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"Hai, Nicholas!" Viska waved her hand at Nicholas. Her smile was radiant when she met Nicholas at the hospital.
Behind Viska, Bryan followed, his face looking gloomy and uneasy. The opposite of the bright morning.
"Hello, Vis," Alesya responded to Viska's greeting. Nicholas, on the other hand, averted his gaze to the side and canceled his intention to leave the room because Viska and Bryan were at the doorway of Handoko's hospital room.
Viska frowned, rolling her eyes lazily. She didn't like Alesya responding to her greeting. She wanted to drag Alesya out of the room, but she had to maintain her image to appear good in Nicholas's eyes.
"So, is the wedding today?" Bryan asked, breaking Viska's trance. She hadn't expected Nicholas and Alesya's wedding to take place today.
"Of course!" Nicholas smiled. "Don't forget to quickly handle the divorce papers between you and Alesya so that we can legally solemnize our marriage. I also want your blessing as my older brother." Nicholas extended his hand for a handshake with his brother.
Nicholas could still respect Bryan as his older brother.
With a long sigh, Bryan wished he could refuse, but there was no use. Everything that happened to him was of his own doing. If only he could be as firm as his younger brother, everything wouldn't have ended like this.
Look at the beautiful wife he had once possessed but always neglected. She was never looked at, let alone touched, even though Alesya was perfect when seen from up close like this.
But alas, Shabila was the one he chose as his life partner. He discarded Alesya, even wanting to sell her to some of his friends at the time.
If only Nicholas hadn't come to rescue her, she would have lived in the unpleasant shadow of her former friends.
"I give my blessing," Bryan responded to Nicholas's handshake. Though his voice was low, Nicholas could still hear what his brother said. So, he patted Bryan's shoulder and gave him a little squeeze. "I'm sure you'll find happiness too if you step out of your comfort zone and start thinking more realistically. But I salute you for fighting this far to protect the employees who risked their lives for our father's company."
"Thank you for your appreciation," Bryan forced a smile. Although he wasn't sure if he could make their father's company stand tall again because, until now, there was no way to take over Alesya's assets, even though she willingly gave them up.
There were still many terms and conditions they needed to fulfill, including having children. Alesya needed to have a child soon to redirect everything she had to the larger Handoko family. Whether it would be a blessing or a curse if Alesya became pregnant with Nicholas's child, they didn't know yet.
Alesya and Nicholas said their goodbyes and left, as they were already awaited at their office to have the wedding ceremony.
"Bryan, aren't you ashamed that your brother will become the husband of your ex-wife?" Viska immediately taunted Bryan as soon as Nicholas and Alesya left the room.
Bryan shook his head. "There's nothing more for me to do with both of them. Let them be happy in their own way, and I suggest you do the same to make your life happy. Stop meddling in other people's lives like you're doing now."
"I can't do that; you've defiled me, so you must marry me three months from now!"
"W-wait... why are you saying that Aryn has to marry you three months from now? What have I missed?" Mariana immediately interrupted Bryan's statement, putting an end to the argument between Bryan and Viska.
The middle-aged woman was genuinely surprised by Viska's statement that Bryan had to marry her in three months. What was going on? As a mother, she needed to know what had happened to her eldest son.
"Well, Mom, Bryan and I were caught last night attempting to have intimate relations in the park. It wasn't far from this hospital, because of the position..."
"Shut your mouth, Viska!"
"Stop, Bryan! Mom doesn't want to hear your explanations because she's sure that everything that comes out of your mouth is just lies. In your perfect eyes, only Shabila matters, and Mom will never believe anything you say as long as it's related to that snake of a woman." Mariana looked at Viska and ordered her to continue speaking while Bryan was genuinely angry with his mother's behavior. How could his mother listen more to Viska's words than to her son's?
"So, we were overwhelmed by desire and did that, and we were caught by some residents who demanded that we get married. I also brought a copy of the agreement signed by Bryan and my parents just last night. Since I already have a husband, there must be a waiting period that I have to go through."
"So, you and Bryan will get married three months from now?" Mariana asked impatiently because Viska seemed to be beating around the bush instead of getting to the point.
"That's right, Mom. Bryan and I have to get married in three months, and there's no way to avoid it because we were seen by the people last night." Viska casually handed over the agreement signed the previous night to get them all back to their respective homes.
Free from any further police interrogations.
"Then, what about Shabila?" Mariana looked at Bryan and then at the agreement in her hand alternately.
Bryan shrugged. "I don't know, and I've even forgotten that I still have a wife."
"Well, if you forget, I'd rather support your marriage to Viska. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, and I hope this is your last marriage," Mariana sincerely prayed for her eldest son.
"It's up to Mom. But if I can, I'd like to be free from all these agreements because I'm sure three months is not a short time, and they'll definitely forget all the agreements we made. Besides, I don't even know them, so what's the point of following all these agreements?"
"Easy for you to say. You've already defiled me but don't want to take responsibility."
"It's not defilement; I just wanted to help you because you were being harassed by those thugs. But when I tried to help you stand up, you pulled me down on top of you. So that's why people assumed we did that, right? I beg you not to lie because, I swear, I don't want to marry you, Viska!" Bryan spoke quickly so that Viska and Mariana wouldn't cut him off again.
Viska was stunned because Bryan so smoothly conveyed the actual sequence of events. In her heart, she also agreed with Bryan that they didn't know the residents who had caught them.
