The Wasted Bride

Prejudice

The atmosphere of breakfast at the Arsawijaya family dining table this morning was so calm, there were only Mr. Ahmad, Bu Hayya, Attalaric, Hanna, and Arwaa there. Occasionally Hanna's carefree babble is heard in the woman she has considered mother.

"Mother will accompany Hanna to the park."

"Yes dear."

The little girl looked happy with Arwaa's whereabouts, she didn't even care about her father sitting in front of her. Though rarely his father returned to Indonesia but once he came, even ignored by the child.

Haa...

Maybe this is also because he has never given love to Hanna since she was a baby. But at least now Attalaric is happy to know there is a woman who also loves her child sincerely.

Suppose that... Ah, no!

Attalaric shook his head suddenly making everyone at the table eat a confused look at him.

"Why are you Atta?" Mr. Ahmad frowned at the strange behavior of his eldest son.

"Eh it's okay dad. Just a little dizzy."

Attalaric tried to be calm, not wanting to lose the image in front of his sister-in-law, although honestly he had wanted to hide in the rat hole because of embarrassment. Absolutely not out of thought, how could he imagine if he met Arwaa first, surely the sweet woman had become a mother.

I'm sorry your brother is Al...

His whisper in his heart.

"Oh, baby, did Aldair tell you when he was coming home?" Bu Hayya's question made Arwaa speechless but a second later she smiled.

"Mas Genta won't come home here, ma'am, he said he'll go straight home when the office is done."

Arwaa looked down pretending to feed Hanna who was beside her. Though guilt continues to eat away at his heart.

I don't know when she had to lie for Aldair, which even Arwaa isn't sure if her husband thinks of her as a wife.

"Indeed our company is having problems what the hell well, so that the weekend time Al should be spent there. It's not like I got information about everything that's going on in the company." Cursor Ma Hayya.

Arwaa turned to her father-in-law as soon as she heard what Bu Hayya said. But he immediately shifted his gaze when he found that his father-in-law was watching him.

Cold sweat feels flowing behind the hijab, along with an increasing heart rhythm. If her father-in-law was getting information about everything that happened in the company, then all this time she also knew that Arwaa had lied.

"Just a little problem Ma'am, Al must have solved it quickly. Relax, I'll call the boy later to come back here."

Arwaa was silent to hear that, with a pounding heart she tried to look at her father-in-law and found her husband's father had returned to eating.

Even so, her heart did not feel calm at all, because she was sure sooner or later the secret of her household would soon be known by her husband's family.

"Oh yes Arwaa later after eating, can you meet my father in the work room for a while? Somebody wants me to leave it for your husband." Said Mr. Ahmad.

"Yes dad." Arwaa nodded in understanding even though she did not actually want to.

***

"Please give this to your husband later."

Mr. Ahmad gave a map containing several documents.

"Yes dad." Arwaa nodded. I don't know what it is, maybe just documents related to the company.

Arwaa saw her father-in-law sitting in his chair, staring at Arwaa.

He swallowed. It's been bad since breakfast this morning. Surely his father-in-law would like to talk about the state of his son's household.

"Are you guys in trouble?"

Mr. Ahmad's voice sounded cold this time making Arwaa lowered her head, reluctant to look at him. Wish his father-in-law didn't catch a lie from him, because the eyes are the windows of the heart, right?

"No dad, we're fine."

Arwaa tried to control her heart. Slowly he returned his father-in-law's gaze with a gentle smile, but it did not make Mr. Ahmad better.

Mr. Ahmad breathed heavily by massaging his forehead, he looked back at his daughter-in-law again but with a calmer look.

"If there's no problem, then why are you lying about Aldair, as if you want to protect your husband. And this isn't the first time you've lied to us about that child, my son-in-law."

Arwaa smiled wryly, though pressed like anything she would not open the disgrace of Aldair even to the parents of her husband himself.

"I'm sorry dad for lying this whole time. It's not that I don't want to tell you what's going on in our household, it's just not my place to tell you this to my mom and dad..."

Arwaa was silent for a moment and then smiled.

"Father, calm down, sooner or later Genta will tell everyone this."

