“That idiot finally left this house.”
Fauzia, dressed in her sexy outfit, smiled happily as she basked in her victory.
“Are you happy now that you’re the only princess in this house?”
“This is what Fania wanted, Mom—to get rid of that little fly and drive her far away from this house.”
Mentari’s sister and stepmother were overjoyed after staging a drama to make it look as though Mentari had done something indecent and deserved to be thrown out of the house.
“I’m sure that girl won’t be happy living with that poor man. She’ll definitely struggle, suffer, and have a hard time even putting food on the table. Ha ha ha.”
Rosa was truly the kind of evil, heartless stepmother who laughed loudly as she imagined Mentari’s suffering out there.
“And Fania’s going to make her suffer even more at college,” Fania replied with a sly smile.
“How?” Rosa asked, raising one eyebrow.
“I hate seeing her live in peace, Mom. Even if she struggles out there, I’m sure that poor husband of hers will still treat her well.”
“Then what’s your plan?”
“I’m going to bully her at college. No one will defend her because she doesn’t have many friends. Mentari only has one best friend, and she won’t be able to stop me.” Fania stared straight ahead, clearly impatient to put her plan into action.
“But her husband attends the same college, doesn’t he?”
“He does, but he’s in a different major and a different faculty. So I’ll be free to do whatever I want, Mom.”
“Do whatever makes you happy. As for me, seeing her run away from this house is already more than enough.” Rosa paused when she remembered something. “But without that idiot, I’ll be overwhelmed taking care of the house. It was so convenient having her around to use as our maid.”
Rosa looked gloomy as she imagined having to clean the house, cook, wash the dishes, wash the clothes, and do everything else herself. Mentari had always handled those chores, and now they had driven her out.
“Just persuade Dad to hire a maid. How hard can that be?”
“You’re right. I’ll go find your father. I’m going to persuade that old fossil to hire a maid.” Rosa immediately left her beloved daughter’s room and went looking for her husband.
“Enjoy your misery out there, Mentari.”
After saying that, Fania closed her eyes because it was already late at night. Even though tomorrow was Sunday, Fania still had to go to bed early because she needed to get up very early to exercise and keep her figure perfect.
Far away from where Fania was, the person she and her mother had been talking about was still unable to close her eyes, despite the late hour.
Mentari was still shaking. As she clapped a hand tightly over her mouth, she cried.
‘Why are you being so unfair to Tari, Dad? Why? You didn’t give Tari a chance to explain what really happened. How could you throw Tari out when she’s clearly your only biological child? Don’t keep planting seeds of hatred in Tari’s heart toward you, Dad! Because if that hatred takes over, don’t blame Tari when she forgets that you’re her biological father.’
Without realizing it, the sobs she had been holding back escaped as she remembered all the injustice she had endured since her father remarried.
Mentari had always been given so little spending money that it was only enough for transportation to college. Once she arrived, she had to endure hunger all day because she had no money to buy food at the cafeteria.
She wasn’t even full in the mornings because she was only given a tiny portion of breakfast.
When she came home from college, Mentari didn’t get a meal. She had to clean the house, wash the dishes, and do the laundry before she was given anything to eat.
She often went hungry in her own home. The clothes Mentari wore were only Fania’s old hand-me-downs, things Fania no longer used. The same went for her other belongings.
‘Maybe it really is better for me to stay here with Gala. Maybe my life will be better. Even if we have to live modestly, at least I’ll have Gala, who will always be there for me.’
Mentari tried to calm herself, even though the pain in her heart had grown too great to describe in words.
Not...
Mentari was startled when the light suddenly came on. It turned out her husband, Galaksi, had also been beside her—she had no idea since when.
“Gala?” Mentari murmured, looking up at Gala as he stood with his hands on his hips, staring down at her where she sat alone on the freezing floor.
Gala’s heart ached at the sight of the girl he had married only a few hours ago. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from crying for hours.
By Allah, Gala was truly determined to make Mentari happy with all his heart. He would do anything to make his girl happy.
“Why are you crying all by yourself, huh? You don’t want to share that pain with me?” Gala asked, his jaw clenched.
Don’t think his jaw was clenched because he was angry at his wife, Mentari. Gala was angry at the people who had managed to destroy Mentari’s emotional well-being.
Mentari forced a smile and gently tugged on Gala’s hand, urging him to sit beside her.
There were no chairs or carpets for them to sit on, only the freezing floor—especially cold at this hour of the night.
“I thought you were already asleep,” Mentari remarked in her hoarse voice.
“How could I sleep when you’ve been crying like this? I’ve been watching you cry alone in the dark this whole time.”
Gala smiled sadly as he looked at the tear tracks on his beautiful wife’s face.
“I’m sorry, Gala!” Mentari looked at him guiltily.
“What are you sorry for?”
“I’m sorry for disturbing your rest. And I’m sorry that I’ve become a burden to you,” Mentari whispered as she squeezed her fingers together, trying to ease the tightness in her chest.
Mentari knew how difficult Gala’s life had been. He had no one in the world and worked at his friend’s café to support himself.
She also knew that Gala didn’t earn much working at his friend’s café, and now he had to support her too.
Galaksi let out a rough sigh at his wife’s words. Gala knew exactly what Mentari was thinking.
“You don’t need to think of yourself as a burden to me! I’ll do my best to cover our needs with the salary from my job at Alzi’s café until I graduate and find a better job.”
Gala held Mentari’s hand tenderly. Their eyes met deeply, conveying the love they each felt.
“Now you need to sleep because it’s almost morning. I don’t want you to get sick over this.”
Gala guided Mentari toward the feather mattress, which was just big enough for the two of them. Even without a bed frame, at least they had a thick blanket to keep them warm.
Gala hugged Mentari, gently stroking the girl’s head.
Well, Mentari could still be called a girl because Gala hadn’t touched her.
Gala would not touch his wife until Mentari was truly ready.