CHAPTER 5
It was seven in the morning when the door to Dinda's hospital room opened. Panji entered first. Behind him were Mrs. Tika, Mr. Andi, Mita, and, of course, Jesika.
Dinda, who had been lying in bed, immediately opened her eyes. The moment she saw them, her gaze turned cold.
She wasn't really Dinda. She was Diandra. The woman had already decided to take her sister's place.
Panji walked over to the bed. “How are you feeling?”
Diandra glanced at him. “Fine,” she replied curtly.
Panji's brow furrowed slightly at Dinda's answer. Dinda usually answered gently, even when she was sick. But this time was different.
“I'm glad you're all right.” Panji pulled up a chair and sat down. “At least you didn't die.”
Dinda immediately shot him a sharp look. “I'm sorry, what did you say, honey?”
Panji raised an eyebrow. “I said, I'm glad you survived.”
“That wasn't it.”
Dinda stared intently at Panji. “You said at least I didn't die, didn't you?”
Panji fell silent. “What's wrong with that?”
Dinda gave a small laugh. “Nothing. I just found out that my own husband was disappointed to see that his wife didn't die.”
“Dinda! That's not what I meant.” Panji was starting to get annoyed.
“Then what did you mean?”
Mrs. Tika, who had been standing by the door, joined in.
“That's enough. Don't drag this out.” Dinda turned toward her. Mrs. Tika walked closer.
“If you're really feeling better, you should just go home today.”
Dinda frowned. “Go home?”
“Yes. Don't stay in the hospital forever.”
Dinda stared at her mother-in-law in disbelief. “You know I just had a miscarriage, right?”
“But the doctor already treated you, Dinda.”
“My body is still weak, Mom!!”
“You can rest at home, too,” Mrs. Tika said, a little forcefully.
Dinda took a breath. “But I'm not ready to go home.”
Mrs. Tika immediately frowned.
“Why not?”
“I want to rest here. That's final...”
“Dinda. Don't be so stubborn! Listen to Mom.” Panji joined in.
“I'm not being stubborn, honey.”
“If you're really fine, why stay in the hospital?”
Dinda looked at Panji. “Because I'm still sick. My body hasn't fully recovered.”
“You can rest at home. It would be cheaper!”
“I don't want to. Please don't force me,” Dinda snapped.
Panji began to lose his patience. “You know, because you're sick, nobody's cooking at home. Nobody's cleaning the house. You know Mom is old. Mita has things to do, too.”
Hearing that, Dinda could only give a small smile. “So?”
“So you need to go home.”
“You're telling me to go home because there's no one to cook, is that it? So all this time, you've thought of me as a maid?”
“That's not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?”
Panji fell silent. Mrs. Tika immediately cut in. “Panji is right.”
Dinda looked at her. “He is?”
“Yes. You can't only think about yourself. As a wife, you should be devoted to your husband and your in-laws, Dinda!”
“I just lost my child, Mom. And now you're telling me I need to be devoted? Have I not done enough for this family all this time?”
“Dinda, I'm only reminding you. We're grieving, too.”
“Really?” Dinda smiled bitterly. “Because you don't look sad at all, Mom.”
Mrs. Tika was immediately offended. “So now you dare talk back to me?”
“And if I do, what are you going to do about it, Mom?”
“You never used to be like this. Don't be disrespectful to your in-laws. It's a sin, Dinda!”
Dinda glared at Mrs. Tika. “I dare talk back because I've finally realized something, Mom.”
“Realized what?”
“That if I stay silent, all of you will keep trampling on my dignity.”
The room suddenly fell silent. Mita, who had been playing on her phone, finally joined the conversation.
“Oh my God, sis. Don't be so dramatic!” Dinda turned and shot her a sharp look.
“I'm being dramatic?”
“Yes.”
Mita slipped her phone into her purse. “You're not sick anymore, sis Dinda. I can see you're doing better. You should just go home. Don't waste money. Poor Panji works himself to the bone. Your miscarriage was fate.”