Mr. Ahmad only sighed at his son-in-law's answer.

***

"Mother..."

Arwaa was grinning when she found Hanna hugging her waist all of a sudden.

"Dear, I'm sorry I'm waiting for you." Arwaa stroking Hanna's hair babe.

"It's okay Bun, besides Hanna played with Daddy." He answered with a cheerful smile.

"Hanna wait under aja bun with Daddy, later mommy will follow ya."

The little girl walked cheerfully down the stairs making Arwaa shake her head, and smile looking at her.

Haa...

Arwaa breathed a tired breath. He held his slender stomach involuntarily, but a moment later he smiled wryly.

"How about having a child if my husband never touched me." Mumbled slowly.

Arwaa went down the stairs, chuckling amusedly to see Hanna who could not be kept in her father's arms. The little girl came down and ran towards him.

"Be careful, baby, it's falling."

Arwaa catches Hanna's body, hugging her.

"Hehe sorry mother, Hanna was already impatient to want peace with mother and Daddy."

Arwaa frowned hearing that.

With mas Atta ya. Well, it's gonna be awkward.

Arwaa rarely goes alone with men, even with her husband only in the last few months she can spend time together.

But how could he have promised Hanna, let alone it seem like this was the first time the boy could go with his father. Arwaa looked at Attalaric, the man just scratched his head not itching while saying something.

"Sorry!" The man muttered without a sound.

Arwaa just smiled and nodded, without taking issue with it.

"Yes, let's go." Get Arwaa to hold Arwaa's small hand.

"Okay, come on daddy."

Hanna took Arwaa walking towards Attalaric and she clasped the father's hand with her other. An awkward atmosphere briefly appeared between Attalaric and Arwaa but soon their hands were both pulled by Hanna.

"Grandpa, grandma, Hanna go to the park first with Daddy and Mommy huh. Assalamu'alaikum."

The little boy looked so happy with the two adults by his side. Bu Hayya smiled to see his grandson was happy while Mr. Ahmad only looked at the departure of the three figures he loved with eyes that could not be understood by anyone.

"They look like a happy family. If Attalaric had not been in America, we would have betrothed Arwaa to him back then, see Hanna loved Arwaa very much. Aye yeah?"

"Insha Allah ma'am if they are a match."

Ow!

Hayya ma'am pinched Ahmad's arm upset by what her husband said.

"Dad what does it mean to say that?"

"Well, I'm so angry anyway, it was the mother who said that Arwaa and Atta look suitable."

"Yes... But the point is not like that, after all Arwaa with Al also looks equally suitable."

Hayya ma'am snickered at her husband and walked up the stairs, while Ahmad just shook his head and chuckled amusedly at his wife's behavior.

"Who knows Mom..." Murmured Mr. Ahmad watched his wife's back move away.

***

Attalaric and Arwaa were sitting on a park bench watching Hanna playing with her peers.

There was only silence between the two, before Attalaric decided to start a conversation with his sister-in-law.

"I'm sorry Hanna must always be troubling you."

Arwaa turned her head for a moment before turning her eyes back to Hanna. He smiled and shook his head.

"No ko, um. mas, hehe after all Hanna's a sweet child, plus I love her too."

Attalaric smiled at Arwaa's reply. It made him want to make the woman as a mother continued his son. But once again he let out a long sigh because it was impossible to happen, knowing this woman by his side was Aldair's wife, his sister.

"Oh yeah, where did Arrazi go, after lunch yesterday was Arrazi not seen at home?" Arwaa asked curiously, because since yesterday afternoon she had not seen her husband's sister.

"He went straight to the hospital to take care of his move, he's going to work at a hospital in Medika now."

Arwaa nods at it and smiles at Hanna who is walking towards them.

"Mother, Daddy let's go home, Hanna's sleepy." He said while whispering his eyes.

"Yes come on, Daddy's fat."

Hanna put her head on her father's shoulder, and began to fall asleep. Arwaa smiled sweetly and stroked Hanna's hair gently.

It seemed that the people who saw the three people must have thought that they were real families. In reality, they are just brothers-in-law.

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