“Sebastian, listen to me. You need to know something.” Sara’s voice was firm, but Sebastian could feel the tension behind it.
They had been in this uncomfortable situation for a few minutes, but Sara’s next words would change everything.
“What else do you want to explain?” Sebastian asked in a flat tone, trying to remain calm even as his anger boiled beneath the surface. He didn’t know what else Sara could say after the affair was revealed.
Sara took a deep breath, then in a bold tone, said, “I may be married to you, but that doesn’t mean I lose my sexual freedom. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean I’m completely yours.”
Sebastian was silent. His eyes stared at Sara sharply, waiting for the continuation of her sentence, but in his heart, he could hardly believe what he had just heard.
“As a woman, I have the right to explore my own desires. I don’t think this is wrong. We haven’t been together for a long time, so I—I have the right to find my happiness elsewhere!” Sara continued with a boldness that seemed to convince herself, not just Sebastian.
Sebastian heard every word, but the longer it went on, the thicker the wall between them felt.
“So, you see this affair as your right, is that it?” His voice was calm but cold.
Sara thought she could lower Sebastian’s self-esteem as she had done so many times before. Usually, Sebastian would back down, try to understand and forgive her, no matter how much he hurt her. But this time was different. There was something in Sebastian’s eyes that she had never seen before—a strong, almost scary determination.
“I want a divorce.” Sebastian’s voice flowed without hesitation. Firm, certain.
Sara was taken aback.
“What? What are you saying?” She chuckled, but it sounded unnatural, nervous. “Sebastian, you’re not serious, are you? I know you’re angry, but… divorce? Don’t be stupid. We have a child.”
“I’ve decided, Sara. This has gone too far. You’ve destroyed something that can’t be fixed.”
Seeing Sebastian not wavering as she had expected, Sara began to panic. Fear appeared on her face. She knew that Sebastian, although often gentle, could be very firm when he made a decision. But this time, Sara wouldn’t let it happen.
“You can’t divorce me! We have a child, Sebastian. What will happen to her? Do you want Dinda to grow up without both of her parents together? How will she feel if she finds out you left her mother?” Her tone became sharper, trying to dig into Sebastian’s guilt.
Sebastian felt a tremor in his chest when Sara mentioned their daughter’s name, Dinda. For a moment, he was silent. Sara’s words about their child stabbed his emotions, making him doubtful. How would this affect Dinda? Would she really be able to live peacefully without her family intact?
However, in the midst of that doubt, his phone vibrated. An incoming call from Dinda. With shaking hands, Sebastian picked up the phone.
“Hello, dear Dinda,” he said in a soft voice, trying to hide the tension behind his voice.
“Daddy! I miss you, Dad. When will you come home?” Dinda’s cheerful voice on the other end made Sebastian’s heart ache.
Sebastian smiled a little, though only to himself.
“I will be home soon, honey.”
As he spoke to his daughter, his mind was thrown back to Dinda’s birthday a few months ago. At that time, Sara suddenly disappeared for hours on end, citing urgent work. At that time, Sebastian didn’t suspect anything; they just felt disappointed that Sara missed that important moment. But now he knew—Sara was having an affair with another man on their daughter’s birthday. A day that should have been filled with happiness was instead tainted by betrayal.
The anger he had been holding back for so long finally exploded. How could Sara do that to them, to Dinda?
After the call ended, Sebastian looked at Sara again, this time with a sharper gaze.
“You were having an affair with another man on our daughter’s birthday. How could you do that? Do you really not have the slightest bit of respect, even for Dinda?”
Sara’s face turned pale. She tried to defend herself, but there was no excuse Sebastian could accept any more.
“You don’t deserve to be a good mother. Not after what you did.”
“You can’t do this! You can’t leave us! Dinda needs both of us!” Sara shouted, her voice now filled with anger. She knew she was losing control, and now she was trying her best to regain her power over the situation.
But Sebastian wasn’t listening anymore.
“I’ve made up my mind. I want a divorce. It’s best, not just for me, but for Dinda as well. I won’t let her grow up under the influence of someone who can easily destroy her family’s trust.”
Sara glared at him angrily, her eyes full of threat.
“If you leave, I will make sure you never see Dinda again! I will fight you in court!”
