Before arriving at the orphanage, Axell shopped for some of the orphanage's daily needs as well as various snacks for the children.
"Brother Axell!" greeted the children enthusiastically when they saw Axell's arrival, especially seeing so many snacks brought by Axell."Hi, my dear brothers and sisters," said Axell while holding one of the boys, who was about three years old."Where's mom?" Axell asked."She's inside," they replied simultaneously.Axell smiled."Come on, let's eat the snacks together. You call mom?" Axell asked the eight-year-old girl."Yes."Axell was lost in happiness with his mother and younger brother and sister."Mom, Axell is moving out of town to the west," Axell said with his head down."Why did you move so far away?" asked Mrs. Ania."Mr. Mattew bought a house for Axell and Emily in that area, Mom. I'm sorry Axell won't be here much. But Axell will always send needs here.""Yes, be careful. Greetings to your wife.""Yes mom."At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, Axell left the orphanage and headed home. Axell didn't want to leave Emily for too long because of Emily's condition; she was pregnant and had fainted yesterday.Axell drove his car at high speed so as to get home not too late at night because the area of his house was passing through a vulnerable and unpopulated area.Axell couldn't think of Mr. Mattew, who was thinking of buying a house in the West while Emily was pregnant. Access to the hospital was quite far."What exactly is Mr. Mattew's goal?" Axell muttered as he lit his cigarette.Axell smoked his cigarette lightly and slowly through the smoke out of the car through the window that had been opened wide.Axell felt that his life had become a mess since Mr. Matthew forced him to marry Emily. Axell was caught up in it, and now his life is consumed by ambition.The car began to enter a deserted area. Axell increased the speed of the car and closed all the windows.At exactly six o'clock in the afternoon, Axell entered the gate of the housing complex, which was guarded by four security guards. This luxury housing complex didn't have too many houses—probably only about a hundred—and not all of them were inhabited. At night, it felt so tense to leave the house.Security saluted Axell and let him in, closing the towering gates again. This complex was probably for rich people to seclude themselves in search of tranquility or to also avoid the outside world. Either way, it was clear that Axell was now trapped inside this prison-like housing estate.Bidin, one of the workers at his house, deftly opened the fence for Axell to enter."Thank you," Axell said respectfully.Bidin just nodded.Axell entered the house with a variety of food and fruits for their needs."Emily, I brought you pizza," Axell said as he handed a box of pizza to Emily, who was sitting in front of the TV."Thanks.""Hmmm.""Let's start living a normal life without fighting; just consider me your friend," Axell said as he sat next to Emily."Or, if you prefer, consider me your driver and housekeeper," Axell continued.Emily just looked away, then refocused on the TV show while eating a slice of pizza."I'm going to my room; excuse me," Axell said as he walked away."Move to our room!" shouted Emily.Emily's shout stopped Axell in his tracks, and he walked back closer to Emily. Because they lived in a new house, they did sleep in separate rooms. because Emiliy really hated Axell."You're not wrong?"Emily just shook her head."Are you sure? Axell asked again."Yes," Emily replied indifferently."Why?" Axell probed."I need your body," Emily replied casually."If that's all, just call me when you need me. Or you can come to my room," Axell said as he walked back to his room in the back.Emily just squinted her eyes in surprise at Axell's back as he walked back to the maid's room."Would you like to eat, sir?" asked Inah, their maid, startling Axell."I'll prepare the food, sir?" asked Inah."Aunt, don't treat me like that; we're the same. We're the same servants here," laughed Axell."Thank you, but you don't have to bother; I'll get it myself. I'm not used to being served," Axell continued."But, Mr. Mattew said...," Inah said quietly, immediately covering her mouth with her hand."What did Mr. Mattew say?" asked Axell, turning around.****"Mr. Mattew said what?" Axell asked again when he found his maid silent and shaking her head."Ah, no. Nothing," Inah replied nervously, and she went to her room.However, before she could take a step, Axell had already grabbed her hand."Where are you going?" Axell asked."To the master's room," Inah replied hesitantly."Aunt, I hate lies the most. Tell me what Mr. Mattew said," Axell said quietly, but with a frightening look in his eyes."Yes, sir.""Tell me quickly!" Axell pressed. "Earlier, when Mr. Mattew was here, he said that Mr. Axell is the president director of his company, so we have to monitor your every move. There's even some CCTV installed in this house, but I don't know exactly where. I swear!" whispered Inah softly."Is there one here?" asked Axell, pointing to where they were talking."I don't think so, because I didn't see them in the kitchen.""Alright, thanks. No need to prepare my meal; I'll prepare it myself.""Yes, sir."Axell walked away and entered his room,
