Second Woman

After the Divorce

The days have changed, time has passed with all the secrets of destiny beginning to unfold one by one, spelling out all the long-hidden facts.

That day was the last day of Rafa and Maya's divorce trial. There's already nothing Maya can do to save her marriage to Rafa.

Maya can only be silent to accept the judge's verdict if now her marriage to Rafa is really over.

With a lackluster step Maya walks out of the courtroom with Rafa walking behind her.

There was absolutely no conversation between the two of them from the very beginning they met until they came out of the courtroom.

Maya stops her step, turns her body and looks at Rafa who is walking towards her.

Maya just kept quiet without saying anything, so did Rafa who was completely unconcerned about Maya's existence before him.

Rafa even walks casually past Maya without even looking back at Maya, until she is in the parking lot and about to get into her car.

But suddenly Maya calls him, making Rafa undo his intention to get into the car.

"Rapha!" call Maya while taking her steps towards Rafa.

"I just want to thank you, even though our marriage didn't go as well as it should but I'm so grateful that I can still feel your concern for me and forgive me for all my mistakes!" maya told Rafa.

"Forget over everything that's happened between us, assume this never happened so you can start your new life without burden!" reply Rafa.

"Can't we be friends after this? if we fail at marriage at least we can still relate as friends" Maya asks.

"Sorry Maya but it seems like it will only make it harder for you to forget about our relationship, better we just live our lives like before we know each other" said Rafa.

"Do you hate me so much Rafa? is that as big as your hatred for me that you don't want to be just friends with me?" maya asked with her two teary eyes.

"I don't hate you and I've forgiven you, but to get in touch with you again I really can't, whether it's just friends or something else," reply Rafa who firmly gives a boundary between himself and Maya.

"Is it because of Tiara? is it because you want to go back after him? don't you know if Son likes it? you must know that the Son will not give up on getting it, right?"

Rafa only smiled faintly and then got into his car and drove his car away without caring about Maya who was still standing in place, staring at Rafa's departure.

Rafa is grateful that he finally got away from his fake marriage with Maya, but on the other hand, he also feels guilty for his parents who were so hopeful about his marriage with Maya.

Rafa drives to her parents' house to inform her parents that the court has decided to divorce Maya.

Arriving at his parents' house, Rafapun immediately look for the mother.

"Is mom busy?" rafa asked the mother who was in the kitchen at the time.

"No, why did you come without telling Mama? if you know you're coming Mama will prepare the food from earlier," replied Mama Rafa.

"Rafa just wanted to surprise my mom" Rafa said.

"What surprise?" ask Mama Rafa.

Rafa then gives a piece of paper to the mother that shows that she is legally divorced from Maya.

"Finally you've ended everything Rafa, it must have been hard to have a marriage that you didn't want all this time, Mama apologized for having trapped you in a marriage that you didn't want" said Mama Rafa.

"It's all over, ma, Mama no longer need to regret what happened," replied Rafa and hugged the mother.

"From now on you won't interfere with your personal problems, you're an adult, you have the right to determine what you want, Mama will support all your decisions as long as it's the best for you" Rafa said.

"Thank you ma" said Rafa who still hugged the mother.

"Waaahh what is this? why embrace early in the morning without asking papa?" ask Papa Rafa who saw the wife hugging her son in the kitchen.

Rafapun let go of his embrace to the mother and then brought himself towards the father and hugged the father.

"Pardon Rafa for disappointing papa, Rafa promises to make up for all your disappointments to Rafa" Rafa told the papa.

"You have to learn from what has happened Rafa and papa believes you can definitely live your life better after this" said the father who was only answered with a nod of his head by Rafa.

"You two wait at the dinner table, soon your cooking is finished," said Mama Rafa to her husband and son.

After a long time struggling in the kitchen, Mama Rafapun brought the results of his cooking to the dining table with the help of his aunt.

They had lunch together with occasional chatting and laughing jokes.

"Aahh yes Mama has not told you, next week mom and dad will go to America for your papa business trip and Mama wants to see the Son, it's been a long time Mama did not meet him," mama Rafa said to Rafa.

Rafa just nodded his head slowly without saying anything. She recalled her mother saying to her when she met her at the office to ask about Tiara's address.

Mama and papa should have left for America since 1 month ago but delayed because of the problems that Rafa is facing.

After finishing lunch together, Papa Rafa then moved from his seat to receive a call on his cellphone that rang since earlier.

Now there was only Rafa and the mother who were at the dining table.

"What are your plans after this Rafa?" ask Rafa about her mom.

"Rafa doesn't have any plans yet, Rafa will only focus on Rafa's company and business" Rafa replied.

"What about Tiara?" asked the Mama who made Rafa immediately bring his gaze towards the Mama who was sitting in front of him.

"Mama did not expect if it turns out that the woman you love is Tiara, mama did really like it since Mama first met him, even Mama intends to match him with Putra," said Mama Rafa.

"When did you know Rafa?" continued the mother asked.

Rafapun explained that if Tiara is a student at the campus, Rafa also explained if he received Tiara working in his cafe when he knew that Tiara was experiencing family problems that made him have to leave home.

"Maybe since then Rafa became close to Tiara, because Rafa himself was not aware since when Rafa started to like Tiara" said Rafa at the end of his explanation.

