Chapter 2. Everything Getting More Worse

What happened next was Justin's mother screaming in surprise, prompting the rest of the family to come over and calm her down.

The guests whispered, some of them covered their mouths in disbelief, some others held their breath from shock and couldn't make a sound.

Gabriel and Sessy, who were motionless in place, were transfixed watching the hot scene of Justin and the booking woman in the video.

"Why, honey? Surprised?" Arleena made a sound, then turned to Keenan. "Show me something else, my dear cousin Kenan."

Keenan smiled disdainfully. But happily, he changed the screen display.

The video changes to the notes view.

"This is some proof of chats and hotel reservations at eleven past twelve minutes at night. Hotel Tree Tycoon, New York."

Justin was speechless.

Then the projector screen changed again. Screenshot of one of the chat applications showing a chat room between Justin and one of the booking women.

"Chat from the man's side, Justin—my fiancé, says we'll meet tomorrow night at the Hotel Tree Tycoon. Don't forget to come no later than eleven at night. I've sent you the address," Arleena read the chat in the application's chat room.

Then Arleena turned around to face the invited guests of the event.

"I will bear the cost of hotel accommodation, he said," continued Arleena, who had memorized Justin's message to the booking woman below.

Arleena's grin curved. Her gaze fell on Justin.

"Wow, four different booking women, and all of you are responsible for hotel lodging expenses. Not only that, the hotels where you stay are very luxurious.

You can spend almost tens of millions to book other women, but let me alone bear all the costs of our contract and wedding reception?" Arleena asked with her sarcastically tone.

Arleena's tone was completely emotionless. There was no sadness in his expression. However, through the reflection of light from the lamp that refracted into the face, her eyes implied sharpness. Highlighting deep anger at Justin.

"How is it? My performance is fun, isn't it?" Arleena continued asking, widening the knot full of satisfaction.

"JUSTIN!" Suddenly a voice rose from the right side.

All eyes turned. It wasn't just Justin who was surprised, but Justin's uncle and his two cousins who stood on either side of him.

Justin widened his eyes in surprise. A few meters away from him, the figure of Ernando—Justin's father, walked up to him. His face growled angrily, staring straight at Justin all the way.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" Ernando asked Justin, snapping.

Not playing Justin panic. People suddenly came close to Ernando, trying to reach so they could hold him back.

"Papa, papa..." Justin stretched out both hands, making a stop signal. "Wait, Papa. It's not like that..."

At every step, Ernando was full of beats. Completely indifferent to Justin's panic reaction and the people who had held him back.

"You insolent man!" Ernando snapped at Justin back.

Ernando almost beat Justin up if Justin's uncle and the boys didn't hold back.

As soon as possible Justin and Ernando are given distance. Emotions radiated from Indra's eyes, which at that time tried to ward off the people's defenses.

"Let go of me! This child needs to be taught a lesson!"

"Mr, Mr, calm down!"

"Mr. Ernando, calm down. Calm down!"

"Mr. Ernando, don't give in to your emotions! It's at a family event!"

Chaos ensued in a matter of seconds. From the stage, Arleena gave the code to Keenan to turn off the projector screen. It was enough to feel satisfied after exposing evidence of Justin's affair in front of all family members on both sides.

"That's all from me, thank you," Arleena said goodbye when Indra had calmed down a bit and didn't yell.

Gabriel deliberately clapped and cheered loudly, along with Kenan and Gibran. While Sessy just shook her head, but a proud smile curved on her face.

Justin turned his gaze to Arleena. "Arleena! Don't spread slander about me!"

While going down the stairs with Keenan's help, Arleena was not at all provoked to anger.

The crowd began to subside because Indra had been calmed down. Even though Indra's breath was still ragged, his sharp eyes had not turned away from his only child—Justin.

Not long after, after walking off the stage, Arleena arrived near the crowd. Arleena headed for Justin, deliberately looking up and looking at him haughtily.

"The only thing you have to do is explain to your family about your behavior," Arleena said emphatically.

Then Arleena walked closer to Justin until he stood in front of his fiancé.

"Don't forget to get yourself checked. Who knows if you get infected with HIV. I don't want my body, which I have guarded, to be touched by a disgusting human like you," added Arleena giving a warning.