Axell grunted in annoyance and chose to sit on the terrace again until the morning."Why is Mr. Axell here?" asked Bidin when he came out of the house after dawn."It's okay, just getting some fresh air," Axell replied while putting out his cigarette."I think you've been here since last night; there are so many cigarette marks," continued Bidin while sitting next to Axell."From one o'clock.""Why sir?"Axell shook his head, and then both of them fell silent with their own thoughts."Sir, can I ask you something?" asked Bidin hesitantly."You can.""Where does your family live?"Axell let out a long sigh before answering Bidin's question."I've lived in an orphanage since I was a child; my parents dumped me in an orphanage in the East," Axell replied dreamily."Since what age?""Since I was a week old, my mother found me near a garbage can guarded by a dog all night.""What does that mean?""I was thrown out in the middle of the night; there was a dog looking for food."Axell took a
After breakfast, Axell said goodbye to Emily and went to work."I work first," said Axell as he stood up from his seat."Do you know the place?" asked Emily."Mr. Mattew sent a car with a driver.""Who?""Peter.""Peter's the driver?" asked Emily as she frowned."Yes, why?" replied Axell briefly."It's okay," Emily replied a little nervously. It seemed like Emily knew Peter well.On the front porch, Bidin was ready and waiting for Axell. Bidin was going to the nearby market to buy gardening supplies.After about thirty minutes, they arrived at the paper mill that Axell was going to lead. Bidin got off at the gate and continued to the market by motorcycle taxi.Meanwhile, Axell went straight to the thirty-minute introductory meeting. Axel walked around the factory. When the opportunity arose, Axell put on his jacket and glasses, went to the ojek base, and followed Bidin to the market.The distance between the factory and the market was about twenty minutes by motorcycle taxi. Axell arr
It was almost nine o'clock at night when Axell arrived home. Emily was still in front of the TV, wearing a shirt that lacked material. Peter glanced at Emily several times before entering his room."Where did you buy it?" asked Emily ignorantly."Near the factory, there are many who sell it.""Hem, I don't like street food!" Emily replied curtly."Why?""It's not delicious.""Okay, it's okay if you don't want it. But until when? You look around here; this is a dumping ground. Where you have to travel for about four hours to reach the city and buy the food you're talking about.""And it's not every day that someone goes to town either," Axell continued."I have a car.""Whatever you want," Axell said as he carried the box of martabak back and placed it on the dining table.Axell climbed the stairs to his room, which Inah had cleaned, and his study.Loosening his tie and opening the window, he let the night breeze into his room. Axell breathed in the night breeze, calming his heart a li
Axell was still standing on the balcony, looking around. Only a few houses seemed to have lights on to illuminate this complex; others only had dim lights in front of the house, indicating that the house was uninhabited.Without feeling the time showing midnight, Axell was still standing in his place. Don't know how many cigarettes he has smoked. Until now, Axell had started coughing; maybe he had swallowed too much smoke.Finally, Axell chose to enter to immediately rest his body. Looking at the white sky of the room and hypnotizing Axell, he immediately fell asleep.Meanwhile, in her room, Emily could not close her eyes. She cursed Peter, who had abused her. In the past, Emily often invited Peter to accompany her when she was feeling down.The dazzling morning sunlight made Axell wake up. The sun had shone through his room because the windows and curtains were not closed. Axell immediately checked the clock on his wall; it was still seven in the morning. Even though he had overslept
"I know, sir," Reny answered casually, sitting close to Axell."Don't tease me if you already know Ren; you'll regret it," warned Axell."What's wrong with it, sir?" said Reny, frowning."I appreciate my wife.""No need to be hypocritical, sir. You married Mr. Mattew's daughter because you had to, right? And she doesn't love you either, right?" Reny replied irritably.Don't know what's wrong with this woman; she doesn't seem to like it when Axell mentions his wife."Whether we love it or not, it's clear that we are married," answered Axell, still closing his eyes."I can give you what she can't, sir," said Reny, holding Axell's cheek.Axell a little roughly brushed Reny's hand away, making the woman feel very annoyed."And you need to know that I am nobody and have nothing. All of this belongs to my wife's parents. So, don't try to tempt me!" Axell stared sharply at Reny.Axell went to his desk past Reny, who was disappointed at being rejected. This is the first time someone has rejec
