Days passed quickly without Seno’s presence. The house felt so empty. Lara didn’t even leave the house because Mti was always taking care of her needs.


    For two days now, Lara had just been inside the house without wanting to go anywhere. This progressing pregnancy also limited her movements.


    “Are you ready to take a bath, Ma’am?”Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Suddenly, Mti interrupted Lara’s reverie. Lara was watering the flowers in the pots. She didn’t know why, but she felt like doing it. Usually, she waszy to take care of these nts.


    “What time is it?”


    “It’s 8 in the morning, Ma’am. Let’s have breakfast.”


    “Oh!”


    Lara was surprised. She thought it was still 7 in the morning.


    “Okay,” she agreed. Lara quickly cleaned up the gardening tools and started washing her hands.


    Mti opened the bathroom door, Lara entered, and began to clean herself. After that, a delicious aroma wafted as soon as Lara stepped out of the bathroom.


    “What’s cooking?”


    “Beef soup, Ma’am, and potato patties,” Mti replied with a smile.


    “That sounds delicious,” Lara praised. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. “I’ll change my clothes first.”


    “Okay, Ma’am.”


    After changing clothes, Lara immediately headed to the dining room. As she suspected, Mti’s cooking was delicious!


    “Delicious, M. You’re good at cooking.”


    “Thank you, Ma’am.”


    Mti blushed, then she quickly left so Lara could eat in peace.


    After finishing breakfast, Mti helped clean the table.


    Lara sat in the living room, trying to digest her food while watching TV.


    Mahya’s face suddenly appeared there.


    “Mahya!” Lara eximed happily. She was so d to see her face. She just found out that Mahya works at Channel Insight.


    The channel is an international news channel that is said to be very prestigious. Lara was proud that Mahya could work there. “You’re really cool, Mahya.”


    In her report, Mahya was interviewing a doctor at a hospital about a virus currently guing the country.


    Although not a contagious virus like covid-19, but the virus is dangerous because it attacks … men’s vitality!


    “Really? Is there such a virus?” Lara smiled, not expecting that such a disease really existed.


    “What are you watching, Mom?” asked Mti, who had just finished cleaning the kitchen. She immediately took the vacuum cleaner and approached Lara.


    Lara smiled at her. “Oh, this, Mti. My friend is doing a report on TV.”


    “Wow, your friend is a reporter, huh?”


    “Yes. She was my friend from college, back then.”


    Mti nodded understandingly. “Sounds exciting.”


    Aftermenting, Mti quickly excused herself to do her cleaning tasks. The girl was very diligent and seemed never to rest.


    “Later, when Bi Yani is here, your job will surely be easier, M,” Lara suddenly said, feeling sorry for her.


    Mti turned when she was about to turn on the vacuum cleaner power button. She smiled and thanked Lara for thinking of her. “I like working,” she said, then returned to her cleaning activities.


    Lara stared out the window, looking at the blue sky. Undeniably, she wondered where Seno had gone because he hadn’t been at home for two days.


    “Where could he be?” Lara murmured but of course… it was just words carried away by the wind without an answer.


    The day was quite hot. Lara sighed deeply and started to walk back inside the house.


    The backyard of this residence was quite lush and secluded, not visible from the outside. So, Lara could freely walk around without feeling embarrassed about being seen by the neighbors.


    “Ma’am, is it time for lunch?” Mti asked when she saw Larae back into the house.


    “No. You rest.”


    “Is everything okay?” she asked, her face already looking quite tired.


    “Yes. I’m fine. If you want to eat, I’ll call you, M …”


    “Okay, Ma’am.”


    Mti then bid farewell and began to go back to her room at the back of the first floor of the house.


    Lara continued walking towards her room, but the sound of the doorbell halted her intentions.


    “Who is it?”


    She tried to check the unknown visitor through the inte. After confirming their identity, Lara opened the door with… annoyance!


    “Olivia!” Lara yelled angrily. “What business do you have here?!”


    “Wow, wow… our madam is really angry,” she mocked with a thin smile that disgusted Lara. She felt nauseous.


    “Go away! I don’t want to see you!”


    Lara pushed the door shut, but Olivia held it back.


    “Listen, I just wanted to say that, Boss Seno is on a business trip out of town.”


    “What’s it to you?”


    “Don’t you want to know?”


    Lara pursed her lips. She didn’t want to admit that she was curious.


    “My visit was just to tell you that, MADAM.”


    She swallowed, feeling that Olivia was only mocking her and seemed to know everything about her husband’s activities.


    “Leave!”


    Lara closed the door. But she could hear herughing and mocking her. “Typical housewife!”


    She held back tears when the scent of her husband’s cologne lingered in Olivia’s hair. Had that woman actually been lying?


    “Seno… you’re so heartless,” she whimpered silently. She didn’t want Olivia to hear and get even more conceited.


    With a tumultuous heart, she locked the door and walked to the living room. Her heart felt heavy when confronted with the reality of her husband’s affair with Olivia-a foe who had long been trying to bring her down.


    The once blue sky now felt gloomy within her.


    Mti came out of her room, perhaps she heard themotion at the door. “Is there a visitor, Ma’am?” she asked.


    “What? Oh, no, just an uninvited friend of Seno’s,” Lara answered, trying to smile.


    Mti nodded in understanding, although her gaze was full of concern. “Can I prepare something for you?”


    “No need. I just want to rest a bit, Mti. Thank you.”


    “Okay.”


    After Mti went back to her room, Lara headed to the bedroom. Her thoughts were in chaos and her heart felt heavy. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at their wedding photo on the bedside table not far from her.


    “Why, Seno? Why are you so cruel to me?” Lara murmured softly. Disappointment and heartache enveloped her. She tried to calm herself, but unanswered questions continued to haunt her.


    Suddenly, she heard footsteps in the hallway. She quickly wiped away the tears, trying to hide her weakness in front of her.


    Mti appeared at the bedroom door. “Mrs. Lara, there’s an envelope for you. It was left by … that guest.”


    Lara received the letter Mti was holding. With hesitation, she opened it. Its contents made her heart race even faster.


    “Another photo?”


    Her hands trembled as she looked at the picture of them both lying naked. How did that woman manage to bring such disgusting scenes back?


    Her head suddenly throbbed.


    She sat on the bed, trying to forget the indecent photo that pierced her heart.