It felt as though an electric current had shot through Naro's heart when he heard the voice of the girl who had just called his name. His eyes, tired from several nights of restless sleep, remained fixed on the figure standing directly in the doorway that had previously been closed.
“Naiva?” he whispered.
“What is this, Naro? Who is that girl?” Edwin asked in a deep, emphatic voice. Naiva had never been introduced to Naro's family. It was only natural for the old man to frown when he saw the long-haired girl.
“She—she … um ….” Naro stammered slightly. He wasn't afraid. He was simply confused about how to introduce her, considering that he was now the groom-to-be, ready to recite the marriage vows.
“Resolve your problem quickly. Don't embarrass your father, Naro!” Edwin whispered again, his voice rumbling with restrained anger.
The man in the white suit rose from his seat. He hurried toward Naiva, whose chest was rising and falling as she struggled to contain her anger. Sofia, sitting not far from Naro's chair, only glanced at her before turning back to look at her father.
Mr. Hermawan, who knew nothing about the trouble surrounding this marriage, stared at his daughter in confusion. His expression seemed to ask what was going on. First the doors had been closed, and now another girl had appeared. As her father, he had every right to be suspicious.
“Dad, it's okay. Maybe she's just a coworker who wants to tell him something urgent at the office.” Sofia tried to calm him down. She didn't want her sick father to become even more distressed if he learned the truth behind this marriage.
After hearing Sofia's words, Mr. Hermawan's expression relaxed slightly. He nodded repeatedly in agreement. Sofia herself only gave a bitter smile as she held back her guilt over hiding the truth. She cast a fleeting, hollow glance at Sarah, who was smiling brightly. She was sure her stepmother was imagining the piles of money that would flow into her life like a raging river.
Meanwhile, Naro and Naiva now stood facing each other. They stared at one another with troubled eyes, making it clear that neither of them was in a good mood.
“Come with me for a minute, Nai,” Naro said, taking the woman's arm and leading her toward a small room in the corner of the building.
“What for?” Naiva shot back, roughly brushing Naro's hand away.
“Didn't you want an explanation from me?” Naro tried to persuade her. But for some reason, those were the words that came out of his mouth.
“Yes. At first. But not anymore. You betrayed me, and we're over.” Naiva spoke softly, but her voice sounded cold.
“No! It's not like that, Nai. You don't know anything about this.” Naro grabbed both of Naiva's shoulders and gently pushed her back until she was leaning against the wall. “I had no choice, Nai. None of this was what I wanted.” His voice sounded resigned, yet firm.
“Oh, really? You say it wasn't what you wanted? Then whose idea was it? Your parents'?” Naiva smiled sarcastically, her brow furrowing. “Why didn't you refuse? Did I mean so little to you that you were willing to sacrifice our relationship? And then … why didn't you tell me everything? Why!”
Naiva couldn't take it anymore. She shoved Naro, forcing him to stumble backward. Her chest felt painfully tight with surging anger.
“It's not that simple, Naiva. I hit that girl, and her legs were nearly paralyzed. Her parents wanted me to take responsibility by marrying her. And on top of that, Dad didn't want his name tarnished because of this. Believe me, Nai. None of this is easy for me. I had no choice.”
Naro continued trying to explain everything. He stared deeply into Naiva's eyes, showing her how difficult this was for him and silently begging her to understand.
“Then what about me? Do you think this is easy for me, too? Watching the man I love sit beside another woman? Do you think my heart is big enough to accept all this?”
The clear tears that had been gathering in Naiva's eyes finally began to fall. Her heart hurt more and more, the pain cutting deep.
“I'm sorry, Nai. But … please understand my position. I don't want to lose you at all. So, please … wait for me,” Naro whispered.
“What?!” Naiva's voice caught in her throat. She couldn't understand how her man could ask her to wait after everything he had done.
“Nai … please believe me. This marriage … truly wasn't what I wanted. My dream was to live with you and grow old together. So please, Nai. Give me time until that girl recovers. I'll divorce her and come back to you.”
What on earth was going through Naro's head for him to say something so selfish? Naiva could only stare at him in disbelief. On one hand, she knew this was wrong. It would be incredibly unwise for Naro to do such a thing. But on the other hand, a glimmer of hope began to fill her heart. Naiva couldn't deny that she wanted him to fight for her, too. No matter what, their love couldn't simply end after everything they had been through together.
Naiva's sobs gradually subsided. The crying that had made her chest feel so tight slowly faded away. Naro's hands, which had still been resting on both her shoulders, moved down to take her hands and hold them tightly.