"You're sick," Axell said later.Axell alertly guided Emily to the side of the road where there was a seat and gave Emily a bottle of mineral water, which was always available in his car."Drink first," said Axell, handing him the mineral water he had opened.Emily received the water and then drank half the bottle."I can't stand the smell," Emily said later."Well, let's just look for a minimarket," said Axell.Finally, the two of them got back into the car to look for a minimarket. However, after they were satisfied with wandering around until dusk became dark, they didn't find any minimarkets; there were only a few quite large shops, but when sunset arrived, everything closed at once.Emily just sighed at how bleak her life was now after being exiled by her own father."Just go home," Emily muttered quietly.Axell just nodded and glanced briefly at his wife, who looked disappointed."This is the reason why I can't let you go alone," said Axell, glancing at his wife."This place is
Axell was silent when he heard Inah's question. He himself wasn't sure about his feelings or whether he really loved someone like Emily, who used to sell his body. All this time, it had never occurred to him to love someone like Emily. However, for some reason, his heart sometimes warmed when Emily was kind to him.However, Axell immediately dismissed all of this; he was self-conscious because Emily never loved him in the slightest."Didn't Emily have a boyfriend?" Axell asked Inah."As far as I know, before she was found out, she was pregnant, but after that, he never came home again until now," answered Inah."What is their style of dating?" Axell asked probingly."Yes, that's how it is; sometimes they date in the room from morning until evening; if it comes at night, they stay in the room until morning," answered Inah."Doesn't Mr. Mattew know?" Axell asked in surprise."Mr. and Mrs. Mattew never pay attention to Emily; they only have to eat breakfast together, and the rest they do
Slowly, the ground began to rise; Zahra was truly gone forever and never returned.From a distance, a man accompanied by two other people seemed to be watching Zahra's funeral procession and saw how fragile Axell was left by his wife. He was Axell's biological father, namely Fredd Waned.Slowly, the mourners left the cemetery area, leaving only Axell, Mrs. Ania, Mrs. Celline, her father and mother, Zahra's older siblings, and Jojo and friends.Axell hugged Zahra's gravestone while kissing it."Come on, son, be sincere, be sincere," said the father, reminding Axell and patting Axell's shoulder.Ari and Frans also waited in the distance.Meanwhile, a man dressed all in black had entered a car and was watching Axell, who was still stunned beside the mound of red earth on Zahra's grave, which was full of flowers from inside his car."Come on, son, let's go home," said Mrs. Ania to Axell.Axell only shook his head slowly and was still stunned by his position."Son, let's go home. It looks
The recitation of the holy verses of the Qur'an echoed throughout the room, sounding so compact. Those who had just arrived took their respective positions and immediately became absorbed in reading the holy verses of the Qur'an."Mom," Tama called softly when Emily and Aunt Sri invited the two children to dinner."Let's eat first, son, or you'll get sick," Emily coaxed Tama and Rikel."Do you want Mama's omelet?" Tama said a moment later.Making Emily and Aunt Sri look at each other."Mama will make it, son?" Emily said and went straight to the kitchen. Aunt Inah, who saw that, approached."What do you want, son?" asked Aunt Inah."Auntie, help Emily, Auntie. The children want Mama's omelet," Emily said hoarsely.Aunt Inah, who had seen Zahra make vegetable omelettes several times, tried to make them."Hopefully the children like them," said Aunt Inah, handing over two of the children's favorite vegetable omelets."Thank you, Auntie," replied Emily, who walked towards the dining tabl
"Alma Putri Waned" was the name they gave to their beautiful newborn daughter.Everyone rejoiced over the birth of the biological daughter of Axell Waned, who was once an abandoned child and is now a respected young person.Axell was stunned when he looked at his wife, who was being treated by a doctor and several nurses. Doctor Bella's face looked anxious."Zahra," Axell called to the body, which was already pale and limp.Zahra opened her eyes and smiled at her husband. Axell saw Zahra, who was so beautiful when she smiled, even though her face looked pale."Hang on, dear," said Axell, holding Zahra's hand with tears in his eyes."Hang on, dear, for the sake of our child Alma," said Axell hoarsely.Zahra just nodded weakly. Axell held on and continued to kiss his wife's hand. Meanwhile, his father and mother were also at the tip of Zahra's head.Father continued to recite verses from the Qur'an, Mother continued to whisper the name of Allah in Zahra's ear, and the doctor, assisted b
Rigo drove the car at high speed towards the nearest hospital, where Zahra usually had her check-ups, and also where Doctor Bella practiced.The road conditions on the weekend were more congested than usual, even though Rigo had turned on the hazard lights but still seemed to have difficulty breaking through the traffic jam."Be careful, go," Axell warned Rigo, who honked several times at two-wheeled drivers who seemed to be breaking through the traffic jam."Yes, sir," Rigo replied."Also, look at the pedestrians," said Mrs. Celline."Yes, ma'am," Rigo replied without taking his eyes off the road.Zahra had not felt any severe pain, only occasional pain, and it went away."Honey, forgive Zahra if I did something wrong. Be pleased with Zahra, honey," Zahra said softly."Yes, honey, honey apologizes too. Honey is always pleased with you," said Axell, hugging Zahra tightly while crying."Mom, Zahra apologizes," Zahra said, looking at Mrs. Ania.“Yes, dear, I have forgiven you, and forgi
