8. The Call

"I thought you were asleep," Ajeng said incredulously. She approached Evan, who already looked better. He was no longer having trouble breathing like before.

"You two fight like in soap operas. I'm embarrassed just hearing it." Evan snorted, looking dismissive.

"It's not my fault I slapped him. You heard what he said earlier," she said with an annoyed expression.

Ajeng was prepared for Evan to mock her for having been Dimas's wife. Surely he wouldn't miss this opportunity. But to her surprise, Evan closed his eyes instead.

Sighing deeply, Ajeng finally left the room to go to the pharmacy and administration section. She looked around anxiously. She didn't want to meet Dimas again.

From a distance, Ajeng saw Dimas walking while hugging Ayu's waist. She couldn't deny that her heart still ached when she saw that sight.

Of course Ayu could get pregnant. It was completely different from her, who would never be able to feel a baby growing inside her womb.

While taking care of the administration and waiting for her medicine at the pharmacy, Ajeng just daydreamed. Dimas' words inevitably disturbed her thoughts. Added to that were Ella's words.

She was barren. Who would want to marry her except Evan? And even then, it was because Ella had forced him to. Come to think of it, Dimas' words were true. She would only be Evan's mistress, satisfying his desires. What else was there?

What could she do now? She couldn't run away like in the novels. She didn't know when she would be able to repay her debt to Ella with this secret marriage.

"Mr. Evan Braun!"

Ajeng blinked and gasped in surprise. She quickly took the medicine and nodded as the pharmacist explained how to use it.

When she was done, she returned to Evan's room. The man was still fast asleep, probably due to the effects of the medicine. A nurse entered carrying a basin and a small cloth.

"What is that for, ma'am?" Ajeng asked curiously.

"To compress the patient's face so the swelling goes down quickly."

"Let me do it, ma'am." Ajeng took the basin and put the cloth in warm water.

"After the patient wakes up, he will have lunch and take more medicine. Once he recovers, he can go home," the nurse said before leaving.

Ajeng nodded. She applied the wrung-out cloth to Evan's forehead and cheeks alternately. Poor man. His shrimp allergy was no joke. He could immediately have difficulty breathing and his face would swell up. It wasn't just itching anymore.

She took care of Evan diligently. She considered it an effort to repay her debt to Ella. Speaking of Ella, why was her friend so careless? She knew Evan was allergic to shrimp, but the maid in their house cooked shrimp fried rice anyway.

Wait, shrimp was Aunt Puspa's favorite. No wonder Evan's maid cooked shrimp fried rice. But even so, they should have made a separate portion of fried rice without shrimp especially for Evan.

Suddenly, she remembered the plate of fried rice that was ready in front of Ella. Didn't Ella say that the woman could no longer stand up to get Evan his fried rice?

Realization hit her. Could it be that the fried rice Ella ate was actually meant for Evan? But why did Ella eat it? Why did Ella do that?

Bad thoughts began to creep into Ajeng's mind. She hated to think badly of her friend who had helped her, but Ella was becoming stranger and stranger.

Did Ella do it on purpose? Including Evan suddenly coming to her house, was that on Ella's orders? Why?

While lost in thought, continuing to apply a compress to Evan’s face, the ringing of a phone startled Ajeng. Her head turned this way and that, searching for the source of the sound. Until she realized that the sound was coming from the front pocket of Evan’s pants.

Oh, why there? Her eyes even dared to glance at the bulge in the middle...

"What the hell, Jeng?" she whispered irritably, her face reddening.

She had no choice but to reach into Evan's pants pocket because the ringing hadn't stopped. Besides, they were husband and wife. Evan wouldn't be angry.

The ringing stopped. She glanced at Evan, who still looked calm. He didn't seem bothered at all by the loud ringing or her hand in his pocket.

Suddenly, her face felt hot. Why did she keep remembering that damn night? Her heart suddenly began to pound. Damn it! It wasn't the first time she had been intimate with man.

Evan's cell phone rang again. It displayed the name Siska, the man's secretary. Reflexively, she slid the green symbol out of habit, until she realized that it wasn't her cell phone.

Her eyes widened in panic. You're so stupid, Jeng!

[Hello? Hello, Mr.?]

"Yes?"

There was a long silence. Too long. Ajeng closed her eyes. What if the woman recognized her voice? She would be dead.

[Is this Mrs. Ella?]

"Eh, no. That's...I'm...I'm Mas Evan's cousin," Ajeng replied, her heart pounding.

[Oh. Where is Mr. Evan? I have something important to tell him.]

"Eh, that... Evan is in the hospital. His allergy is acting up. Do you have a message? I'll definitely tell him."

Another silence. For some reason, Ajeng was afraid that Siska would recognize her voice. The problem was, they had talked several times when they were in the same elevator.

[Um... tell Mr. Evan that there's a meeting with a foreign client at 2 PM. I'll wait for his reply as soon as possible.]

"Okay, Sis. I'll tell Mr. Evan."

Silence again.

[Your voice sounds familiar. Do you... work at Deca Indonesia Co., Ltd.?]