Chapter 6

“Don’t even dream of it! I will never be your wife!” Karina shouted.

“Don’t be arrogant!” Tanto gripped Karina’s jaw. He chuckled. “I’ll give you one week to pay off your mother’s debt. If not, the amount will double.”

“You can’t run away from me. I’ll always find you.” Tanto and his men laughed. “Don’t act like you’re too good. Think it over. I’ll forget your mother’s debt if you agree to be my fifth wife. Your life will be easy.”

The loan shark left. Karina’s body slid down in front of the door. Where could she possibly get 300 million rupiah in just two weeks?

~~

“Karina.”

Saka growled in anger as he stared at Karina, who sat frozen like a statue. During the meeting—Karina was spacing out.

“KARINA!” he yelled, furious at her silence.

Karina quickly turned to him, straightening her notes. “I’m sorry, Sir.” She bowed her head and sighed.

“Why aren’t you doing your job properly?” Saka asked, stepping toward her. “I’m not paying you to daydream,” he said sarcastically.

Karina lowered her head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Do you want to quit?” Saka raised an eyebrow.

Karina shook her head. She truly hadn’t meant to be so distracted at work. She tried to focus, but her thoughts kept wandering.

Her mind was working overtime to find a way out. She’d tried borrowing money everywhere.

All her friends had turned her down.

Even Amel and Susan, who lived luxuriously, didn’t trust her enough to lend money.

Karina had also tried the bank, but without any collateral, they rejected her request.

Suddenly, Saka trapped Karina with both hands gripping the edges of the desk, cornering her.

“I’m not a good man. I don’t tolerate repeated mistakes.”

Karina clutched her papers. She didn’t dare look at Saka, who now looked furious.

“Do you know what happens if I fire you?” he asked. Karina slowly shook her head. “I’ll make sure no other company hires you. Your name will be blacklisted.”

“That’s unfair, Sir.” Karina closed her eyes. “That’s too cruel.” She sighed.

Saka chuckled softly. “It is cruel. And if I decide to do it, no one can stop me.” He gently stroked her cheek, then patted her head. “Do your job properly. Don’t mess with me.”

~~

Two weeks passed. Karina had only managed to gather 20 million rupiah. It was all her savings and what she managed to borrow from the cooperative. She would pay that first and ask for leniency to pay the rest in installments.

Karina opened the door. “I only have this 20 million.” She handed over the money.

“Are you kidding me?!” Tanto yelled in her face. “The debt is 300 million! Not 20 million! How dare you!”

“Please, I don’t have any more money. I just need a little more time.” Karina clasped her hands together in desperation.

Suddenly, Tanto yanked her hair hard, forcing her to tilt her head up. “I’ve been patient long enough. If you had agreed to be my wife, you wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble. But too bad—I don’t offer the same deal twice.”

Karina grabbed his hand. It hurt—her hair must’ve been falling out. “Let me go!” Karina stomped on his foot.

“Agh!” Tanto let go of her hair, but then slapped her several times in retaliation. “Ungrateful wench! Your slut mother begged me for a loan and then ran off. And you, her daughter, are just as shameless!”

SLAP!

The final slap knocked Karina to the floor. The corner of her lip tore, bleeding slightly. “You have two days. If you don’t bring me the full 300 million, I’ll sell you to a brothel.”

That night, the wind blew violently.

Karina brought instant noodles and soda to the riverside. She looked up at the large bridge stretching across the wide river. She smiled—such a beautiful bridge, lit with colorful lights. The road was never empty. So many cars passed by.

“What kind of lives do they lead?” she wondered. “They have nice cars. They must have good jobs too.” She laughed bitterly, mocking her own misery.

She ate her noodles slowly. “And I’m stuck here with endless suffering.” Once finished, she drank the soda in one gulp.

Karina stood up. “I can’t do this anymore. I have to go. I can’t survive in this hell any longer.” She looked at the bright sky. “Turn cloudy, will you?”

She walked across the guardrail separating the road and the river. The night was so dark. There was no one else around—just her. Karina was about to end her life quickly.

She stepped closer. Her feet touched the edge of the river. She walked further in. It was cold—half of her body was already underwater. “I’m sorry, Dad. I want to be with you. I can’t do this anymore. I’m weak without you.”

Karina submerged herself completely. Her body fell into the river. She closed her eyes. Her breathing grew shallow. She couldn’t breathe.

Everything went dark.

~~

“Take me home,” Saka ordered his driver. He sat calmly, staring out the window.

That night, he had just finished a meeting with a client. He was furious that Karina hadn’t answered his calls. It was her job to prepare everything for him and accompany him to meetings.

But she hadn’t even shown up all day. According to their agreement, even on holidays, Karina had to be available when he needed her.

“Damn it,” Saka muttered. He planned to scold Karina tomorrow.

“Wait. Stop the car.” Saka noticed a woman sitting by the riverbank. “That’s Karina.” He scoffed. “So she’s having a picnic at the river while ignoring her boss’s calls?”

“Go over there.” He pointed toward where Karina was sitting. “I’ll teach her a lesson for ignoring me.”

The car drove and stopped near an empty park. Saka got out and walked toward the far end of the path, near the river.

“What the hell is she doing?” Saka frowned as he saw Karina walking into the river.

“KARINA!” he shouted.

**SPLASH!**

Too late. Karina was already fully submerged.

“KARINA, I WON’T LET YOU DIE!” Saka screamed.

Without hesitation, he dove into the river, his body plunging into the cold water. He saw Karina beneath the surface, her eyes closed.