Chapter 4

"This is your room," the eldest Bimantara son said as he opened a door, revealing a room fully furnished with a bed, a wardrobe, and a few other standard bedroom amenities. "You can start work tomorrow morning. For now, get some rest," he added.

"Um, sir," Bia sounded hesitant, "what about Bian?"

Ah, that little baby...

Adnan had felt a bit sorry for him earlier, as Bian cried loudly when separated from the girl who was about to become his nanny. It was as if he refused to be kept away from Bia. His tears had made everyone nearby feel heartbroken for him. Still, they couldn't just hand Bian over to her care right away. At the very least, they had to wait until her official work hours started.

Even though the chubby little guy eventually fell asleep from crying so hard, a quiet stillness settled over everyone until the head of the family spoke up, asking Adnan to show Bia to her room. After all, it was late and time to turn in.

"Well... all I can say is that Bian will be fine. Besides... Bian is with Mom and Dad tonight, so you don't need to worry about him." Adnan had no experience when it came to babies, but since his mother was looking after him, he assumed everything would be fine. That was all he could say.

Truth be told, Bia wanted to object. She wanted to ask to be allowed to stay with Bian. But... she had no right to do so. Nobody knew, and... and she had thrown away her true identity, meaning she no longer had any rights or obligations toward Bian.

Seeing the somber expression on the face of the ponytail-bound girl in front of him, Adnan assumed Bia was still worried about the baby. "You can start work tomorrow and see Bian then. Get some rest now."

Yeah, that was all she could do for now. Bia nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome. Good night, Rabia," Adnan said, and she returned the greeting. He handed the room key to Bia and turned to leave. His job was done.

Once the eldest Bimantara son left, Bia stepped into the room that would serve as her private space. She locked the door behind her with the key she had been given, then walked over to the bed, setting her bag down on the floor. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, she took in her new quarters, which were surprisingly spacious. She ran her hand over the soft mattress cover, noting that it was even a double bed.

"For a house servant's room, this is bigger than the rental place I used to live in," Bia muttered under her breath, still scanning her surroundings. "Abi will definitely be happy living here. All his needs are taken care of." A heavy tightness began to fill her chest, her breathing turning hitched and uneven. "He must be happy. They really are good people," she continued her monologue as clear teardrops began slipping from the corners of her eyes.

Within seconds, the girl burst into tears. She couldn't hold back the crushing pain inside her. An intangible pain, a bloodless wound, but deeply agonizing all the same. Tears streamed endlessly down her thin cheeks.

Bia didn't want to regret the decision she had made, yet the heartache in her chest remained unbearable. The pain overwhelmed her; she wasn't used to it yet. More than anything... deep down in her heart, she never imagined she would get to hold Abi again, to cuddle the six-month-old baby she had been forced to let go of just a few weeks ago. And... and Abi had actually recognized her!

"No, no..." Bia tried to steady her breathing and quiet her sobs, wiping away the tears streaming down her face. "This is enough. I won't ask for anything more. Abi deserves a better life. He shouldn't have to live like I do. Yes, this was the right decision!" she told herself, trying to find conviction. Even so, an inner voice rebelled: 'If it really was the right decision, why did you step back into Abi's new life?'

The long-haired girl shook her head. "I..." Bia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I should just get some rest," she muttered again, ignoring the internal voice crying out for answers.

**

The clock turned to three in the morning. The Bimantara residence was pitch-black and silent, with most of the house lights turned off. However, the stillness failed to soothe a chubby baby lying wedged between two adults—one on his left, one on his right. The tiny eyelids shielding his brown gem-like eyes fluttered before opening wide.

As if jolted awake by a nightmare, baby Abian sat up in panic. He rolled to his left, but his eyes only found an adult man. Not who he wanted. The chubby guy squirmed and rolled over to the other side. Once he made it over, his eyes caught sight of an adult woman. Still, not who he was looking for. The round little baby started wriggling and turning around in circles, but try as he might, he couldn't find what he was searching for.

"WAHH!" Without warning, Bian burst into loud cries, startling the two adults lying on either side of him. It was no mild whimper; his piercing, high-pitched wails instantly cut through the room.

Rosa reacted instantly. Sitting up, she gathered the baby into her arms and gently rubbed his back. "What's wrong? A bad dream, honey? Or are you thirsty?" she asked, getting no answer except for Bian's crying intensifying. Now completely wide awake, Rosa hurriedly scooped the chubby baby into her arms.

Agam sat up as well, watching his wife try in vain to soothe Bian. The chubby baby thrashed around, squirming so much that Rosa had to hold him tightly.

"Maybe he had a nightmare. Try taking him outside the room; seeing different surroundings might calm him down," the head of the household suggested.

Rosa nodded. "Alright," she said, carrying the crying baby out of the room. She closed the bedroom door behind her so her husband could go back to sleep.

The senior couple's bedroom was located on the ground floor rather than upstairs. So, stepping out put her right in the central living area. Rosa brought Bian there, hoping the chubby little guy would settle down.

"Shh, shh, shh..." Mrs. Bimantara gently rocked Bian, who was still wailing. She pointed at various objects around the room to distract him, but her efforts yielded no results.

The chubby baby refused to look at anything, crying relentlessly. On top of that, he wouldn't hold still, squirming nonstop and giving Rosa a hard time.

Bian's loud wails reached the ears of the young woman sleeping in her room. Instinct jolted her awake. She sprang up, stepped out of her room, and followed the noise in the dead of night. Her baby's cries echoing through the house led her straight to the living room, where she saw Mrs. Bimantara struggling to comfort Bian.

From those piercing cries, Bia knew... she understood that Bian was looking for her. It was a cry she had memorized by heart.

Slowly, she approached the lady of the house. "Excuse me, ma'am..."

"Oh, Bia. Did Bian's crying wake you up? I'm so sorry. I think he had a nightmare, which is why he's crying like this," Rosa said softly. Even though the young girl was her employee, she still felt bad for disturbing someone else's sleep.

Bia simply nodded, looking at the baby who was still thrashing around in Mrs. Bimantara's arms. He wasn't having a nightmare. She desperately wanted to take Bian and cuddle the chubby little guy, but she didn't want to be rude. And yet...

"Um, ma'am, may I hold Bian?"

Rosa was taken aback by the young girl's request—the girl we can now call the nanny.

"But Bian is really fussing right now. Even though I'm struggling here."

"It's alright, ma'am."