Qiara's steps felt unbearably heavy as she made her way through the parking area of the grand office building.
Her vision blurred behind a veil of tears that kept spilling without permission. With her fingers trembling violently, she got into her car and immediately locked the doors from the inside.
Inside the silence of the car's cabin, her sobs broke free at once. Qiara gripped the steering wheel tightly, pouring out all the suffocating anguish pressing against her chest.
She needed something to hold on to—someone who could comfort her in the middle of this devastation.
Dewa's name immediately came to mind.
With trembling hands, Qiara took her phone from her bag. She searched for her boyfriend's contact, then pressed the call button.
The ringtone sounded... once, twice, three times...
No answer.
"Dewa, please... pick up," Qiara whispered through her sobs, pleading with the screen of her phone.
She tried calling again. This time, the ringtone continued until the call automatically disconnected and went to voicemail. The busy tone echoed inside the car. Qiara grew even more panicked. Dewa usually never ignored her calls, especially at times like this.
When she still got no answer, Qiara called her boyfriend's mother instead. She quickly wiped away her tears, trying to compose her voice so it wouldn't sound too miserable.
The call connected on the third ring.
"Hello, Auntie?" Qiara greeted her, her voice slightly hoarse and trembling.
"Oh, Qiara? Hello, sweetheart. What's wrong?" Dewa's mother's gentle voice answered from the other end.
"Auntie... I'm so sorry to bother you," Qiara said softly.
"Is Dewa home, Auntie? I've been calling him, but his number hasn't been reachable, and he isn't answering either."
"Huh? Dewa isn't with you, Qia?" Dewa's mother sounded confused.
"Didn't he say he had some college business today until this afternoon? I thought he was out with you."
Qiara's heart began to pound.
"No, Auntie... I saw him this morning, but I'm looking for him now. Didn't Dewa tell you anything else?"
"No, sweetheart. This morning, he only said goodbye and told me he was going out for a bit. Do you want me to give him a message when he gets home?"
Qiara swallowed, holding back the tremor in her throat.
"No, that's okay, Auntie. I'll try calling him again later. Thanks, Auntie. I'm sorry for bothering you."
"Okay, Qiara. You're all right, aren't you? Your voice sounds a little different."
"I'm fine, Auntie. I just have a bit of a cold. I'll hang up now, Auntie. Assalamu'alaikum."
"Wa'alaikumsalam..."
The call ended. Qiara rested her head against the steering wheel. Anxiety and sadness now swirled together inside her.
Where had Dewa gone? Why wasn't that man there for her when she needed someone to lean on more than ever?
Qiara let out a long breath, then started the car. She had to go home, even though she knew her house was no longer a safe or comfortable place to take shelter in right now.
The car sped through the fairly busy city streets.
Throughout the drive, Qiara's tears refused to stop. Her vision remained blurred, filled with images of her cold Dad's face, Zacky brimming with anger, and the torn pieces of her late sister's will.
"Why did it have to be me...? How could Big Brother Zacky be so cruel to me...?" Qiara whispered between sobs.
At an intersection, the traffic light changed to red. Qiara hit the brakes, stopping her car at the very front of the line. She grabbed several tissues and wiped the tears soaking her cheeks.
But when she lifted her head and looked out the window on her left, her eyes landed on an open-air café by the roadside.
Qiara's heart seemed to stop beating right then and there.
At one of the café's outdoor corner tables sat a man in a very familiar light blue shirt. He laughed freely, his arm wrapped affectionately around the shoulder of a long-haired woman beside him. The woman smiled sweetly, then coyly fed the man a piece of cake.
Qiara's eyes widened. She rubbed them roughly, making sure her vision wasn't obscured by tears.
That man... that face, that smile... it was Dewa.
Dewa, her boyfriend who hadn't answered her call and was supposedly busy with college business, was now holding another woman in his arms so intimately.
HONK!
The car horn behind her startled Qiara. The traffic light had already turned green. With trembling hands and a chest that felt as though it had been struck by a massive boulder, Qiara had no choice but to step on the gas, leaving that painful sight behind her.