Trisya slammed the mirror in the cafe with annoyance. It shattered instantly. Blood flowed down her arm.
"Miss... " called the cafe's cleaning service. "Excuse me, what happened to you? The mirror is broken.
"I'll replace it later!"
"It's not about replacing it, miss... Your hand is bleeding."
Trisya looked at her palm. It was true, blood was flowing from her injured hand, which had hit the mirror.
"Shall I treat it, miss?"
"No need."
Trisya walked away from the sink. She approached the cashier's desk.
"Which table, miss?" asked the cafe cashier.
"I haven't ordered yet, but I broke the mirror in front of the sink. I want to pay for it."
"Your hand is injured. Treat it first."
"It's fine, I'll treat it later."
Trisya gave her debit card to the cashier.
"Just charge whatever I have to pay through that card."
"Okay, miss... I'll have a quick discussion with the manager."
"Yes."
Trisya sat on a chair closest to the cashier's desk.
She opened the chat sent by Rani, her student. The chat that made her angry enough to break the mirror in front of the sink.
"Ma,am... Arumi was telling stories in the canteen, saying that you're a mistress of an old man from Singapore. Arumi said her brother told her."
Trisya called Renata's number.
"Hello."
"Send me Lizzie's phone number and address."
"What for?"
"I want to beat her up! Does she have to expose my past?"
"Be patient, Trisya..."
"If you don't want to, then fine! Whatever! I'll find it myself!"
Trisya put away her phone. She was about to stand up when she accidentally bumped into a man who was also walking towards the cashier.
"Sorry," said Trisya.
"Trisya?"
Trisya looked at the man. Ardi was the man standing in front of her after they accidentally bumped into each other.
"Officer Ardi... " Trisya greeted him.
"What happened to your hand?" Ardi asked, seeing the blood on Trisya's palm that had flowed down to her shirt sleeve.
"I hit the mirror and it broke."
"Why don't you get it treated?"
"Later," Trisya replied flatly.
"Wait here," Ardi left Trisya.
"Miss, please enter your PIN and check the total," said the cashier.
Trisya immediately pressed her debit card PIN without looking at the number displayed on the screen.
"Thank you, miss... " the cashier gave Trisya her debit card, which she immediately put away.
Ardi returned with a medicine kit, which he must have taken from his car.
Ardi sat next to Trisya and took her hand.
"Why are you here?"
"Just met a friend."
"Friend or boyfriend?"
Ardi looked at Trisya for a moment, then continued treating the wound on Trisya's palm.
"Sorry... " he rolled up Trisya's shirt sleeve so he could wipe away the blood stains on her arm.
"Is it normal for you to leave a wound untreated?" Ardi asked.
"What do you mean?"
Ardi didn't answer.
He cleaned the blood on Trisya's palm.
"What made you angry? The gossip spread in the campus canteen?" Ardi asked.
"How did you know? Oh yes. Aisyah, your girlfriend, is in the same faculty as me."
"Aisyah isn't my girlfriend."
"Really? So you know everything, Sir? Did you secretly find out everything about me?"
"No, I don't know. It's just a coincidence."
"Thank you for caring about me."
"What would you like to drink?or Eat? I'll call the waiter."
"Thanks."
Ardi immediately called the waiter at the cafe. He ordered food and drinks for Trisya. And a cup of coffee for himself.
"I have to survive in a foreign country, to achieve my dream... So that I can no longer be harassed by that toxic woman," Trisya said suddenly.
Ardi looked at Trisya.
"Toxic woman?"
"Mom. I work day and night to meet all my educational and daily living needs. Om Steven came along to improve my life. He made my account pregnant. So I don't have to work hard anymore for my tuition and living expenses."
"Did he treat you well?" Ardi asked.
"What do you think? What can a 19-year-old girl do to a 55-year-old man? A rich man who can give you a lot of wealth."
"I'm listening to your story."
"He's sadistic!" Trisya said. "Everyone under him is treated like an animal!"
Ardi looked at Trisya.
"I stabbed him in the thigh with a knife before running away. I immediately boarded a ship to Batam and continued my flight to Bali. In Bali, I worked hard again to save money. I deliberately moved from city to city to avoid his pursuit, and fate flew me to Japan. There, I completed my education. Until one day..."