However, this time Sara’s threat did not sway Sebastian one bit. He had already crossed the line where threats or manipulation could change his mind. Without another word, Sebastian turned and left the room, leaving Sara still full of anger and confusion behind him.
Sebastian opened the door to the house. His emotions were still raging after his tense conversation with Sara at the hospital. However, as he stepped inside, the cheerful voice of his daughter, Dinda, greeted him enthusiastically.
“Daddy!” Dinda shouted happily as she ran towards him. Sebastian tried to force a smile as Dinda jumped into his arms. For a moment, the pure joy and love from his daughter distracted his mind from the chaos he had just experienced.
“Daddy, you are home! You brought a present for Dinda?” Dinda asked with sparkling eyes. The joy on his daughter’s face was the thing he missed the most every time he came home from work.
Sebastian took a deep breath and tried to hide his tiredness behind his smile.
“Of course, honey. I have prepared a special gift for you.”
He took out the Barbie doll that he had bought earlier, remembering Dinda’s birthday a few days ago. The doll was neatly packaged, complete with a bright pink ribbon, perfect for a girl Dinda’s age.
However, when Sebastian handed over the gift, Dinda looked at him with an expression he didn’t expect. Not the big smile that usually appeared when she received a gift, but a blank expression, even a little disappointment.
“Barbie doll? I already have this one, Dad.”
Sebastian was silent for a moment.
“What do you mean? Isn’t this your favorite Barbie doll?”
Dinda shook her head slowly, her eyes no longer shining like before.
“I already have a limited edition Barbie that is better than this. I got it this morning.”
Sebastian furrowed his brows, confused.
“Who did you get it from, Dinda?”
Dinda seemed hesitant for a moment, as if unsure of how to answer the question.
“The doll… was given by the man who came this morning,” she answered quietly.
“A man? Who was the man who came to the house early in the morning?” His voice rose a little without his realizing it. Dark thoughts began to take over his mind.
Dinda looked at Sebastian awkwardly, as if she felt something was wrong. She took a breath before answering, “Rich Daddy.”
"Who is Rich Daddy, Dinda? I am your only father!" Sebastian's voice trembled, trying to hold back his burning anger. But the words came out louder than he intended. Dinda frowned, looking at her father with a scared look. She took a few steps back, slowly releasing her grip on Sebastian. “No, Dad! Rich Daddy is good. He often gives me toys!” Dinda shouted, her voice getting higher. Hearing those words made Sebastian's chest feel tight as if something was strangling him. How could Sara bring another man into their daughter's life and make Dinda believe that there was another father figure who replaced him? Sebastian knelt in front of Dinda, trying to calm his anger and speak more softly. "Dinda, only me is your father. No one else. Whoever the man your mother brought here is, he is not your father." However, his words did not reach Dinda. His eyes began to fill with tears, and he began to tremble in fear. "Why is you angry? I don't like you angry!" Suddenly Dinda pushed Se
“Ah, Sebastian. You remember, right? This land is under my name. You gave it to me as our wedding gift. Even the house you built with great difficulty, it’s all mine now.” Sebastian fell silent, his heart felt like it was being squeezed. That house was where he had placed his hopes and dreams, every stone he had stacked was a manifestation of his love and dedication to their little family. He used to think that the house would be a place where they would grow old together, watching their children grow up. But now, reality hit him. Sara not only claimed the property but also lived there with another man—her lover. The thought of that stranger sitting in the living room, walking on the floor that Sebastian had once built with his own hands, was something he could barely accept. Sebastian’s lawyer coughed softly, drawing his attention back to the pile of documents in front of him. “You need to sign this as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the worse the situation will be. Especia
"Dinda, honey, let's go back to sleep," Sebastian said softly, holding back the emotional turmoil that was still swirling inside him. He looked at his daughter lovingly, realizing that this argument was not something a child should hear. "Mommy and daddy are just talking, there's nothing for you to worry about." Dinda stood in the doorway, confused. Her eyes moved from Sebastian to Sara, then to the lawyer sitting quietly beside her mother. Her expression did not show fear, but confusion, as if she was trying to understand this complicated situation. Sebastian's heart sank when he saw his daughter's innocent face. He opened his arms, wanting to hug Dinda, trying to give her the sense of security she needed. "Come here, honey. Daddy's here." However, Dinda did not immediately run into his arms. Instead, she looked at her mother, then turned to the lawyer who was sitting calmly, not the least bit disturbed by the tension in the room. Dinda hesitated for a moment, then what happe