Justin frowned. He was surprised to hear what Arleena said. Likewise with other family members around them.

"Let's talk about this with the nuclear family. Now! The event is over!" Ernando then replied. From his voice, Ernando didn't want to hear any rebuttal.

***

"Canceled?!"

The reaction Arleena had expected earlier.

A while ago, after Ernando ordered the event to end, Arleena and Justin's nuclear families met. Yes, nuclear family only. Arleena's parents and Justin's parents.

According to what Arleena said to Justin, she wanted their marriage to be annulled. Even though Justin's mother had begged him, Arleena still refused.

And now, after the nuclear family talks, Arleena gathered with Gabriel, Keenan, Sessy, and also Gibran.

"Of course it has to be cancelled. A jerk like that really doesn't deserve you," replied Keenan, Arleena's cousin. He did use the I-you vocabulary as a cousin.

There was the sound of ice cubes from the drink that Sessy was stirring. During their conversation—which was just done ten minutes ago, Sessy hasn't responded anything.

But in his heart, there was anger creeping because of Justin's actions. Sessy was more trying to read how Arleena felt. Even though from the outside, Arleena looks normal, even tends to be indifferent, Sessy understands that there can be no pain.

After all, betrayal is still betrayal.

"Indeed it should be cancelled," Sessy finally answered, making other pairs of eyes roll.

Sessy put down his glass of drink, then placed both hands on the table.

"Why don't you look sad at all?" Sessy asked in a serious tone. Her gaze was fixed on Arleena.

There was silence for a few seconds, before Arleena finally chuckled.

"Who said I'm not sad after spending that much money, only to have an affair a week before the wedding."

Arleena shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "I don't know. I'm angry, but I'm more satisfied because I managed to reveal the evidence of an affair between my extended family and him. Luckily he was caught cheating before the family gathering started."

Sessy frowned in astonishment. Somewhat did not expect the answer Arleena's explanation. Even though Sessy thought that at least Arleena felt sad because Justin was treated like that.

Turns out, Arleena was the exact opposite.

"I thought you deliberately pretended to be happy to cover up your sadness. But it turns out you weren't sad at all?" Sessy looked at Arleena in disbelief.

Arleena replied, "Hey, I told you, I'm sad. Thinking of that kind of money but being cheated on, ouch, I've been working hard all this time in vain."

Gabriel was suddenly curious about one thing. Spontaneously, she leaned in a sitting position to look at Arleena seriously.

"Wait, Leen, are they begging you?" asked Gabriel which distracted the other four pairs of eyes.

"Just ask Gibran. He watched before entering the room as a witness," Arleena replied, glancing at Gibran.

Suddenly Gabriel, Sessy and Keenan's eyes immediately turned to Gibran. Their faces seemed to demand clarification.

"Yeah..." Gibran was momentarily awkward. "As one would expect. Yes, they begged."

With a proud smile, Arleena pointed at Gibran.

"See? They're begging. Obviously, they're begging," Arleena replied. "And the reason they didn't go far from the wedding has already been paid for, so it can't be cancelled."

Bang!

Gabriel spontaneously pounded the table because of the sparked irritation. Out of curiosity, his face immediately turned irritated.

"Then what does the father mean by getting angry at his son?!" grunted Gabriel.

Arleena glared frantically, and so did Sessy. They both gave a code to Gabriel not to speak too loudly.

"Hey, slow down your voice," said Arleena whose voice hissed with worry.

Gabriel covered her mouth for a moment, then lowered her hand again. Looks so angry annoyance.

"He knows that his son's treatment is insolent, why do he keep begging for his son to marry you?" Gabriel grumbled again.

Arleena's breath was heard. "I don't know. Now I'm confused about the cost of the contract and the wedding reception that have already been spent. Really, everything was suddenly canceled?"

In the middle of that serious conversation, Keenan sounded surprised.

"Wow, Arleena! Do you know this yet?" said Keenan suddenly.

All eyes at the circle table turned to Keenan. Keenan looked surprised who was still focused on his cell phone screen. Including Arleena whose curiosity was immediately provoked.

Keenan lifted his dumbfounded face in disbelief.

"Arleena... Hugo has come home from his job assignment out of town."