Dinner

Belva returned home with excited emotions, remembering what happened last night. His anger and frustration felt as if they were burning everything around him. He felt as if he wanted to burn down Celine's room or tear her face apart. When he entered the house, the atmosphere that greeted him was tense and filled with discomfort.

Instead of gathering at the dining table for breakfast as usual, his father and mother were seen sitting together in the living room with serious expressions. Celine was also there, sitting with her innocent face full of pain. Celine looked at Belva with a sad look, as if giving her a look of pity. The tense atmosphere in the house further exacerbated Belva's anger, who now felt caught between her hurt and the tension that filled the room.

Smith immediately stood up and approached Belva with fast steps. Without hesitation, he threw a hard slap at Belva's face, making her fall to the floor in pain. Smith looked at Belva with eyes full of anger and shame. "Papa is really embarrassed to have a daughter like you," sneered Smith in a tone full of disdain. "How can you live in such a shameful way like this?"

Smith's words pierced Belva's heart even deeper, adding to the pain she was already feeling. The pent-up shame and anger worsened, making the atmosphere in the living room increasingly tense and full of conflict.

"Papa is embarrassed to have a daughter like me, so what about Celine?" The second slap was no less hard than the previous one.

Celine, who saw this, smiled slightly, there was no nervousness or fear in her when she heard her sister's words.

Where Celine guessed that her stupid brother seemed to already know about her and Hego.

“Why use the name Celine? Why are you the one who did something disgusting and drag other people into your life? How can you go to the club and flirt with the men there when the day after tomorrow you will marry Hego?" Smith furiously angered.

Belva stood looking at her papa with teary eyes. "Does papa know what Celine is doing behind your back?" Belva cried, her voice breaking as she continued, "She slept with Hego, Pa. They both betrayed me."

Instead of getting defense, Belva actually received a hard slap from Smith. Celine just smiled sarcastically, then got up from the sofa and approached her father. With great pretense, he hugged Smith's arm and said, "Don't hurt your brother, Dad. Poor brother."

Smith immediately replied, "Look, even though you accuse your sister of bad things, she still defends you. Don't think that papa doesn't know about your behavior, because Celine was the one who complained about you going to a club and taking photos of you with another man. Are you trying to reverse the facts? Luckily there's Celine, otherwise , I don't know what happened."

The atmosphere became increasingly tense, with Belva shocked and heartbroken at not only being neglected, but also humiliated in front of her family.

Melinda stood with teary eyes, a deep sense of disappointment hitting her heart. "Look, whose clothes are you wearing?" he said with sobs full of disappointment. "You really have no shame, Belva."

Celine immediately hugged her mother gently, trying to calm her down. "Sorry, Ma. Celine couldn't stop my brother last night. Forgive Celine," he said in a tone full of regret.

Smith, who heard Celine's apology, became even more emotional and angry. He approached Belva with quick steps, gripping Belva's jaw tightly as he said with great emphasis, "You're only an adopted daughter, but I already think of you as my own daughter. But what are you doing? You're actually embarrassing me. Thank Celine because she was the one who caught you, Not Hego. I still pity you this time, and will cover up your ugliness in front of Hego. The problem after the wedding is your business.

With sharp and stressful words, Smith walked away from the living room. Belva could only cry lamenting her fate, feeling isolated and devastated. Celine then took Melinda away from there, leaving Belva alone in pain and emotional turmoil.

***

That evening, Smith and his family were at the restaurant where they were having dinner with the Hego family. The restaurant's elegant atmosphere and soft lighting contrasted with the tension surrounding their table. They gathered to discuss the approaching wedding day.

Belva sat quietly, looking down and pensive, lamenting her seemingly sad fate. Smith, in a firm tone and whispering only for Belva, said, "Just watch out if you embarrass me again this time. I will really throw you out of the house." Belva could only swallow her saliva, feeling the tension that accompanied her every time she heard the threat.

Not long after, the Hego family arrived. "Smith, how are you?" said Teco in a friendly manner.

"Okay, Teco," replied Smith with a smile.

"My darling, you are very beautiful tonight," Sire praised as he hugged Belva briefly. Belva could only smile a sweet smile in reply, even though her heart felt heavy.

They then sat together and greeted each other, until the arrival of someone diverted their attention. "Good night everyone," greeted Elmer in his heavy voice. 

Hego, with sparkling eyes, immediately got up from his chair and greeted, "Uncle, are you coming?"

Belva froze in place when she saw the arrival of the man who slept with her last night. In his heart, he wondered, "What did Hego say, uncle?" Shock and emotional turmoil overcame him when he realized the connection between Elmer and the Hego family.