Substitute Mother

Chapters 133. Lost

“You will never be able to replace Nayara”

“You deserve to go back to where you were, as a prostitute”*

Judith's awake. Realizing he is still in his room in the old apartment he shared with Hannah and Renatta. The woman changed her sleeping position to sit, looking at her empty surroundings. After his last meeting with Jeanno, Judith was always near the same nightmare. Where the sentence pierced Jeanno resonated repeatedly, plus a grin that seemed cold and evil.

Do not ask how long Judith cried, because in fact she had fallen asleep several times because of fatigue abusing sobs. If she is not pregnant, she would rather hurt herself. But then again, Judith had to fight. For the little one growing inside her body.

The woman uncovers the blanket, taking her slow steps towards the dresser mirror. The reflection there is a sad woman. His body is thin, cheekbones protruding, dark circles under the eyes and swollen from crying. Don't forget her dry lips.

The figure reminded Judith of Aleta Maharani Johan. Aleta the youth who had to witness the disharmony of her parents. Aleta cried every night begging her parents to stop fighting. Aleta who does not eat because of the selfishness of her parents who do not give her allowance. Aleta who did not sleep because of the screams and shards of goods thrown by her father and mother to each other.

At the age of 20, Aleta finally had the chance to do something she had been waiting for for years.

It changes his identity. Burying the frail and traumatized figure of Aleta. Turn it into a cheerful, determined and independent Ananta Judith. Since then, Aleta Maharani Johan is considered dead.

Judith stepped forward closer to the mirror. The other figure before him now, was Aleta dressed up by Jeanno like Nayara. Where's Judith? Where is his real person?

“Start today. Never step foot home. Don't you ever see Aera again. Stay away from my family forever”

Cheeks that had dried up by the trail of tears, wet again by the owner when remembering three more days is a celebration of mother's day at Aera school. The grand event that became the reason Judith was contracted for six months, so that she could accompany Aera on mother's day. Ironic when everything just falls apart ahead of the event.

Judith had no idea of her identity being revealed. Also why Mark hid some of the facts about him from Jeanno. Is Mark trying to protect her? Judith believes Mark's actions will have an impact on the man because Jeanno looks very angry when a cousin she believes is hiding something behind her back.

Remind Judith to apologize to Mark later. Later after his mood improved. Because at this time he could not say anything, not when his mind and heart were scattered irregularly. It takes time, to pick it up and reassemble it as before. Judith is sure it will take a long time.

Is he so low compared to Nayara? Do women of the night have no right to dream of having a happy ending? Judith wiped her tears, then rubbed her still faint belly. The next child born, will he still be proud to have a mother who has been plunged into the world of night? As he used to experience as Aleta. Will his son be a bully of people because of his mother's work? Will his son live quietly?

That negative thinking grew, the more that were originally just one, growing uncontrollably. Everything revolved around Judith's head like a hammer that hit her many times. The woman grimaced, her head throbbing violently. Make him collapse in a sitting position because his legs are not able to support his weight.

Judith yells. A shout echoed in his own unit. Painful and full of wounds. Then the scream turned into a stifling roar. Judith hit his chest several times, hoping that the screams and sobs could escape the pain deeply embedded in his heart. But hope is only hope, because in reality, it has been destroyed.

**

As not yet finished the suffering received, the next day the surprise was again received Judith. When the unit bell rings. It wasn't Jeanno who was there, but a man who knew nothing about Judith didn't know him. Behind the man were several large suitcases that could be ascertained were Judith's belongings left in Jeanno's house. Then the stranger handed over the map, without saying anything before leaving without even turning his head.

Judith put the map on the guest table for a while, because she had to take the suitcases so as not to block the hallway of the apartment.

It took Judith fifteen minutes to move the suitcase into the living room. I don't know, unexpected events lately also drain his energy to push the suitcase just make him bored. Remembering the map that did not know what it contained, Judith sat herself in the living room. Grabbing the sheet with a heart.

And sure enough, the map is a lawsuit. That contained that Jeanno sued Judith on charges of fraud and defaulgence from the agreement. With Jeanno's request for damages for Judith….

The rabbit's eyes widened perfectly to see the row of numbers there.

Three billion rupiahs.

**

Nora almost fell out of her seat when the elevator opened and showed Mark Sebastian with his tired face. As far as Nora is concerned, the former finance manager has only been home for about four days. What is Mark here for?