"Rafa also doesn't know how Tiara really feels, because before she had a bad experience about someone she loved," Rafa replied.

"You really love Rafa?" ask Mama Rafa.

Rafa smiled with his head lowered. A flash of memory of her being together with Tiara suddenly filled her head.

"There's something different about him ma, something that Rafa for the first time couldn't look away from when he looked at her face" Rafa said, hiding his smile from her mother.

Mama Rafapun only smiled faintly, despite only a brief chat with Rafa but he could understand how much his son loved Tiara.

For the first time Mama Rafa sees Rafa blushing as Rafa tells her about the girl he likes, because all this time Rafa never once told about a woman he liked because it turns out Rafa had never fallen in love with another woman before Tiara.

**

Rafa's days are getting better, he can do his job well while taking care of his business which is now growing.

He still kept Tiara's name well in his heart. Although Tiara was now far away from him, it did not make Rafa forget about Tiara for a second.

Since he officially divorced Maya, the love in his heart seemed to be more nurtured making Rafa more sure if he can definitely get the girl he loves.

Rafa just needs to be patient waiting until Tiara finishes his studies then he will come back to Tiara, approaching Tiara from the beginning as a single man who will try to get the girl he loves.

Rafa has prepared himself well, he could accept that Tiara would not easily accept his presence but he would not give up and would continue to try to get close to Tiara and get it and would never let go for another man.

Unlike Rafa who lives his days better, Maya is actually getting worse by her new life.

Since he officially divorced from Rafa, he has lost his spirit. He can not work with professionals, he even abandoned some clients who should be his responsibility.

Although the news about her and Bagas had succeeded in taking down from all the media, but everyone had judged her as a bad woman.

This of course affects how clients and partners view Maya. That's what makes Maya even worse, making her reluctant to just get out of the house.

Maya now spends more time at home, trying to finish her work from home even though it's not going well.

Mayapun's parents now take over the law firm that had previously been given to Maya.

"You've made bad your own name Maya, if you keep working like this then you'll also make things worse for our law firm, so let go of the law firm and let papa manage it better" said Maya.

In the end Mayapun released the law firm that was already in his grasp.

There is no better choice for Maya, all the choices seem to make her even further slumped in her regrets and sorrows.

**

It was a cold morning on Sunday. In warm, multi-layered clothes, Tiara had just finished playing snow with her friends.

It was the first week of snow after autumn. Because Tiara had never seen snow in person, she forced her friends to play snow on a frozen lake not far from the dorm.

After being satisfied playing snow Tiara and her friends decided to return to the dorm. But when he had just arrived, he was so shocked that he saw a woman he knew standing in front of the dorm gate where he lived.

Tiara asked her friends to enter first because she had to meet the woman she knew.

"Tante Rossa, why is Auntie here?" tiara asked Mama Rafa who had deliberately wanted to meet Tiara there.

"Tante does want to meet you Tiara, does Auntie interfere with your time?" reply Mama Rafa.

"No, but we better chat in the cafe because the weather is getting cold" said Tiara then took Mama Rafa to go to the cafe which is close to where Tiara lived.

They ordered two warm drinks and some snacks to accompany their chat.

"How are you Tiara? it's been a long time that aunty hasn't seen you" Mama Rafa asked Tiara.

"Good aunt, how about aunty?" reply Tiara.

"Tante is also good, it happens that om and aunt are on a business trip here so aunt deliberately looking for you because Auntie has missed you so much" said Mama Rafa.

Tiara just smiled hearing what Mama Rafa said. He did not understand what exactly made Mama Rafa come to see him, because Tiara had not even communicated with Mama Rafa for long.

"Tante wants to see you because aunt wants to apologize to you" said Mama Rafa.

"I'm sorry for what Auntie?" ask Tiara.

"I'm sorry that aunt had wanted to match you with Son, aunt should not do that, sorry if the attitude of aunt made you uncomfortable," said Mama Rafa.

"There is no need to think too much about aunty, besides Tiara's relationship with Sis Putra from the beginning is also close as a friend and work partner," Tiara replied.

"Have you never considered the Son as someone more than that?" asked Mama Rafa who was returned with a headband by Tiara.

"Why? it seems like Son likes you, does he never express his feelings for you?" ask Mama Rafa.

"Sister Son is good, even since the first time he met Brother Putra has helped Tiara a lot, but Tiara only considers brother Putra as a friend and also Tiara's boss in the office, it never crossed Tiara's head at all to have more contact with the Son's brother" Tiara explained.

"Why? is it because you already like other men?" mama Rafa asked which made Tiara speechless for a while.

If I can be honest, Mama Rafa's question is enough to make Tiara uncomfortable.

"Sorry, Auntie does not mean to be presumptuous, aunty is just a little surprised because men like Putra are not good enough to be able to have a special relationship with you," said Mama Rafa.

"Sister Son is very good aunt, but for Tiara it is not enough to be able to make Tiara fall in love," Tiara replied.

"What about Rafa? can she make you fall in love with her?" mama Rafa asked which made Tiara so surprised.

Tiara had not heard the name in her ears for a long time and that day she heard the name of the man she wanted to forget.