Two days after that night, Sofia finally gave in. Like it or not, she had to go along with the decision Edwin had made for them, even though she was furious. Realizing that he had hurt Sofia with his careless accusations, Naro quickly apologized and tried to talk things through.
“I’m sorry. I overreacted. But … it happened because I’m under a lot of pressure from this situation too.” Naro’s words from the following day echoed in her mind as he apologized. Sofia had just finished eating when she suddenly slowed her wheelchair and stopped not far from Naro. Even so, she was still unwilling to look at him.
“About moving, it looks like we have to give in too. No matter how hard we fight it, nothing Dad has decided is ever going to change. So, I’m asking … that the two of us work together on this,” Naro explained, trying to persuade her.
Sofia didn’t respond. Thoughts of her parents and three younger siblings still occupied her mind. What if Sarah abandoned them, especially her father, whose health had been deteriorating?
“As for your family, we can visit them from time to time. Besides, with technology this advanced, you can video-call them and see how they’re doing firsthand. I’ll try to resolve the problems there so we can return to the capital as soon as possible,” Naro continued, as if he knew exactly what was troubling his wife.
“Whatever you want,” she replied curtly with a long sigh. She had spent all night thinking it over, and in the end, surrender was the only answer she could find to every problem she had.
“Don’t be like that, Sofia. I’m asking you to come with me willingly.” Naro stopped Sofia’s wheelchair. The sudden movement made the woman look up and stare directly into the man’s eyes.
“Then do I have any choice other than agreeing?” she shot back, looking away.
“Okay. Thank you for agreeing.” Naro let out a long sigh. He was annoyed by Sofia’s attitude, but also relieved that she had finally agreed. Well, even if she had been a little forced into it, of course. “We’re leaving tomorrow morning. I’ve already asked someone to pack your things, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Yeah. Do whatever you want,” Sofia replied inwardly as she rolled out of Naro’s sight.
And now, here they were. Hundreds of kilometers south of Jakarta, in a coastal area facing the waters of the Sunda Strait. It was a small town that might have been home to only a few hundred families. Even so, a faint smile appeared on Sofia’s face as the car Naro was driving passed a stretch of beautiful, untouched beaches.
“Never seen a beach before?” Naro’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Realizing he was watching her, Sofia fell silent, quickly composed herself, and adjusted her posture back to the way it had been.
“There’s no point answering this man’s questions. We’ll just end up arguing again.” She thought bitterly.
Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived at their new home. It was a simple two-story house with a fairly spacious, well-kept yard—especially compared with the houses in the capital. A small garden filled with blooming, carefully tended flowers lined the fence.
“We’re here,” Naro said. He got out, hurriedly opened the door, and helped Sofia into her wheelchair. At the same time, the minibus carrying their belongings arrived as well. Without much fuss, several people inside began bringing the luggage in after receiving Naro’s orders.
“You’ll take the downstairs bedroom, and I’ll stay upstairs. As for the housework, the housekeeper will handle it. I’ve already found someone, and she’ll probably be here soon. If you need anything, just tell me,” Naro instructed as they entered the house.
Sofia merely gave him a brief nod. Though Naro spoke softly, his voice sounded cold, as if he was still determined to keep his distance. Yes, she understood. No matter what, this marriage was nothing more than a relationship on paper. And Sofia was still painfully aware of exactly where she stood.
“Peace be upon you, sir and ma’am. I’m sorry I’m late.” A middle-aged woman arrived and greeted them both. She was hurrying, clearly having rushed to get there.
“And peace be upon you.” Naro turned around. “Oh, Ms. Rima. Come in, please.”
The three of them shook hands.
“This is Sofia. She’ll be staying here with me, and I’m counting on you to help her while we’re here,” Naro said, introducing Sofia.
“Of course, sir. Don’t worry. Leave all the housework to me. You too, ma’am. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask,” Ms. Rima replied with her warmest smile. Her face had a motherly, caring look.
“Thank you, Ms. Rima. But … just call me Sofia. It feels more comfortable,” Sofia said. Being called ma’am made her feel a little awkward and uncomfortable. It made her sound like some grand, dictatorial lady giving orders.
“Oh, yes, ma’am—uh … miss. I can call you that, right? If I call you by your name, I’m the one who’ll feel awkward.”
“Ah, sure, ma’am. That’s fine. Just call me whatever makes you comfortable.” Sofia nodded. The two women exchanged smiles. For a moment, warmth bloomed in Sofia’s heart. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d received such an affectionate smile—probably not since her mother died.