This meant that the wedding in three months wouldn't take place.
"Fine, if that's the case, Mom thinks it's better if you still get married even without this agreement," Mariana made Bryan unable to say anything. "Mom wholeheartedly supports your relationship with Bryan. As you know, I've always liked you as Nicholas's partner. It's just that my other son has now found his true love, and I can use his marriage to Alesya to help your father's company.
Gibran continued, "As for our divorce, I've already agreed to it. We'll proceed with the legal process, and you'll be free to start a new chapter in your life. I hope you find the happiness you deserve."The conversation between Viska and Gibran marked the beginning of the end of their tumultuous marriage. While their emotions were still raw, they had come to a mutual understanding that it was time to move on and seek happiness elsewhere.Gibran's frustration and pent-up emotions poured out as he defended his actions. He felt betrayed by Viska, who had consistently pushed him away and made unfavorable comparisons with Nicholas. Their relationship had become a battleground of insecurities, and Gibran had sought solace with Shabila.Viska's accusations stung, but Gibran was determined to make her understand the context of his actions. He continued, "Viska, I don't want to justify what I did, but it was a result of our broken marriage. We both contributed to its downfall. I needed someth
190"Also," Bryan paused, kissing Silvi's lips briefly."Don't forget that the night we were together, I can assure you, it's my child."Silvi shook her head. "It's not Devin's child. Do you think after that night, I didn't do anything with other men? Did you really think that night was the only time someone touched me? No, there have been many other nights with so many men because I felt like I wasn't pure anymore. So I was free to do it with anyone since my life was already a mess.""S-so... instead of slightly more ruining myself, and the last time it was done to me was by Devin. That's why he's willing to take responsibility. He's also convinced that this is his child."Bryan let out a bitter laugh, releasing Silvi from his embrace. "Is that so?" He loosened his tie, which had felt suffocating after hearing Silvi's explanation. "Let's prove that what you said is true." He took off the suit jacket that clung to his body.“W-what are you doing?” Silvi stepped back. Hugging her own b
189"No way! I won't leave until I meet Gibran. He has to take responsibility for this child," Shabila insisted, refusing to budge. She held onto Viska and stood her ground."Leave, I said! Go!"Viska couldn't bear Shabila's stubbornness and forcefully pulled her arm, nearly causing Shabila to stumble."What's wrong with you!" Shabila pushed away Viska's hand and fixed her disheveled hair. "Are you afraid your husband's actions will be known to your parents? Or is it that you refuse to accept the truth?" Shabila began to rant."I don't understand what you're saying. Now leave!" Viska demanded."Wait, Viska! Mom wants to ask this woman something." Viska's mother restrained her daughter and turned to Shabila. "Why did you let my granddaughter get pregnant? Don't you know he's already married? What do you want from us? Money?"Shabila seethed with anger. Her dignity felt insulted when the middle-aged woman mentioned money."Do you think I'm a lowly woman who just surrenders her body to a
188Shabila spent the whole day in frustration, angry that she couldn't meet Gibran at his cafe. She paced back and forth in her room, thinking of ways to meet him."Do you think you can avoid me forever? You won't be able to, Gibran. I have to make you take responsibility for the child I'm carrying. You won't be able to escape. Just wait and see."Shabila clenched her fists, planning a thousand ways to meet Gibran. "If I can't find you at the cafe, I'll come to your house. Let's see if you can still avoid me," she muttered to herself.Gibran decided to visit the club where he had met Shabila some time ago. He had a bad feeling about Shabila's visit to his cafe and wanted to find out what had really happened between them that night. Honestly, Gibran didn't remember much because he had been heavily intoxicated that night.Upon arriving at the club, Gibran called one of the waitresses and conveyed his request to meet with the club's owner."I'd like to discuss something important with y
187"What brand would you like, Miss?" The employee asked while displaying several different brands of pregnancy tests.Shabila looked puzzled, which only fueled the employee's suspicions. "Is this your first time buying a pregnancy test?" she guessed with a condescending glance."Y-yes," Shabila replied hesitantly. Seeing the employee looking down on her, Shabila's heart began to boil. "I am already married, just so you know. Here's my ID," she said abruptly, opening her wallet and showing her ID card, which still stated her marital status as MARRIED. Her divorce from Arya was only religious; it wasn't legally recognized yet.Seeing the ID placed on the counter, the pharmacy employee became flustered. She was torn between embarrassment and guilt. "I'm s-sorry, Miss, I didn't mean to—""It's fine, I understand!" Shabila retorted sharply, then pointed towards the pregnancy tests. "So, which one is the best?" she asked.She deliberately didn't want to prolong the issue since she wanted
186Several days had passed, and today was the ceremonial bath event for Silvi. Everything was well-prepared, and the guests were moved by the event, which was expertly guided by the paid organizers, arranged by Silvi's parents. Silvi's large family wore matching light green kebaya, while Devin's family, who were present, wore light blue kebaya. The event was conducted with great solemnity, and Silvi looked beautiful despite wearing makeup that wasn't too flashy.This ceremony included many symbols and motifs that served as lessons or guidelines for the couple, influencing their married life. These symbols or motifs mainly conveyed advice and useful insights for the newlyweds' life together. That's why Mama Silvi insisted on holding the ceremonial bath event, even though Silvi and Devin had been married before.In addition to the food ordered for the guests and relatives, the organizers had prepared specific dishes usually served during this ceremonial bath event. These included tumpe