The black SUV came to a stop in front of a twenty-story building that was gradually filling with people. A sign bearing the building's name was visible at the front of the towering structure.
Pranajaya Group.
"We're here," Kevin said listlessly. He slowly turned toward Lintang, who was sitting beside him in the passenger seat.
Not a single word had passed between them since they left until they reached their destination.
"Thanks for driving me all the way to the office. Starting tom—"
"Lintang, what's really going on? What did I do to make you suddenly decide to end things like this?" Kevin's hoarse, accusatory voice cut her off.
The light-brown-skinned girl fell silent for a moment before finally turning to face her boyfriend.
"You must understand how arranged marriages work in wealthy families, right? They do all of this for money and property. So I'm only asking you not to wait for me. I will still get married, but not to you, Vin. I'm just a bargaining chip who doesn't get to choose whom she marries. So let's be realistic."
After saying that, Lintang hurried out of the car without caring about the expression on the face of the man who loved her.
All Kevin could do was watch Lintang leave, his chest rumbling with turmoil and his eyes filled with helpless resignation.
"Someday, I'll take you back from the people who turned you into nothing more than a bargaining chip for their wealth, Lin," Kevin said before deciding to leave the grounds of the building he visited every day to drive his girlfriend to work.
The warm morning sunlight did nothing to lift the mood of the man behind the wheel, with his dimples and thick eyebrows.
Even though Lintang had broken up with him, he still drove the car she had owned since they began dating in high school to his own office. That only left Kevin confused by Lintang's behavior.
Had Lintang really meant to end things with him?
After Kevin and his car drove away, Lintang—who honestly hadn't wanted to do what she had just done to her boyfriend—slowed her steps as she entered the Pranajaya Group building through the employee entrance.
The slim girl with dyed long hair finally came to a stop and let out a forceful sigh.
"I'm sorry, Vin. But believe me, you'll live forever in the red room of my heart," Lintang murmured, closing her eyes.
Her chest ached from that invisible stab. She knew she had done something she would regret for the rest of her life. Letting go of Kevin Laksamana meant she would have to face every kind of emotional turmoil.
She had been certain of that the moment she decided to end their relationship unilaterally to repay the debt of gratitude.
"Lintang? What's wrong?"
A voice sounded, accompanied by a gentle pat on Lintang's shoulder.
Lintang's closed eyes snapped open at the greeting. She quickly pasted on a sweet smile before turning toward the source of the voice.
"Heh-heh ... it's nothing, Nara. I thought I'd forgotten something at home, so I stopped for a second to think about it, but it turned out to be nothing. Come on."
Lintang gave Nara her most hypocritical smile, trying to keep the senior employee who had guided her when she first joined the HR department at Pranajaya Group from realizing she had been lost in thought.
"Oh, I wondered what was wrong. I only saw your back and it looked familiar, so I hurried after you. Turns out it really was you, Lintang. Anyway, come on, let's go in," Nara invited her, taking Lintang's hand as Lintang welcomed her warmly.
The two of them walked on, accompanied by nods from several employees who knew them both. Although Lintang was the stepdaughter of Indra Laksono at the company, only a handful of employees knew who she really was.
Lintang had chosen not to be introduced as the daughter of Indra Laksono's wife when she was hired at the Pranajaya company, which operated in the oil and gas sector and had its largest branches in Kalimantan and Jambi.
Lintang didn't want her status to attract attention from employees who might assume she had gotten in through connections. In reality, she had done everything honestly—applying for a position in her field and getting accepted into HR with a decent salary, enough for her to own a vehicle of her own.
But all of it felt pointless because in the end, she still had to repay every kindness Indra Laksono had shown her while he constantly reminded her that she had been raised and financially supported by her mother's second husband.
"Lintang, clock in first."
Nara's reprimand once again shattered Lintang's reverie. She hurriedly took out her ID card and clocked in.
After completing all the procedures for entering the building, the two of them headed toward their shared workspace. The sounds of the employees, which had been fairly loud, gradually faded as they entered their respective core work areas.
Lintang's desk was right beside Nara's, so it was safe to say the two of them were quite close.
An hour later, they were both focused on their respective tasks in the comfortably cool air-conditioning.
Immersed in her work, Lintang turned for a moment toward an old photograph displayed on her desk.
You just need to be patient a little longer, Lintang. Everything will come to light in time! Lintang thought.
Elsewhere, in Indra Laksono's luxurious but eerily quiet home.
"Honey, it's already eight. Aren't you going to work?" Nirmala called, trying to wake her husband, who was still curled up beneath his blanket.
Nirmala pulled open the window curtains, letting the bright sunlight pour in.
"Mmm ... I have a meeting at Hotel Sedayu, Nir. What time is it?"
"Honey, I just told you it's already nine."
There was no reply. Only the blanket shifted, revealing Indra Laksono's bare upper body.
"Hooaaam ... I need my breakfast, Nir. Hurry!"
The harsh voice brought the woman standing stiffly by the window to a stop.
Indra looked toward his wife and gestured for her to remove all her clothes, then motioned for her to come closer.
With trembling hands, Nirmala simply obeyed the lust-filled man's command. Once she had removed everything she was wearing, Nirmala slowly walked toward the bed. Not long afterward, moans escaped the woman's lips.
"Aaaahh, Honey, it hu-hurts."
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The scene continued for several minutes, accompanied by pained sounds, until everything ended with the sound of a running faucet from the bathroom.
Meanwhile, from the direction of the seemingly harmonious couple's warm bed:
"Honey, aa-aa, I'm tired of putting up with all your sick behavior. I-I can't take it anymore. Just divorce me!"
The mournful voice could be heard between the sound of the shower and the head of the family's whistling from the bathroom.
What was going on?