Trisya's eyes looked far away, remembering the events of that night...
"When are you coming home?" Ariana asked.
"Why?"
"Om Richard and Mom want you to gather here."
"Why? You already have another child, right? Do you still need me?"
"Trisya, you...!"
"Why?"
"It's nothing, Mom apologizes..."
"For what?"
"Come home soon if you want to come home, honey."
"That was the first time Mom spoke to me so kindly. I kept thinking about it. I wanted to meet Mom, and finally I decided to come back here. But because I didn't want to live with her new husband and their children, I rented a house for myself. My trauma with the figure of my father made me not want to know Richard..."
"Mr. Richard is a good person. I'm not saying this because he's my boss."
"Yes, Dad is a good person. He treats me like his own daughter."
"He will definitely protect you until the time comes for you to marry Robby."
Ardi took a sip of his coffee.
"Why are you looking at me? Are you attracted to me?" Trisya asked suddenly. "I'm your friend's girlfriend."
Ardi laughed.
"When did I look at you?"
"The proof is that you know the gossip circulating in the campus about me being a mistress."
"I didn't look for it. I just happened to hear it because Aisyah told me."
"All the women in the world are the same. They love to spread gossip."
"Aisyah wasn't spreading gossip. She was just concerned because the gossip spread was outrageous. It's not right to expose someone's past that they wanted to bury. Aisyah's opinion is the same as mine. Your eyes hold wounds that may be difficult to heal."
"Can you talk casually, Sir? Don't be formal. We're sitting in a cafe like friends."
Ardi didn't answer. He looked at the waiter who was serving their order.
"Thank you," said Ardi.
"You're welcome, Sir."
Trisya smiled after the waiter left.
"Why don't you want to admit that you're actually attracted to me, Sir?" Trisya looked into the man's eyes.
Ardi just remained silent.
"You can like me even though I'm your friend's girlfriend. Aren't we married yet?"
"Stop seducing me, Miss!"
"Why?"
"I respect your parents!" Ardi said firmly. "And I don't want to hurt Robby! He's like my own brother!"
Trisya laughed.
"When did I seduce you?"
Ardi stood up.
"See you later!"
"Where are you going?" Trisya followed Ardi who was walking towards the cashier.
She waited for the man until he finished paying and followed him out.
"I still have work."
"Can I come along?"
"We're going in different directions!"
"Why? Are you afraid Aisyah will know? You said she's not your girlfriend."
Ardi didn't answer.
Trisya stopped walking, letting Ardi walk a few steps ahead.
"Officer Ardi! Last night when you slept with me, you said you would be responsible for what you did to me! Why are you running away now?" Trisya's shout stopped Ardi's steps and turned the attention of several visitors in the cafe to the man.
Trisya smiled, looking at Ardi who turned around and pulled her hand so she followed the man out. Leaving behind the whispers of several people in the cafe.
They stopped in the parking lot. Trisya didn't waste any time, immediately getting in as Ardi unlocked his car.
"Are you crazy?" Ardi asked. "When did I sleep with you?"
Trisya smiled.
"I can do something crazier if you want to see it!"
"Don't provoke me, Miss!" Ardi's face looked red.
"Why do you look so handsome when you're angry? This is the first time I've seen you angry, and I swear! It's so cool."
"I don't have time to entertain you!" Ardi started the engine of his car. "Where should I drop you off?"
"What if you let me follow your activities today? I'm really bored right now."
"I'll drop you off at the office!"
"That's better. If you drop me off at Dad's office, I can tell him, even report that you've harassed me. You forced me until I got hurt!" Trisya showed her palm that was bandaged by Ardi earlier.
"What do you want, Trisya?" Ardi asked.
"To seduce you like you accused me of!"
"What? Are you crazy?"
"So what?"
"You're drinking?" Ardi asked.
"No. You were with me earlier, right? When could I drink?"
Ardi's phone rang. Aisyah's name was displayed on the screen.
"Hello..."
"Where are you?" Aisyah asked.
"I have work. Why?"
"I'll call you back later."
"Okay," Ardi hung up the phone.