“T-lord Mark? Shouldn't you still be on your honeymoon?”

Mark did not immediately answer Nora's question, but slightly looked at Jeanno's room to determine whether the man he was looking for was inside or not.

“Yes, I should still be in Venice on my honeymoon with my beautiful wife. But your annoying boss actually made his own decision that ruined my show”

“I'm sorry, sir. But if you are here to meet Mr. Jeanno, then with a heavy heart I will prevent you. Because he told not to be disturbed”

Without waiting for Nora's approval, Mark stepped into Jeanno's room as well without knocking on the door.

**

Jeanno shifted her focus to the computer screen when the door of her room opened wide and revealed her older cousin. Compared to Nora, Jeanno was not at all surprised. He only looked at Mark for a moment, before returning his attention to the computer screen.

“I called you hundreds of times. Are you deaf or stuttering technology? Until I ignore my calls and messages”

There's no answer. The only background sound that echoed there was a keyboard typing by Jeanno's fingers.

“Jeanno Alexander”

As if his life depended only on the reports he was working on, Jeanno ignored Mark's call.

“Since when have you been a child like this? I don't care if you want to change my position, but at least I'm told. Is that as hard as calling me?”

The dancing stops. Without seeing Mark, Jeanno chimed in. “I have no interest in meeting with a field supervisor like you. If you fly all the way from Venice just to vent your anger about the post, I don't have time for it”

“Supervisor field?” Mark chuckles. Previously he only knew his position was replaced, did not know the new position. He thought he would hold another division with the same level, namely the manager. I never thought he would step down.

“You're serious?”

“Do I look like I'm working on you? Too intent for me to make a prank until holding a directors” meeting

Mark swore he wanted to run away and give a bogem to his cousin's sister, but he was arrested because he did not want to make a riot in the office. “I need excuse”

“Simple. I just don't like traitor”

“Traitors? What are you talking about, Jeanno?”

Jeanno's attention turned to Mark. Looking at the older cousin he trusted wholeheartedly, with a cold gaze. “What are you covering the Judith family background for? Including his birth name? What are you planning, Mark? Why are you protecting the girl who ruined Nayara's life?”

Mark was silent for a moment. It was as if trying to put together word for word that Jeanno meant. To the conclusion of what his cousin said. “You think you will still hire him as ‘substitute’ Nayara, you said ‘ no matter the risk’, hm?”

“Judith is not the one who has ruined Nayara's life, Jean. It was your parents who ruined your wife's life. For God's sake, Judith didn't even know you existed before this meeting! How can you blame that woman for a lifeline she didn't ask for?”

Jeanno's jaw is hardened. He got up from his seat, stepped closer to Mark. “If he doesn't exist, my papa's people won't be up to wrongly investigating the Nayara family background!”

“That's because they're stupid! Neither Judith nor her parents were wrong. Don't owe you anything for the somersault of your life with Nayara. And now you blame me? You repay me by dumping me into a lower office? Wow...”

Mark's feet took a step forward until his distance with Jeanno thinned. The opponent's shoulder is hard. “I warned you from the beginning, don't mess with this deal. Now see? It didn't end well, did it? That's because your brain is still filled with Nayara, Nayara and Nayara. She's been sleeping quietly, Jeanno. Think rationally that Nayara is now just a memory you should respect, not that you keep sharing under the pretext of defense so you hurt Judith”

“Oh, Judith. What did you do to her when you learned this fact?”

Mark squinted his eyes, looking at Jeanno with a judgmental look. “Don't say you hurt her. I swear if you get to do something out of bounds, then I'll—“

“What? What can you do to prevent me from doing what I can do?”

Sebastian's man retreated, the next second smiling in surprise as he shook his head. “You look more like your father. The guy you hate is half dead, but it turns out you're turning into him. You.. hypocrites”.

Mark's body staggered back after Jeanno's raw bogem pointed at him suddenly. “You defended Judith to insult me like this? Did that bitch give you free service behind Hannah's back? well, no wonder you're protecting her. He was great in bed”

“Backed!”

Next, Jeanno's body that retreated hit the side of his desk. Mark punched him a lot harder than Jeanno's bogeman.

“I'm sorry I helped you all this time. Because it turns out the guy I'm fighting for turns into a jerk who doesn't respect women. Take care of yourself from now on. I'm out”

Mark took his foot away after giving a door buzz that made Nora tiptoed in shock.

**