"Ehm," said Emily, making the couple who were watching the fish in the pond turn their heads."Emily! Come sit here," invited Zahra enthusiastically."Sorry to bother you; I brought breakfast and want to have breakfast together here," said Emily with a smile."Sure," replied Zahra.While Axell just stayed silent and still held Zahra's hand tightly,."Let's have breakfast; Aunt Inah has prepared it," invited Emily."Aunt Celline told me to call you both," continued Emily again."What did you bring?" asked Axell."Uduk rice, fried food, plus siomay," answered Emily happily.“There are so many menus; Aunt Rasi and Aunt Inah also cooked?” asked Axell.“No, because last night I called Aunt Inah and said that I wanted to bring breakfast here and eat with you,” laughed Emily while scratching her head that wasn’t itchy.“Okay, honey, let’s have breakfast,” invited Zahra while pulling Axell’s hand.Axell just nodded, walking, holding Zahra’s hand, and following Emily, who walked first.“What d
“What’s wrong with you?” asked Axell while framing Zahra’s face with both of his hands.“It’s okay, honey; I just want to leave Alma with you,” answered Zahra softly.“Don’t tell me you want to leave, honey.” said Axell.“It never crossed my mind, honey; Zahra never thought about leaving,” said Zahra, holding back her sobs.“So what?” Axell.“None of us know how long we’ll live, honey; we don’t know how long,” answered Zahra.“Honey, I understand; maybe you’re scared of giving birth, huh?” asked Axell.Zahra just nodded.“Think positively and be enthusiastic; we’ll raise our child together. "Darling, I'm always there for you," said Axell, hugging his wife."Don't be afraid; we pray together to Allah. Ask for help and protection," said Axell, gently stroking Zahra's hair while holding back his tears.Axell also thought about what Zahra was afraid of. And he was very afraid of it happening, imagining his child being raised without a mother.Axell lifted his face up, holding back his tea
Zahra lowered her head. However, who would have thought that the woman would walk closer to Zahra?"Zahra, right?" asked the woman.Zahra held Axell's left hand. Axell realized something, turned his head, and put the cellphone in his right hand's pants pocket."Yes, ma'am, what's wrong?" asked Axell."Ma'am? Do you think I'm your mother?" asked the woman rudely to Axell."But the women here are the ones who want to check their pregnancies, so where did I go wrong?" asked Axell in surprise.And now they were the center of attention for the waiting patients."Ma'am Zahra," called the nurse on duty.Coincidentally, Zahra's name had been called, and Axell embraced Zahra casually, leaving the woman.The doctor checked Zahra's pregnancy; everything looked fine. The child inside was also growing very well and moving actively."The gender is already clearly visible," said Doctor Bella.“Doctor, you’re just curious, so what’s the gender, doc?” asked Axell.“It looks like a girl,” answered the
“We’re going to the doctor today, right?” Axell asked Zahra while she was getting ready to go to work.“Let Zahra be alone, honey,” Zahra said while preparing socks for her husband.Axell stopped the activity of his hands that were buttoning his shirt.“What’s wrong?” Axell asked then.“Nothing, honey; who knows, honey is busy. It’s a weekday,” Zahra replied, looking away as she made eye contact with Axell.“It’s normal, right? We check on weekdays. And what’s wrong with that?” Axell asked.“Yes, Zahra is afraid of disturbing honey’s work; who knows, honey is busy,” Zahra replied, pretending to be busy with the socks in her hands.“I work for my own company, Zahra,” Axell replied.“Even though it’s my own, you can’t just set a bad example for your employees, right, honey?” Zahra asked.“What’s wrong with you?” Axell asked, approaching because Zahra always avoided him when their gazes met.“What’s wrong, honey? Zahra is fine, honey,” Zahra replied.Axell held Zahra’s hand as she was ab
"According to my biological mother, he is my biological father. But I don't know if it's true or not, because I can't find his whereabouts," said Axell, looking down."Are you looking for him?" asked Alin."Yes."“Why shouldn’t he be the one to come? You’re already famous, and your mother has appeared in the media admitting that you are his child,” Alin teased.“I was hoping for that, but years after his mother appeared, she still didn’t come. Maybe she’s happy with her family because I’m not the child she expected,” Axell said quietly.“Maybe she’s embarrassed, because he’s a businessman who disappeared without a trace,” Alin argued.“Why embarrassed? I already know the story,” Axell said.“Will you continue looking for him?” Alin asked.“Yes, because I’m afraid of my future descendants. I’m afraid of meeting a blood relative, and we don’t realize it,” Axell said.“Hmmm… Sorry, sir, our story has deviated far from business,” Alin said, smiling.“Ah yes, I was just confiding in you; f