Hearing all this, Sebastian almost fainted. The emotions burning in his heart could not be contained. In an instant, anger took over him. With a swift movement, he knocked the lawyer to the ground and grabbed his neck tightly. “You are indeed a cowardly man, a traitor! Insolent!” He could not understand that the person in front of him was a traitor, a person who had messed up everything he had. However, as the situation was getting out of control and the atmosphere in the room was tense, his wife ran over, quickly breaking a vase on Sebastian’s head. The sound of the broken ceramics made him jump, as if making him realize the bitter reality that he had to face. Sebastian could not believe what was happening. In an instant, he was arrested by the police. His wife, who was now standing next to the lawyer with a straight face, claimed that he had intentionally hurt someone. Even their little daughter, Dinda, who had always been considered his hope and happiness, testified against
“Yes, but we need to talk quickly. Things are getting worse out there. If there’s anything you need to say, now is the time,” the old man replied, glancing around at the policeman who stood there in fear. The chief of police was watching the situation anxiously, and he certainly knew how scary it was to get on the wrong side of the respected family’s caretaker. He fought to keep his cool, but his face showed how worried he was about what was going to happen next. Sebastian swallowed, trying to gather his words. “There’s a lot going on and I can’t explain it all right now, but I’m innocent. My wife… she set this up. I’m the victim of all this.” The chief of the family’s caretaker nodded, understanding the complex situation Sebastian was in. “I believe what you say. However, it’s important to remember that we need evidence and a strategy to turn this around.” As the argument continued, the policeman asserted himself and tried to press for an explanation. “Sir, we were just doing
“But what about everything here? My life…” he answered, hesitant. He didn’t want to leave Isabella like this. “The family needs you now more than ever. This could open a new path for everyone, including Isabella and your child in the future.” The old man spoke wisely, triggering considerations in Sebastian’s mind. Finally, Sebastian felt a mixture of emotions—sadness for the loss of his mother, anxiety, but also a sense of responsibility for his father who seemed unlikely to last. Maybe, for him, it was time to try to understand the relationship even though there were many wounds that needed to be healed. “Okay, I’ll come back,” he said, his tone firm but deep down, he knew that this was a big step, full of challenges. Coming back, not only for his father, but also for himself. As the car moved away from the city, hopes and doubts mixed, but in his mind there was a belief that every step he took next would give new colors to his life and perhaps, could restore something that
“I know this is hard for you,” his father replied, his voice low but firm. “But you are the only one who can do it. And if anyone can lead this family well, it is you.” There was silence, and Sebastian absorbed everything his father had said. He knew that taking on such responsibility would not be easy, but perhaps, this was a chance to make amends, and do something meaningful for his family. He nodded slowly, ready for the challenge ahead. “If that’s what I have to do, I will do it. For this family, for us,” he said, settling himself. At that moment, Sebastian and his father looked at each other, feeling a renewed bond. Though the road was long and winding, they were finally ready to bridge the gap that once existed, showing that in love, there is the power to start over. Sebastian heard his father’s words and felt the tension as his father began to explain the world he had left behind. “Our family is one of the few dynasties that has a huge influence on global industry. You may
The worry and pain came back to him, because he knew how complicated their relationship was in the past. “Dad, I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with her right now. There’s a lot of pain that’s still bothering me,” he said. “I understand. But sometimes, in order to move forward, we need to face the past and resolve things that are unfinished. This could be an opportunity to find the peace you need. It will give you strength on your journey forward,” his father said, adding that sometimes facing memories can be an important step in healing. Sebastian was silent, torn between his past and the path ahead. He knew that facing Sara, and everything that had happened, would be a challenge. But at the same time, it could be a new beginning, a chance to close an old chapter and open a new one entirely. He considered all of this as he stared out the window, watching the scenery pass by, feeling the weight of the burden on his shoulders but also the hope that, maybe, things could be fixed.