either, our family's finances aren't very strong either." Mama laurel nodded, she obviously could not blame Lina, the older sister of her husband who had been helping her so much for a month, supporting their daily needs because of the economic conditions that have deteriorated sharply due to fraud committed by Mma Laurel's younger brother so that their company is bankrupt, resulted in Papa Laurel being depressed having a heart attack and died how long ago.
"Sister, I'm going to sell this house soon. The money we'll use to buy a simpler house in the suburbs, the rest for living expenses, children's school fees and cover unpaid employee payroll debt." Laurel glanced at her mother.
With her age still going to be 18 two months away it feels like she can't help much, let alone her 15-year-old sister Freya. Two weeks ago she had just received her High School graduation letter, whereas she herself had dreams of studying medicine.
Lina could not say anything more, but actually the matter was not that simple.
The house they will sell already has a prospective buyer who is willing to pay a high price, even exceeding the market, only that the person asks for unreasonable conditions.
Lina heard that the person who was going to buy this house was a successful young entrepreneur. He did not mind buying this house at all, even willing to bear Laurel's tuition until she graduated from Laurel to marry him.
How could he let his sister-in-law sell the house as if he was also selling his own daughter who was also his nephew to a person they did not know at all.
"Denia, I appreciate your decision to sell this house, but letting Laurel marry someone we don't know at all, is that a wise move?" Hearing that Laurel's tears came back to drip, not just the problem of her dead papa, a bankrupt company, a house that had to be sold, but a, but the toughest problem is that she has to marry a man she doesn't know at all, whereas she herself since 2 years ago already has a mooring heart, Devan.
His older brother who is now in the 2nd level of management at one of the major universities in Australia, and actually his mother also knew about their relationship during this time even though maybe their love is only considered a romance of the High School period, just a mere monkey love.
"I have friends who know their families, he thinks this man is a good man. I didn't immediately agree to it, I already had the info about this man. She didn't even mind Laurel staying after her dream of becoming a doctor after they got married and she was willing to put off having children because of Laurel's young age" Aunty Lina's eyes bulged, it looks like Denia's decision to sacrifice Laurel is completely unanimous.
"Denia, I really disagree. I know Laurel's not your real daughter, but remember, she's your dead sister's daughter. You used to want to marry her papa too on the grounds that you wanted to take good care of Laurel. How can you account for your decision to your brother and husband in the future? If he is a good man why if you want to help must be conditional?” Hearing her aunt mention that she is not the biological child of Denia makes Laurel's heart more sliced.
His father married twice. Laurel's biological mother died giving birth to her, so her mother's sister, Denia, replaced her to take care of her, until her father decided to marry her so that there were no negative rumors about their relationship.
Denia treats Laurel like her own child, just as she treats Freya who is her biological child. But, with her decision to let her marry a man she doesn't know at all, Laurel begins to doubt Denia's sincerity as her stepmom.
Denia herself is in a squashed position, with their financial condition severe. She herself during her husband's life never once meddled in the affairs of the company, which she knew she was only in charge of all the affairs of the household, how to make the household harmonious, and how to make the family harmonious, her husband and children live happily together in the house, get enough food and they like it, the education of successful children, other affairs she never interfere at all.
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Devan could only pat Laurel's shoulder in his arms gently to comfort her, she herself could not help anything. When her boyfriend Laurel faced problems at least she felt lucky that her campus in Australia was on holiday and she could go home to Indonesia.
"How about we just get away from this town? We both went to Australia," Laurel glared at Devan's crazy idea.
"Then what about my college?" Laurel looked at Devan with a confused face, because she had received a notification letter that she was accepted at one of the best universities in Indonesia majoring in medicine with a track of achievement.
Being a doctor was Laurel's dream since childhood, if she followed Devan to leave this city, what about her college? What about his future? what about the fate of her mother and sister?
Foolish with them, his mother had already decided to accept the offer of the unknown businessman, truly a great mama, selling her son to protect herself, she said, Laurel smiles cynically recalling how two days ago her mother told her that her decision had been unanimous to sell their house and marry her to a man she did not know at all, for him it was the same as his mother had sold him into a brothel for foreign men.
"You can study in Australia. You are a smart girl, you can get into university there too. With high academic values, you can apply for a scholarship," Laurel frowned, trying to think of an idea from Devan that currently sounds a little reasonable even if a little crazy too.
"My father is not a really rich man, but if I ask him to help you with a little tuition fee he would not mind, let alone me the only child of papa, but if I were to help you a little, he also knows we've been dating since 2 years ago, the rest of us can work part-time there to cover our financial shortcomings," Laurel's face that initially looks tangled began to turn a little cheerful, cheerful, I feel like I found a way out of his problem.
Actually, even though only 2-3 times both he or Devan have met their respective parents even though not in an official event.
"Ah, we better stop talking now, tomorrow we'll talk again, now I'm so hungry," Devan stood up from the concrete chair in the middle of the city park, Laurel who at the time of meeting Devan was not able to smile can finally smile a little because of their conversation just now, it feels like what Devan said can be his best way out at this time.
"Come, how many days is my appetite also completely muddled because of this matter. Today we have to eat with satisfaction" Devan chuckled at Laurel's complaint, he immediately grabbed Laurel's hand and took her for a walk while holding hands towards the city park parking lot to then head to a mall to buy their dinner.
After they dined in the food court area of one of the city's malls, Devan and Laurel agreed to watch together to relieve their stress, trying to forget for a moment the problems they had to face at this moment.
Laurel was still choosing the title of the film they were going to watch until she finally felt something that initially felt cold touching her waist and a second later she felt a huge pain in that part, his right hand spontaneously held the part.
A person wearing a hat and a mask was seen running away from Laurel with his glove-wearing hands seen dripping blood on the floor as long as he ran away. It made some people cry hysterically out of shock and fear.
"Ohhhh!!" Laurel screamed hysterically realizing that her new right hand was holding her right waist covered in blood and a dagger seemed to be stuck in her right waist.
Devan, who was originally standing not far from Laurel's place to buy a small meal, ran straight towards Laurel, who fainted in Devan's arms. Some people who saw the incident immediately moaned Devan and Laurel.
"Please! Call ambulance! Call ambulance!" With a pale face Devan screamed hysterically seeing the condition of Laurel who fainted in his arms with the body of her waist with the condition of a dagger still stuck there continue to drain fresh blood, dirtying the floor of the mall.
"Call ambulance! Hurry along!" Devan again shouted hysterically as the crowd just looked at each other without doing anything. Cold sweat filled Devan's forehead because of the emotions and fear he experienced when he saw Laurel's condition that was still unconscious.
"Call ambulance! Hurry along! Ambulance please!" Devan again shouted hysterically because the people who were crowded to see because of curiosity they just looked at each other without doing anything.
As the crowd grew, two-three people grabbed their phones to make calls to a nearby hospital, security officers were seen running towards the crowd. Some women and children close their eyes in horror at the events that happened to Laurel.