Trisya laughed.
"Finally I see you lying to your girlfriend. Men are the same everywhere, aren't they? They'll lie to their women when they're with another woman."
"I'm not lying to her, Aisyah. I do have work. You're the one who's interrupting my time," Ardi drove his car away from the place.
"Just say that you're curious about me."
Ardi didn't answer. He continued driving and only stopped his car after arriving in front of Trisya's house.
"Get out!"
"If I don't get out, will you push me out?"
"Don't provoke me, Trisya! I can drag you out!"
"Go ahead! But you have to be careful. If anyone sees, I'm your crime victim!"
Ardi got out of his car, turned around, and opened the door for Trisya.
"Don't let me do anything rude!"
Trisya smiled.
"I like being treated rudely. I've been used to being treated rudely for years."
Ardi pulled Trisya out of the car.
"That's enough, right? The game is over!"
"This isn't the ending, Sir!" Trisya said flatly.
"Oh yeah," Ardi turned back to look at Trisya.
"Just the first game," Trisya said. "Still at the lowest level, and it's definitely easy for you to pass."
Ardi clenched his fist.
"It's a pity you're a woman so I can't punch you!"
"I'm your heaven, Sir..." Trisya smiled triumphantly.
"Hey, girl..! Stop this game. You could get hurt!"
Trisya lowered her head.
"Why are you rejecting me? Is it because of my bad past, so I look that low in your eyes?"
She then looked at Ardi.
"I just want to see if you're really that loyal to Miss Aisyah?"
"Rest, maybe you're tired!"
"I also hope Robby will be that loyal to me, won't leave me and my child like my father left Mom. Making Mom stressed and making me the target of her insults and curses! I don't want my child to experience the same fate as me, being abused by her stepfather. Do you know how I spent my days back then? Almost every day I was forced to serve his dirty lust... But when I complained to Mom, I was considered a liar. She defended her husband to the heavens. I ran as far as I could, relying on Om Steven... His attention changed my perspective, but it turned out I also received inhumane treatment!"
Ardi looked at Trisya.
"You like me? Or are you just playing games with Robby?" Ardi asked.
"What do you mean?"
Ardi grabbed Trisya's arm.
"What do you want?" Ardi asked.
"I already told you... I like you, Sir," Trisya whispered in Ardi's ear. "I've been saying it since earlier! And I won't stop seducing you until you fall into my arms. I don't believe your faith is strong enough to face me. When you entered this house, you've been trapped!"
"How far can you seduce me?" Ardi asked.
"Can you sleep comfortably without thinking about me?" Trisya played with her fingers on Arya's chest while looking at the man.
"No! Because you've already made me think about you," Ardi returned Trisya's gaze.
"Then why pretend to reject me?"
"I'm afraid of falling in love with you!" Ardi embraced Trisya in his arms.
Their faces were only a few centimeters apart, making Trisya's heart beat very fast. Especially when Ardi lifted Trisya's chin, as if he wanted to kiss her.
"My door is open after you kicked it," Trisya reminded him.
"It won't be a problem if we lock your bedroom door," Ardi carried Trisya's body to the bedroom.
Trisya smiled.
"It turns out your male instincts can't ignore me, Sir..."
Ardi dropped Trisya's body on the bed.
"Rest! You need to calm your mind!" said Ardi.
Ardi stepped out before turning back to look at Trisya.
"I'll call a doorman to fix the door in front!"
Trisya looked at Ardi who was walking away.
"F**K!!"
Ardi walked towards his car. He met Ariana in the yard of the house.
"Ardi??" Ariana greeted. "What are you doing here?"
"Madame... I was dropping Trisya off, she's not feeling well. We met at the cafe earlier..."
"Why is her door like that?"
"I had to break it because she lost her key. I've already called a repairman. Excuse me, Mom... I have to go back to the office."
"Okay, thank you... "
"Ardi... " Ariana called. "Is she seducing you?"
Ardi turned around.
"Why, Ma'am?"
"It's nothing. If she is, I can only remind you. She will never stop getting what she wants... Even though she claims she's going to marry Robby, but I know Robby is not type of my daughter. That girl is a slut!"