Chapter 5

The morning sunlight streamed through the glass walls of Dewangga Investment’s grand office, yet the atmosphere inside was anything but warm. Dewangga sat in his executive chair, occasionally glancing at his Rolex. It had been more than twenty-four hours since Serena left the house, taking Clarisa with her in the middle of the storm.

In Dewangga’s mind, this was nothing more than another dramatic act. He was certain that Serena—jobless, without access to cash, and in a weakened physical state—would come crawling back to his doorstep before sunset. He imagined her kneeling at his feet, begging for forgiveness just to be let back in for Clarisa’s sake.

“That woman has nowhere to go,” Dewangga muttered as he sipped his bitter coffee. “She’ll realize soon enough how cruel the outside world is without my name behind her.”

Suddenly, there was a firm knock on his office door.

“Come in,” Dewangga replied shortly, expecting his secretary to bring news that Serena was waiting in the lobby, tearful and desperate.

But instead, a middle-aged man in a perfectly tailored gray suit stepped inside, carrying an expensive leather briefcase. His face was well-known among elite legal circles—Aditya Wardana, one of the top lawyers who usually handled major corporate cases or high-profile divorces among the wealthy.

“Good morning, Mr. Dewangga,” Aditya greeted coldly.

Dewangga frowned. “Mr. Aditya? What brings you here? My company isn’t facing any legal trouble, is it?”

Aditya gave a faint smile—the kind that often carried bad news. He placed a thick dark-blue folder on Dewangga’s desk. “I’m not here for corporate matters, Sir. I represent my client, Mrs. Serena Zea.”

The blood seemed to drain from Dewangga’s face. “Serena? You must be joking. Where would she get the money to hire someone like you?”

Aditya ignored the question. He opened the folder and pulled out several official documents. “My client has officially filed for divorce at the Religious Court this morning. This folder contains copies of the divorce petition, a request for full custody of your daughter, Clarisa, and a list of claims regarding the division of marital assets under your management during the marriage.”

“What?!” Dewangga shot up from his chair, sending it crashing backward. “She’s filing for divorce against me? She’s the one who left the house, and she dares to sue me?!”

“My client possesses sufficient evidence of domestic abuse—both physical and psychological—as well as medical neglect that occurred last night,” Aditya continued without emotion. “We also have medical records indicating that Mrs. Serena lost her fetus due to excessive mental and physical pressure within your household.”

“That’s nonsense! She’s just trying to extort my money!” Dewangga shouted, his hands trembling as he snatched the documents.

His eyes scanned line after line. Each sentence felt like a blow to his pride. For seven years, he had been in control. He decided when Serena could speak, when she could leave, and when she had to remain silent. To him, Serena was his property. And now, that very “property” was striking back in the most lethal way possible.

“Tell Serena this,” Dewangga hissed, his voice low and threatening. “She won’t get a single cent. And she can forget about taking Clarisa. I will destroy her in court!”

Aditya simply nodded politely as he closed his briefcase. “We expected that response. I’ll see you at the first hearing, Mr. Dewangga.”

After Aditya left, Dewangga swept everything off his desk, sending it crashing to the floor. His breathing grew heavy. His pride had been shattered—not just because of the lawsuit, but because Serena had been the one to end things first. In his world, he was the one who discarded others, not the one being discarded.

Poisoned Whispers in the Mansion

That night, the grand house felt eerily quiet, yet heavy with unease. Emely sat on the living room sofa, while Vanes gently massaged her shoulders. When Dewangga returned with a dark expression, Emely immediately sensed something was wrong.

“Dewangga, what’s the matter? Why do you look like that?” Emely asked.

Dewangga dropped onto the sofa and tossed the legal documents onto the table. “Serena filed for divorce. She hired Aditya Wardana.”

Emely’s eyes widened. “Aditya Wardana? That expensive lawyer? Where did that parasite get the money?!”

Vanes, who had been silent, finally revealed her subtle venom. “Maybe… Sister Serena has another ‘sponsor,’ Dewangga. Considering how close she was to Haris Nasution the other day. Perhaps that’s where the money came from.”

Dewangga’s jaw tightened. The thought that his wife might be backed by his own rival made his blood boil.

“Forget it, Dewangga,” Emely said, patting his hand. “Think of it as trash taking itself out. You don’t need to stress. In fact, this is a good opportunity for us.”

Dewangga turned to her. “What opportunity, Mother?”

“Vanes is pregnant,” Emely whispered, her tone calculated. “You don’t want your son to be born without a clear status, do you? Once the divorce process starts, you should marry Vanes immediately. The public needs to know that Vanes is the rightful lady of this house.”

“But Mother, the divorce process will take time,” Dewangga muttered, though doubt had already begun to creep into his mind.

“Use your power to speed it up,” Emely urged. “Besides, if you marry Vanes, you can use her pregnancy in court as proof that you are a more ‘capable’ and ‘stable’ head of the family compared to Serena, who lost her child. We can take Clarisa and make her serve your son in the future.”

Vanes leaned her head against Dewangga’s shoulder, putting on her most pitiful expression. “I just want our child to have a future, Dewangga. I’m afraid if Sister Serena comes back, she might harm this baby again… just like before.”

Dewangga looked at Vanes, then at the divorce documents on the table. Anger and wounded pride clouded his judgment. He didn’t realize he was stepping into a far bigger scheme than he could imagine.

“Fine,” Dewangga said firmly. “I will marry Vanes. And I will make sure Serena Zea regrets ever daring to stand against me.”