“Were you planning to stop me from getting married tomorrow, Raa?” Gavin’s deep voice suddenly echoed through the house, greeting Sira as she arrived. The woman in a black hijab had just turned on the light after entering the modest home her secret husband had given her. She had married him two weeks earlier.
“Astaghfirullah, what are you doing here, Vin? Why didn’t you turn on the light? Good thing I didn’t have a heart attack.” Sira clutched her chest, which had suddenly begun pounding from the shock.
“Why are you home so late? Where have you been? Out with Arwan again?” Gavin fired off his questions as he sat up after lying on the living room sofa, paying no attention to how startled Sira was by his presence.
For a moment, Sira’s eyes remained fixed on Gavin. He looked disheveled, yet he was still captivating to her. His white shirt was rumpled, the long sleeves rolled up carelessly, and two buttons had come undone, revealing his muscular arms and broad chest.
“Raa...!” Gavin half-shouted.
His voice made Sira jump and choke on her own saliva because of her foolishness in admiring her first love, who had become her husband.
Sira coughed for a moment before finally regaining control of herself.
“Why do you care? You said our marriage was only a status in front of my family. Outside of that, we’re free, right?” Sira replied curtly as she walked toward the bedroom directly to the right of the living room.
Though she harbored a deep love for her husband, Sira also harbored an equally deep hatred for the man.
Gavin had been her first love in college, and she still loved him to this day. But the idiot had never known, while Sira had never dared to tell him. And now they were trapped in a secret marriage to fulfill Sira’s father’s last will.
“Sira, you still haven’t answered my question.” Gavin followed her and quickly grabbed Sira’s hand right at the bedroom doorway.
For a moment, Sira stared at Gavin’s hand, which was touching her skin for the first time. After helping Sira move into this house a week ago, this was only the second time Gavin had set foot in it. What an irony—there was no newlywed bliss for Sira.
If she had a choice, she would rather Gavin divorce her than keep pretending to be in this uncertain secret marriage. But who knew what was going through that man’s mind? He refused to divorce her, yet he often ignored her.
“Which question am I supposed to answer, Vin? Why I came home late, where I’ve been, who I went with, or whether I planned to stop you from getting married tomorrow?” Sira stared sharply into her husband’s eyes.
Her feelings were a tangled mess of anger, sadness, and jealousy.
“I’m your husband now, Raa. I have the right to know where you’ve been and who you went with!” Gavin shot back, his gaze sharp as his grip tightened.
Sira snorted. She laughed bitterly and looked away, unable to understand Gavin’s sudden change in attitude. Ever since their wedding, Gavin had always ignored her and acted as though he didn’t care about her.
“Husband? After everything you said on the night I moved into this house, now you’re saying you have rights over me, Vin?”
Sira tried to pull free as Gavin’s grip grew tighter and tighter. But it was useless. Her strength and body were no match for Gavin’s. The harder she struggled, the tighter—and more painful—his grip became.
“Did you forget, Vin? The three things you asked for after marrying me? You said our marriage was a secret and that no one could know except my family. We had no rights or obligations. You and I were free to do whatever we wanted. And there could never be any love between us.”
Sira winced against the pain in her wrist, while also bearing the ache of the wound in her heart from having to lie and pretend she didn’t love her secret husband.
Meanwhile, Gavin could do nothing but stare at Sira with a look filled with anger, regret, and sorrow.
“Muhammad Gavin Rusdhan! Let go of my hand. It hurts!” Sira shouted, calling her husband by his full name as she yanked her hand hard. Tears had already gathered in her eyes. She didn’t know whether they were from the pain in her hand or the jealousy stirred by the thought of her husband’s wedding tomorrow.
“So you’re really okay with me getting married again tomorrow, Raa?” Gavin said weakly, surrendering as he released his wife’s hand.
Sira fell silent, momentarily stunned by the question she desperately wanted to answer with “NO,” before realizing that she had to forget her feelings for Gavin and continue keeping them secret.
“What right do I have to stop you, Vin?” Sira took off the bag that had been hanging from her arm and then sat weakly on the bed.
“Before we got married, we were friends, Vin. And as your friend, I’ll be happy to see you happy, marrying the person you love.” Sira continued, turning her face away and wiping away a single tear that finally fell because of her lie.
“Raa...” Gavin called weakly, his voice barely more than a breath.
“Stop calling my name, Vin. Don’t confuse me with your behavior.” Sira rose from her seat after forcing her heart and mind to steady themselves. Then she walked back toward Gavin.
“Did I hurt you again, Raa...?” Gavin asked, his eyes dazed as he watched Sira walk toward him.
“Go home, Vin. It’s the night before your wedding. You need to rest.” Sira answered as she grabbed the doorknob and closed the door right in Gavin’s face, trying not to pay any more attention to the man she loved.
Who knew what he was thinking? Wasn’t Gavin going to marry the girl he loved? Why was he such a mess on the eve of his wedding?