“Who’s calling? Alya?” Maudy asked with an irritated snort.
Hanan shook his head. “It’s Alya’s uncle.”
“Which uncle? Speak clearly!” Maudy’s voice kept rising.
“Alya’s uncle. He’s coming here.”
“What? What does he want now? You and Alya are done, okay? There’s no way you’re taking another wife! Alya doesn’t even want that. I don’t want it, period! No one from Alya’s family is allowed to come into this house! I won’t have it!”
“Can you talk to your husband a little more quietly? I’m not deaf! Fine, okay! I’m not taking another wife, but... let’s get divorced!” Hanan deliberately emphasized the word “divorced.”
“Oh, so that’s how you are now, Honey! You’re not going to divorce me that easily! And I’ll make sure you can never divorce me! You’ll regret this!” Maudy pointed her index finger straight at her husband’s face.
“Don’t be selfish! I wouldn’t ask for a divorce if you were willing to give me a child!”
“A child, a child, a child! I’m sick of hearing about it! That’s always your excuse! Why, okay? You agreed before that we wouldn’t have children! This is just an excuse so you can take another wife! All men are the same! Greedy!”
“Arrgh!” Hanan ran both hands through his hair in frustration. He no longer knew what else he could do to deal with this.
On the one hand, he knew that Allah disliked divorce, even though Islam allowed it. But staying with Maudy was only becoming more painful for Hanan.
“You don’t love babe anymore, do you, Honey? Wanting a child is just an excuse so you can leave babe. You don’t care about babe’s feelings anymore. You’ve fallen for someone else. Just be honest, Honey. That’s it, right? Does everything we’ve been through mean nothing to you anymore? Three years, Honey. We dated for three years, and we’ve been married for five. You’re destroying it that easily.” Maudy began sobbing.
“Why are you dragging everything into this? It’s simple. If you’d just agree to have a child, I wouldn’t ask for a divorce or ask to take another wife,” Hanan said irritably. He snatched the car keys from the table and hurried out.
“Where are you going, Honey?”
“Out! I need to clear my head,” he replied without looking back. The man slammed the door, leaving Maudy still sobbing.
A few minutes after Hanan left, the sound of a motorcycle came from in front of Maudy’s house. She immediately peeked out the window.
Two strangers got off the motorcycle. A middle-aged man and woman removed their helmets and hung them on the bike. Maudy furrowed her brow. Who were they?
One of them pressed the doorbell.
Maudy quickly opened the door and hurried outside.
“Excuse me, Miss. Is this Hanan’s house?”
“Yes, I’m his wife. What can I do for you, sir, ma’am?”
They exchanged a brief glance before looking back at Maudy. “Um... well, Miss, we need to speak with Hanan. Is he here?”
“He just stepped out. Come on in, sir, ma’am. Hanan should be back any minute.” Maudy opened the gate, which only came up to an adult’s chest.
They entered after thanking Maudy.
“Come on, sir, ma’am. This way.” Maudy led them into the house. “Please, have a seat. I’ll get you something to drink.”
“Oh, Miss, don’t go to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble, ma’am. It’s just water.” Maudy walked into the kitchen.
“What are we going to do, dear? I feel bad now. Poor Hanan’s wife, right?” The middle-aged woman nudged her husband’s arm.
“What else can we do? We’re victims too.”
“I’m embarrassed too, dear. Hanan turns out to be rich. How are we supposed to tell her?”
“Enough. Just keep quiet. I’ll do the talking.”
A short while later, Maudy returned with two glasses of water. She set them on the table. “Here, have a drink.”
“Yes, Miss. Thank you.” The middle-aged woman nodded. Her anxiety was obvious. She kept twisting the end of her long hijab in her hands.
“If you don’t mind me asking, who are you?” Maudy asked. She had taken a seat on the sofa across from them.
“Oh, this is Mr. Solihin, and I’m his wife. My name is Erna. Well... we’re Alya’s uncle and aunt. I’m sorry to ask, but you know who Alya is, right?”
Maudy was shocked. So these were the uncle Hanan had mentioned a while ago. Her expression instantly turned hostile.
“Oh, the mistress’s family. So what do you want here?” she asked with a glare.
“Hey, Miss. Watch your manners. We’re victims too. Your husband, Hanan, is clearly the one at fault. Where is he now? Tell him to come home right away.”
“Calm down, dear. Don’t shout. This is someone else’s house,” Mrs. Erna whispered as she pinched her husband’s thigh.
“Hey, sir. Why are you ordering me around? How should I know where Hanan went? Just so you both know, ever since Alya entered my marriage, my husband and I have been fighting constantly. We just had another fight, and now I don’t know where Hanan is.” Maudy widened her eyes, clearly displeased.
“Oh, Miss, first of all, we’re sorry if we’ve caused chaos in your marriage. But please don’t blame Alya. Neither Alya nor her aunt and uncle knew that Hanan was already married,” Mrs. Erna explained, stepping in to mediate.
“An apology is useless! The damage is done, ma’am. It’s all happened already! My marriage is ruined now,” Maudy said, folding both arms across her chest.
“Then what do we do now? We didn’t come here to fight, but to find a solution. As Alya’s guardian, I’m heartbroken to see her deceived like this.” Mr. Solihin slammed his hand on the table, so frustrated by the situation.