Substitute Mother

Chapters 118. When You Believe

“Hai Jeanno.. Have you eaten? Eat lots of vegetables, right? and drink some water. Today I got the morning shift. You tau? there was a grandfather who came to the store to buy a bouquet of lilies for his wife, he said it was their 60th wedding day. The grandfather wrote a stammered message, saying how much he loved his wife every day. The longer they were together, the more he loved his wife. It's romantic, isn't it? But then the grandfather said that his wife was being treated in the hospital for complications. I know it's ridiculous, but I'm crying for her. I can't imagine if the worst was possible.”

“I want to be like that grandmother, along with the man she loves even for more than half a century. Must be fun yeah, spending old together. Sharing stories, seeing grandchildren grow. My concern is like that, but don't know if fate allows me or not”*

“Jeanno, I'm still here. If your business is done, meet me at the store huh?”*

Nayara kept her phone. He let out a long sigh, looking out the window where the conditions were quite quiet due to the heavy rain. Oh, regarding the residence, he was allowed to stay in the store, because there happened to be a small room that he functioned as a room. With a thin and cold mattress, but that's okay, that's more than enough. Nayara repeatedly thanked the owner, and promised to move if his savings had been collected to pay the flat rental deposit.*

The girl's phone rang, which only made the owner almost scream out of excitement. Thinking that the caller was Jeanno, the name was not what he expected.*

“Hallo?”*

“Nayara, it's me, Mark”*

Nayara smiled faintly. A few weeks not only Jeanno disappeared, but also Mark. Just today his girlfriend's cousin called. “How are you, Brother?”*

“Shouldn't I have asked? Sorry, Na. Lately I've been busy so I haven't been able to reach you”*

Ironically, when other men care more about him than his own lover.*

“It's okay, I understand. Besides I'm not your responsibility, Kak”*

Mark sighed across the street. “Jeanno haven't contacted you?”*

The girl shook her head, in a split second she realized that Mark could not see her head. “Not yet. The phone leads to voicemail. Jeanno.. is fine, right?”*

“Yes, she's fine. Only his busyness increased many times over”*

“Please tell Jeanno.. to take care of his health”*

“Ya, I'll tell you”*

“Thank you very much, Kak”*

Mark disconnected his phone. A little guilty of lying to Nayara. Technically he is busy with work, but his busyness is not much. He can still steal time to meet Nayara. It's just that he was still a little upset by his quarrel the other day with Jeanno. Thinking with him stopping to meet Nayara, Jeanno would act on his own. Meet the girl and explain why she's acting like an asshole. But in fact, Jeanno just closed his ears. The man was like a buffalo being plucked in his nose, following all orders from his father. Mark tried to tell it to his father and mother, at least asking them to persuade uncle Thomas to give a little leeway to Jeanno, at least letting Jeanno finish his studies first. Yet even his mother, who was the older brother of Thomas' uncle, gave up before trying. Thomas Alexander is the most stubborn man he has ever met. Approved by his father, Jose Sebastian.*

Jeanno has taken Nayara's heart, taking her away only to be destroyed. Mark doesn't accept that. True he was just an outsider, but Nayara did not deserve such treatment.*

“Jeanno jerk”*

*

“Nayara?”

Judith barely slipped from her seat when she saw who was greeting. Sharin Widjaja, smiling sweetly in front of her. The woman muttered, Why did Sharin come to Aera's school while she didn't have children here?

“I picked up my niece. Celine can't come because she's sick”

Judith just nodded at a glance. Hoping that his coldness would drive Sharin away. He was too busy interacting with the woman. But reality did not match his expectations, Sharin actually sat beside him.

“How are you, Nay? You look..different”.

Judith was secretly amazed, how could Sharin be so ordinary about what he had done to Nayara a few years ago? Jeanno is right, Sharin Widjaja is not a woman. He should be careful.

“Yes, I live my perfect life as Jeanno Alexander's wife. You want to know what it feels like? I woke up feeling flowery. Sleep soundly in the arms of Jeanno, the man you could never have, Sharin”

That smile turned into a clumsy smile. Judith cheered inwardly when she saw Sharin's fingers squeezing the tip of her bag.

“Then I'm the son-in-law that Uncle Thomas and Aunt Yvone wanted. The equivalent of the Alexander family. Not you, girl whose origins are unclear”

Judith shrugged her shoulders. “But Jeanno was willing to abandon the luxury he could as Alexander, for the sake of being with the girl whose origins are not clear this”

“Receive your defeat, Sharin. Aren't you tired of chasing after a guy who doesn't love you?”

Sharin growling. “Sharin Widjaja does not know defeat”

“Then? You want to use ‘otherwise I can't have Jeanno, then no one can have it’? If yes, then you are the most shameless woman I have ever known”

“A-what did you say?”

Judith turned her head, giving the sweetest smile to Nayara's enemies. “I always thought that was perfect. Has a beautiful face, distinguished family, famous models. To be honest, you can get another guy who's on par with Jeanno, or even on top of him. But you're after Jeanno, who is now the husband of a man and the father of a little girl. After all these years, aren't you supposed to move on? But in fact you came back, shamelessly trying to reconnect with Jeanno under the guise of business cooperation. Is there no smarter way? Don't tell me you're gonna frame my husband by meddling in his sleeping pills, then act like you guys are fucking, then send me a nude photo?”

“I trust my husband, Sharin. So before you further humiliate and demean your own self-esteem, I suggest you stop”

His opponent was still open. Judith could see the turbulent anger on Sharin's body gestures. The woman's face flushed and her breathing became heavy.

“Stop before your husband knows how cheap you are”

One second, the blow happened so fast. Judith could not escape, which she could only now feel the pain of Sharin's swift and powerful slap. Goddamn it, he's sure his cheeks are flushed now.

“I'll find a way to destroy you, Nayara”

That's what Judith heard before the crazy woman left. If not in the scope of Aera's school, it is certain that Judith's side as Ananta Judith will come out and slap Sharin back.

“I will avenge their treatment of you, Nayara”

**