“I love you, Nai. And I always will. Believe me, okay?” he pleaded.
Naiva nodded faintly, though her heart still ached.
“Go home now. I'll ask Mr. Darman to drive you. I promise I'll contact you as soon as this problem starts to settle down.”
Like a buffalo led by a ring through its nose, Naiva finally gave in and chose to follow Naro's words—the impossibly charming man who still reigned in her heart.
After seeing Naiva to her car, Naro walked back into the wedding hall. With his head held high and his face set in a rigid expression, he strode forward, staring straight ahead. His steps were firm and harsh, revealing how much he disliked this marriage. But when his gaze shifted to the old man sitting beside Sofia, Naro immediately lowered his eyes. For some reason, he felt different whenever he looked at his future father-in-law. Perhaps it was respect. Or maybe pity.
A pair of eyes followed Naro as he sat back down at the table where the marriage ceremony was being conducted. Edwin's eyes lingered on him most of all. He had initially worried that Naro would call off the marriage, but he could finally breathe a little easier. With a glance, he signaled the marriage registrar to begin the ceremony.
“Do it properly. Dad still has a lot of work afterward,” he whispered to his son.
Naro remained silent. As usual, he didn't respond to his father. He was angry, but he had no way to release it. In the name of obeying his parents, he pushed aside his ego and gave up his resistance to Edwin.
Several minutes passed. Words of gratitude poured from Mr. Hermawan's lips after the marriage officiant and three witnesses declared the marriage valid. He was so moved that he could no longer hold back the tears that had been gathering in his eyes since before the ceremony began.
“Thank God … One of your father's duties has finally been fulfilled, my child. You're married now. Obey your husband as long as he treats you well, okay? Live your lives with gratitude and happiness,” he said, stroking Sofia's head.
The little girl who had now blossomed into a beautiful, elegant young woman could only nod through her sobs. She was no longer capable of speaking. She didn't even dare imagine what her life would be like after this. She might have escaped her stepmother's cruelty. But with Naro, she was certain this wasn't a good way out either. Out of the tiger's cage and into the bear's den. That was probably the right way to describe her life now.
One by one, everyone in the room congratulated Naro and Sofia. Edwin and his wife, who had arranged the marriage ceremony, were no exception.
“Thank God, the ceremony went smoothly. Naro, Sofia, congratulations. I hope you can live together and be happy,” Edwin said, hugging Naro and patting his back like a loving father celebrating with his son. Meira smiled broadly and stood between the two of them.
“Well, well, well … congratulations, my beloved daughter Sofia. Your mother and father are so happy.” Sarah's voice rang out as well. The woman walked enthusiastically toward the newlyweds. “Sure, it may seem simple, but the important thing is that it's official. Right, honey?” Sarah smiled broadly in triumph. She deliberately slipped her arm through Hermawan's while giving Sofia a sly look.
“It's okay. I'm already very happy with this marriage.” Hermawan agreed, then turned to Naro. “Naro, thank you for being willing to marry Sofia. She's my eldest daughter, and I'm so proud of her. She works incredibly hard to support all of us. Please protect her and love her. My Sofia ….”
Hermawan could no longer finish his sentence. A wave of sadness and emotion welled up until it filled his chest.
“It's okay, Dad, it's okay. Don't cry,” Sofia said, beginning to sob as she watched her father.
“Oh, you two. Everything has to be filled with tears. It makes things awkward for everyone watching. We should all be happy right now. Right, Naro?” Sarah cut in. She seemed to be deliberately teasing Naro. After overhearing his conversation with Naiva earlier, she had apparently found another treasure to use as leverage against the Adiputra family.
“You may not like me, Naro. But as the person holding your ace card, you have to do what I say. Otherwise, the Adiputra name you're all so proud of will be tarnished and condemned by everyone,” Sarah thought slyly.
“Yes, we should all be happy right now. After all, this is the first marriage between these two families, isn't it?” Meira, who had been silent until then, finally spoke. The woman, still beautiful despite nearing fifty, rose and stood beside Naro. “That's why I've prepared everything for the two of you. Including … Sofia's belongings and clothes in your apartment, Naro,” she continued, turning to the groom with a bright smile.
“What? In my apartment?” Naro whipped around in shock. How could his mother act without his permission? Yes, they were mother and son, but privacy was still privacy. Besides, he had only been asked to marry Sofia. He hadn't been asked to live with her!