Chapter 19

The main courtroom of the South Jakarta Religious Court felt unnaturally silent, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for the end of a long drama that had captivated the public for months. Today’s agenda was the final evidentiary hearing for the division of marital assets and the counterclaim for immaterial damages filed by Serena Zea.

Dewangga sat in the defendant’s chair with slumped shoulders. Gone was the polished designer suit; he now wore an old shirt that hung loosely over his thinning frame. Across from him, Serena sat upright, her face veiled in an unshakable calm. Haris Nasution sat in the front row of the gallery, his eyes watchful, guarding every inch of Serena’s peace of mind.

“Next witness, please enter the courtroom,” the presiding judge’s voice broke the silence.

The door opened, and Mbok Sum stepped inside. The middle-aged woman, who had devoted half her life to the Nasution household, looked nervous, but her eyes held a quiet resolve as they met Serena’s. After being sworn in, she began to speak—and every word that left her mouth became a sharp nail sealing Dewangga’s fate.

“Your Honor,” Mbok Sum began, her voice trembling at first but growing stronger. “I have worked in that house since Mr. Dewangga was a child. I saw everything. I heard everything from behind the kitchen and dining room doors.”

Aditya Wardana, Serena’s lawyer, stepped forward. “Mbok Sum, please tell the court about the conversations you overheard between Mr. Dewangga and Mrs. Emely regarding Mrs. Serena.”

Mbok Sum took a deep breath. “Mr. Dewangga and his mother never saw Miss Serena as a wife. They saw her as a ‘money well.’ I often heard Mrs. Emely say they had to keep Miss Serena in a weakened condition so she couldn’t take control of Zea Production.”

Whispers spread across the courtroom. Mbok Sum continued, her testimony growing more chilling.

“One night, about a year before Miss Serena was thrown out, Mrs. Emely spoke with Mr. Dewangga in the library. They discussed how to slowly ‘eliminate’ Miss Serena’s influence. Mrs. Emely suggested mixing something into her food to keep her depressed and exhausted, so she couldn’t focus on auditing the company. They wanted her to appear unstable in public so they could take over all assets under guardianship.”

Dewangga suddenly stood up. “Lies! You’re just a servant—what do you know?!”

“Silence, Defendant!” the judge’s gavel struck loudly. “Please continue, Witness.”

Mbok Sum looked at Dewangga with newfound courage. “I may be a servant you thought had no ears—but I have a heart. I saw Mr. Dewangga sign forged authorization documents while Miss Serena was ill from the ‘medicine’ Mrs. Emely gave her. I also kept a voice recording of Mr. Dewangga agreeing to let Miss Serena ‘disappear’ from the industry so her wealth could be fully transferred to Dewangga Investment.”

Aditya handed a recording device to the judge. The audio was played, and Dewangga’s cold voice echoed clearly, outlining plans to destroy his own wife financially for corporate ambition.

After hours of reviewing additional evidence—illegal fund transfers siphoned from Zea Production’s accounts—the presiding judge finally struck the gavel to deliver the verdict.

“Having considered all legally valid evidence, including expert testimony, digital recordings, and the testimony of Ms. Sumiyati,” the judge declared solemnly, “the court finds that the Defendant, Dewangga Nasution, is proven to have committed abuse of authority, asset fraud, and unlawful acts in a systematic manner against the Plaintiff.”

Serena closed her eyes briefly, feeling Aditya’s reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Therefore, the court rules as follows: First, to grant the Plaintiff’s claims regarding marital assets in full. Second, to order the Defendant to return all assets of Zea Production without exception. Third, to sentence the Defendant to pay immaterial damages for psychological distress and moral harm in the amount of one hundred billion rupiah.”

A wave of shock rippled through the courtroom. The amount was not just large—it was a financial death sentence for Dewangga, whose wealth had already been seized by the bank.

“With this ruling,” the judge continued, “all remaining personal assets of the Defendant, including retirement savings and remaining shares, are to be confiscated by the state to fulfill his obligations to the Plaintiff. The Defendant is hereby declared legally bankrupt.”

Dewangga collapsed back into his chair. The world around him seemed to fade. He had not only lost his house, his cars, and his company—he was now legally barred from owning assets under his own name until the debt to Serena was repaid, something that would be impossible within his lifetime.

After the session ended, Serena walked slowly toward him. Dewangga looked up at her with shattered eyes, hoping for even a trace of mercy from the woman he once called a “parasite.”

“Serena… you’ve truly destroyed me,” Dewangga whispered hoarsely. “You’ve made me a homeless man.”

Serena looked at him with a calm, unreadable gaze. “I didn’t destroy you, Dewangga. I simply took back what was never yours. You built your life on land you stole from me. Now that I’ve reclaimed it, don’t be surprised that your structure has collapsed.”

“I have nothing left… not even for food tomorrow,” Dewangga pleaded, reaching for her hand.

Serena pulled her hand away before he could touch it. “I once left your house with nothing, carrying the child you hurt, walking in the rain. You still have your legs, Dewangga. You can start walking now—just like I learned to do from you.”

She turned and walked out of the courtroom with her head held high. In the corridor, she was met by Mbok Sum, who wept with relief. Serena embraced her tightly.

“Thank you, Mbok. Now we are all free,” Serena whispered.

Dewangga was left alone in the dimming courtroom. A court officer approached him with the final execution order. He was officially destitute—financially, socially, and legally. The man who once believed himself the ruler of Jakarta was now nothing more than a civil debtor with nowhere to go.

That night, under the faint glow of streetlights, Dewangga Nasution walked out of the courthouse without a single guard or driver. He had truly become dust in the story he once tried to control, while Serena Zea had just closed the hardest chapter of her life—ready to begin a new one as the true master of her own destiny.