Even so, Sofia was still grateful to have a father who had never abandoned her, even after taking a new wife. And it hadn’t entirely been his own choice; his siblings had suggested it because they felt sorry for the younger children, who had still been little at the time.
After the couriers who had helped carry in their belongings left, the three of them remained in the house: Naro, Sofia, and Ms. Rima. The woman in her fifties helped her employer arrange her things. There wasn’t much to unpack, since the office had already provided all the necessary facilities. Naro had even had the master bedroom renovated to make it easier for Sofia to manage basic activities, considering that his wife would have to remain in a wheelchair until she could walk again.
“Looks like you and your husband are still newlyweds, huh? You two still seem so shy around each other,” Ms. Rima remarked while helping dry her female employer’s hair.
“Hm?” The woman being addressed merely hummed in surprise and stared at Ms. Rima questioningly.
“Oh, n-no, miss. It’s nothing.” Ms. Rima suddenly became flustered. “I’ll get your hair vitamins first, miss.” She hurried to pick up the round bottle Sofia had prepared. She applied it gently from the roots to the ends of her hair while massaging her scalp. Deep down, she was extremely curious and puzzled by the behavior of her two employers.
Day after day passed. Before they knew it, they had been living in the house for three days. Sofia had experienced no significant difficulties or trouble adapting. The cool, comfortable village atmosphere, despite its location not far from the beach, along with the friendliness of the locals, helped the woman briefly forget her sadness over her father. Thanks to Ms. Rima’s kindness, she even seemed to have found a new family in this place.
The same couldn’t be said for Naro. The man looked increasingly frustrated. The burdens weighing on him were plain to see. The fine lines on his forehead had become more pronounced, especially whenever he returned from the resort. No one knew whether it was because of the company’s extremely complicated problems or perhaps because he felt burdened whenever he saw Sofia. No one knew except him.
“If you’re tired, rest. Go to sleep. And don’t forget to take your supplements,” Sofia said as she carried two jars of snacks over and set them on Naro’s desk. She had deliberately asked Ms. Rima to make two kinds of cookies that she knew Naro liked. Back when they were still living in the apartment, she had seen him take the same kinds of cookies from his desk several times.
“You made these?” Naro asked. His brow furrowed as he gave her a brief glance. He sounded arrogant, though his words weren’t rude.
Sofia shook her head. “I didn’t. Ms. Rima did. Thank her.”
“Yeah. I will.” Naro nodded slowly, then returned to the stack of papers he had brought back from the resort. He paid no further attention to Sofia, who was still standing nearby.
“Hey, weren’t you listening to me? Get some rest.” The woman repeated herself, adding emphasis to the end of the sentence this time.
“Don’t pretend to care. You need to take care of yourself too. It’ll be a hassle if you get sick or something happens later,” Naro replied sharply.
“Ugh, you’re so stubborn!”
Sofia hissed and rolled her eyes. All she could do was let out a long sigh before returning to her room. Their relationship was complicated. On one hand, she wanted to be kind so the atmosphere in the house would be friendlier and more comfortable to live in. It wasn’t because she wanted to win Naro over or make him fall for her. No, that wasn’t her reason at all.
On the other hand, Naro seemed determined to maintain the distance he had created. He might not hate her, but it still made Sofia uncomfortable. Just imagine having a partner under the same roof who looked away every time your eyes met. And Sofia had already endured that treatment throughout their marriage.
“Ugh … whatever. I’ve done everything I can to make things a little better. If he still doesn’t like it, then fine,” Sofia thought. There was nothing else she could do, considering that she was nobody to Naro. If she forced the issue, things wouldn’t become peaceful—they would only grow more uncomfortable.
After Sofia left, Naro set down the stack of papers he was holding. He exhaled deeply and leaned back against his chair. He was tired … deeply tired, body and soul.
A moment later, he slowly turned toward the two jars Sofia had brought. A fleeting smile crossed his face. It wasn’t because he was grateful that she had made his favorite cookies. Instead, he was reminded of the story of how he had first come to like them.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, a fashionable woman in her forties dressed like a high-society socialite was on the phone with someone. Her long, brightly polished nails were deliberately curled as she held the phone to her ear. A waiter who had just written down a food order had to suppress a smile at her behavior. Yes, who else could it be but Sarah, Sofia’s stepmother?
“Good afternoon, Mr. Edwin. I’m sorry to bother you. I just wanted to ask about what you promised me the other day. So, has it been prepared?” she asked, a sly smile spreading across her lips.