“Panji!”
Dinda stopped in front of a luxurious restaurant. Her eyes widened when she saw the man she had been waiting for every night sitting casually with a beautiful woman. They weren’t alone, either. His mother and father, along with his younger sister, were there too.
Dinda stared at the table decorated with beautiful flowers. Then her eyes fell on a small red box sitting right on top of it. Her chest tightened.
“What’s this, honey?” Everyone immediately turned to look.
Panji, who had been smiling at the woman beside him, suddenly stood up.
“Dinda?”
Dinda stepped closer, her eyes glistening with tears.
“You said you were working late tonight.”
Panji let out a heavy sigh. “Dinda, what are you doing here?”
“I should be the one asking that, honey! Why are you here?” Dinda’s voice trembled.
Panji fell silent.
Silence.
Dinda looked at the woman beside Panji. The woman smiled sweetly at her without the slightest hint of guilt.
“Hi, Din.”
Dinda immediately laughed bitterly. “Hi? You’re trying to steal my husband, and you still have the nerve to greet me with a ‘hi’? You shameless woman!” Dinda snapped.
“Dinda, don’t get the wrong idea,” Panji said.
“Don’t get the wrong idea, you say?” Dinda pointed at Panji’s hand, which was still tightly clasping Jesika’s fingers. “Then what is this, honey? You’re my husband. Why are you holding another woman’s hand?”
Panji quickly let go of Jesika’s hand.
“Listen to my explanation first, Dinda.”
“What else is there to hear, honey? You’re clearly cheating on me! You said you were working late, but instead you’re here alone with another woman. So this is what you call working late?” Dinda held back her tears.
“Jesika isn’t another woman.” Panji’s answer left Dinda speechless.
“Then who is she to you, honey?”
Panji stared at Dinda expressionlessly. “She’s the woman who will become my wife.”
In an instant, Dinda’s heart seemed to stop beating.
“What?” Dinda was stunned.
Mrs. Tika, Dinda’s mother-in-law, merely smiled as she watched the commotion unfolding before her.
“That’s enough, Dinda. Instead of causing a scene here, you’d better go home. Don’t cause a disturbance.”
Dinda quickly turned toward her. “You’re here too, Mom? So you knew Panji was cheating on me with this woman?”
“Of course I knew.”
“So everyone knew, including Dad and Mita?”
Dinda looked at each person around the table. Mita shrugged.
“Yeah. Dad and I already knew that Panji and Jesika had a special relationship.”
Dinda stared at them in disbelief. “So I’m the only one who didn’t know?”
“Why should you know everything about our business?” Mita shot back coldly.
Dinda turned her gaze back to Panji.
“What does this mean, honey?”
Panji drew a deep breath.
“Since you’re already here, I’ll be completely honest with you. I’m sorry, Din. The truth is, I wanted to propose to Jesika today.”
Dinda stared at the ring box on the table.
“What? You wanted to propose to Jesika?”
“Yes.”
“No. You can’t treat me like this. I’m your wife, honey! You can’t marry another woman without my permission!”
Panji fell silent. Jesika let out a soft laugh.
“Dinda, I’m sorry, but we love each other.”
“You love each other? If you hadn’t seduced Panji, maybe he never would have wanted you!”
“Dinda, stop!! Don’t cause a scene here.”
“You’re blaming me? You cheated on me, your entire family helped plan this engagement, and now I’m the one being accused of causing a scene?”
Jesika finally spoke up.
“Darling, you should talk this over with Dinda calmly. If you two make a scene here, people will see us and we’ll be humiliated.”
Dinda immediately turned to Jesika.
“Don’t pretend to be some fairy godmother! You have an ugly heart. How dare you steal someone else’s husband!!”
Smack!
“That’s enough, Dinda!!” Panji barked, his eyes blazing. “Don’t insult Jesika like that!”
Dinda rubbed her burning cheek as she let out a small laugh.
“Oh, so she’s that precious to you, honey?”
“Yes. She means everything to me!!”
“How could you do this to me, honey?”
“Dinda, please don’t corner Panji,” Jesika said.
“Shut up! If you had even a shred of self-respect, you never would have wanted to steal someone else’s husband.”
“Dinda, I’m sorry,” Jesika said.
Dinda laughed bitterly. “You’re apologizing after planning an engagement with my husband?”
Panji stepped between them.
“Enough!”