My name is Aria, a man born into a family that has always placed family above everything else. I love my mother dearly because of all her sacrifices to provide for me and my siblings since we were little. She did whatever work she could to earn money so our whole family could eat, from the time my father was still alive until he passed away first, leaving all of us behind. I love my job because it is my pride, especially ever since I reunited with Raina, my junior high school classmate. I became a workaholic because I was obsessed with marrying Raina as soon as possible. From morning until night, I spent all my time working so I could save more money. I worked for a fairly reputable supplier company in my city, with a decent salary, so I was comfortable there despite the time I had to sacrifice. I wasn't particularly handsome, and I still had plenty of flaws, but Raina never complained or pointed them out. That's why I was sure Raina was a good woman who deserved to become my life partner.
Every time I left the office, I didn't go straight home. I preferred spending time with my friends until late at night. Unwinding with them was the best way to relax after a full day of being buried in work at the office.
Irsyad was one of my closest friends. I'd known him for a long time, and he knew about my life, my personality, and my family. I always told Irsyad everything whenever I faced a problem. Wawan, my other friend, was also a very kind and generous person toward me. Wawan and Irsyad had gotten married before I did because they were both committed to their respective partners.
Raina made me love her so deeply that I always tried to do anything for her. Raina never demanded anything from me because she knew I was working hard to save for our wedding. Raina was an independent, hardworking woman who could always solve her own problems without relying on me.
Sometimes I worried about Raina because I spent more of my time working and hanging out with my friends. I was afraid she might become interested in another man who had more to offer. Raina always supported me in everything, even though she had to suffer because I never gave her enough of my time. She never got sad or complained about the fact that we rarely spent time together, whether going out or buying the food she liked.
I was a man who put my family's affairs above everything else because, as far as I knew, family came first, and my mother was precious to me. I hoped Raina could accept all my shortcomings and my entire family, who would eventually become her family too. Raina always gave in to me and my family, who demanded perfection. She had tried her best to win my family's approval, but in their eyes, there was still something wrong with her. On top of that, I left Raina to handle and decide everything about our wedding. That made my family dislike her because, according to them, I was weak if I left everything to Raina. I simply hated complications, while Raina, as far as I knew, loved dealing with every detail, from the smallest things to the biggest ones.
Mba Leli was my older sister, and I loved her too because she always helped me with everything, no matter what problem I had. Sometimes I even lied to Mba Leli so she would like Raina, because Raina wasn't really like that. To me, it didn't matter as long as Raina looked good in front of my family.
I loved coffee so much that I sometimes forgot to eat because of it. Raina was the only one who nagged me constantly about eating. After we got married, I wouldn't have to go through the trouble of making coffee anymore because Raina would make it for me every day.
Raina didn't like my habit of staying up late, but I often lied and told her I had stopped doing it. Especially as the wedding drew closer, Raina was always reminding me to get more rest and cut back on coffee. But I didn't listen. I simply agreed to her requests so we wouldn't argue.
Wawan and Irsyad often invited me to hang out with them, and Raina clearly didn't like my friends because they had bad habits and were always encouraging me to join them. Sometimes I wondered how much I would have to sacrifice for Raina once she became my wife. Would I be able to follow Raina's wishes after we got married? Ah, I could worry about that later. What mattered was marrying her as soon as possible and building up my savings quickly so another man wouldn't take her away. Raina was the perfect woman to stand by my side. With all her strengths, she made me a lucky man. On top of that, Raina had a permanent job and earned a decent salary of her own, and she never demanded anything from me. She would surely be able to help me if I ever had financial problems. For now, I had to make sacrifices for Raina so that later she could support me for the rest of our lives as husband and wife. Raina wouldn't possibly refuse to help me solve all my problems.
My friends didn't like Raina much either because her personality was the complete opposite of mine, but I didn't care. At least I would always have someone to remind me when I was wrong and be a little stricter with me, like Raina. She could give me the silent treatment for days whenever we had a problem that caused us to fight. I really couldn't understand how Raina could stand ignoring me when I couldn't go even one day without her. I was always the first to give in and contact her. I had plenty of shortcomings too, and Raina was the one who could make up for them. I hoped marrying Raina would bring me perfect happiness and complete my life. I was also working hard for Raina and for the life we would have someday. Raina, oh Raina, you were always on my mind. I wanted to propose to you and marry you as soon as possible so I could have children with such a beautiful, kindhearted woman. I wanted a son so badly, and I hoped you would give me one after we got married. Maybe you would be the last woman for me, Raina—for Aria. Daydreaming was so pleasant, especially when I imagined a woman as good as Raina. It was better than struggling to find another woman, like the one my mother had previously offered me: a woman from a village who had no skills except taking care of the house and cooking. My world would feel empty if I had a wife like that.