Helena watched Aaron lighting three small candles that he had deliberately placed in the middle of the dining table. Her eyes followed his husband's movements as he walked over to the light switch, turning off the light source on the first floor and leaving only the dimly lit lamp in the kitchen. Then the man walked back into the dining room. He pulled a chair that was directly opposite him then sat there.
"How is this? Looks romantic, doesn't it?" he asked, satisfied with the results of his work. Oh, of course. He prepared everything, from cooking their dinner meal to setting the table with simple decorations. He only put the little candles there, and he was done. Their romantic dinner was ready to begin.Helena giggled as she saw everything, how his efforts to prepare everything. Actually, from the beginning, her hands were itching to help his husband. However, he stopped her and told her to sit back and relax. So, since then, she had had no other job than to pay attentiShe knew she shouldn't be upset or angry. But she couldn't hold it in anymore. It was all because of Beatrice.The dinner, which she thought, would be fun, suddenly became a nightmare since Beatrice's presence. She wanted to refuse and kick her out for making such an unreasonable request—offering herself to join with no one inviting her. Unfortunately, she wasn't the host. She was the same as her, just a guest who, after permission was granted, was able to become part of the small gathering that night. She was trying her best to keep herself from exploding right away. And after dinner ended, and she was alone with Aaron on the way to their room, she changed her face completely. No smiles or friendliness. There were only groans and annoyance."Honey," Aaron called in the softest voice possible. He followed her broad and brisk steps towards their suite room. Needless to say, he knew what his wife felt because he had it, too. It annoyed him to see his secretary appear without notice. It w
"It's nice to finally meet the new Mrs. Houston," commented a young man when he saw Helena's presence by Aaron's side.Yes, this was the dinner that Helena agreed to this afternoon. Because of that, she immediately recognized the man and woman they were approaching. Mr. and Mrs. Graham. They both still looked young. She estimated that their ages were not very far from her. Maybe about five to seven years older.That meant they were in their mid-thirties."Thank you, Mr. Graham." Helena gave a broad smile to her interlocutor. "I'm also happy to meet you and your wife. Thank you for the dinner invitation," she continued. A bit too much courtesy and pleasantries seemed needed in this situation. All of those were for the sake of maintaining relations between them. It was not only a matter of work but also a relationship as ordinary human beings.Ah, that was a wise sentence. In point, their relationship would affect many aspects."It's just a casual dinner since the honored lady is in Bal
What are you doing here?It felt like Helena wanted to shout the question as loud as possible. It was in line with the shock that befell her. How came? She saw Beatrice in front of her with a medium-sized suitcase beside her."Why are you here?"Fortunately, Aaron had replaced her to express her confusion. Oh, Helena was sure that her husband also felt the same way. What was Beatrice doing here?"I replaced Mr. Todd to accompany you to Bali." The answer flowed smoothly from Beatrice's lips as if she was supposed to be here, at the departure of Soekarno-Hatta airport on a sunny Thursday morning.Helena could not speak. Beatrice was indeed a formidable woman. Her presence could not help but disturb the beautiful plans of her honeymoon with Aaron.Helena was now unsure if their trip could still be called a honeymoon with Beatrice's appearance among them. She really hated that woman."What happened with Mr. Todd?" Unknowingly, she said it loud. Oh, shit! Beatrice must be happy to see her
"Wow.""What, wow?" Helena responded quickly with slightly pursed lips. She knew well why that reaction appeared on her laptop screen, showing Sophie's face. Only, she wanted to feign ignorance to save her embarrassment."You." Short and firm, Sophie answered her friend. "I didn't expect you to be that brave," she commented at the end of her sentence. All of her words referred to one thing. The scene inside Aaron's office. That was after Helena shyly told her about it. Her best friend was utterly unpredictable."I did nothing wrong," Helena replied, still in the same way."Yes, you're right. There's nothing wrong with making out with your husband." Sophie emphasized their discussion. She knew Helena purposely did not mention the incident anymore. But, she wouldn't let it happen because this was something that rarely happened. "But you know how it is in Indonesia. Beatrice must be shocked to see both of you."Yes, Indonesia differed from western countries. Ma
"Oh, sorry, Beatrice, you have to see us like this."Helena really wanted to hide her face right away. She was clearly caught in an embarrassing position!Even though these scenes were in the plan drawn up shortly after Beatrice returned her greeting, it didn't dispel her embarrassment. Although the person who saw them was none other than her greatest enemy, she was still… embarrassed."You can put the drink on the table," she said again, trying her best to maintain confidence in her voice. She should not be afraid or nervous. She must be able to uphold her ego at the highest peak. Only this time.From the corner of her eyes, she saw the secretary walking into Aaron's room. Her steps seemed hesitant, surprised, and rushed. While her face showed a similar expression, plus the lines of displeasure that appeared on her forehead. Of course. The woman could not do anything in front of the view presented to them.How about a protest?Beatrice had no ri
Keeping her promise, Helena visited Aaron's office this afternoon with a large bag containing their lunch. She made it, of course. She was still experimenting with a Mexican cuisine that she hoped would suit her husband's taste.She stepped excitedly. She didn't know why she was so happy. Her brain did not stop playing a pleasant rhythm that often turned into a slight hum on her lips. Even, for now, that tune was still there and made her cheeks raise, holding back her smile."Good afternoon, Mrs. Houston," said one of the security officers, who stood close to the escalator."Good afternoon," Helena replied with a friendly smile."Want to meet Mr. Houston, ma'am?"She nodded. The question reminded her of her first visit to this place. They knew and could guess the purpose of her arrival. How could Beatrice not realize that? "Yes. I have an appointment with my husband." She put her tote bag down beside her and began to dig into her sling bag. "And I have to le