Sometimes, people only change when life slaps them hard.
And often, it takes just one person to remind us that our mirror has been cracked for a long time.
Maybe if I hadn't fought with my parents, I never would have learned to look inward.
And if it weren't for Saka, maybe I'd still be my old self.
Stubborn. Defensive. Selfish.
Someone who always thought she was right, even when she knew she was wrong.
Funny, isn't it? They say he's karma.
But why does it feel like he's actually my savior?
Is this good karma?
Or maybe there's another reason?
Maybe God is setting the stage so we can finally finish an unfinished chapter.
"Miss Cayra."
That voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I was sitting in the meeting room with Saka, Tasha, and Yudha. We were supposed to be discussing the launch of Manterra's newest product.
At least, that's what we were supposed to do.
My mind was elsewhere.
Saka looked at me.
"Are you still unwell?"
I shook my head.
"No, sir. Just thinking about the strategy."
He nodded. No interruptions. No comments.
Strange.
"In that case, let's open the floor. Please, share your ideas."
Yudha raised his hand.
"I've got one."
"Go ahead," Saka said.
"What if we launch a challenge before the product release? Content creators can make a full-day video using Manterra's skincare—from morning until night."
We went quiet, weighing it.
Tasha spoke up.
"But content creators are expensive."
Yudha grinned.
"Then we use free promotion."
I narrowed my eyes.
"What do you mean?"
He pointed straight at Saka.
"Use Mr. Saka. The handsome CEO as the face of the product."
All eyes instantly landed on one person.
Saka.
"So I'd have to be the influencer for my own product?" he asked flatly.
Yudha nodded casually.
"Exactly. Lots of girls love relatable handsome-CEO content. Especially if he's single."
"And Mr. Saka is single, right? No one would complain if his DMs get flooded with flirty messages," Tasha added.
Inwardly, I hissed.
How do they even know he's single?
Don't tell me Tasha's been stalking his stories?
Then suddenly, Saka turned to me. His gaze was steady, calm—but it felt like he was asking for permission.
Tasha and Yudha automatically followed, their eyes on me.
Why are they waiting for my answer? I'm nobody.
Do I look like I have veto rights over the CEO's face?
"If Miss Cayra agrees, then I agree," Saka said.
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Ca, just say yes. For the campaign," Yudha chimed in.
I exhaled.
"Alright. I agree."
Saka held my gaze for a long moment. His lips curved into a faint smile.
Then, in a low voice, he said—
"Are you sure you won't get jealous?"
"Huh?"
We all reacted at once.
Yudha nearly choked on his drink.
Tasha froze like a lagging app.
And me? I felt like the main character suddenly hit with an absurd plot twist in the middle of a crucial presentation.
Saka went quiet, looking slightly awkward. But before anyone could ask, his phone rang.
He stood.
"Excuse me. I need to take this."
The room fell silent.
One second. Two. Five. Ten.
Minutes later, Saka returned—his expression completely changed.
Pale. Anxious. His hands trembled slightly as he gathered his things.
"Sorry. The meeting ends here. I have to go."
We all stood. Saka moved quickly, nervous, rushed.
"Take care, sir," Tasha said softly.
He didn't reply. He just left. His steps were fast, his jacket nearly forgotten on the chair, and the echo of his shoes felt like a silent alarm pounding in my chest.
The room went quiet again.
Finally, Tasha spoke.
"Poor guy. His father's sick. He's handling it all on his own now."
I turned sharply.
"His father is sick?"
Tasha nodded.
"He's been in and out of the hospital."
My throat tightened.
Saka's father.
The man who once told me to stay away from his son.
The strong, stern figure who had never shown weakness.
Now… sick?
I thought I was done with the past.
Turns out, I wasn't. That news shook something I'd been burying deep.
I stared at the table in front of me.
All his words from back then replayed in my head. My breathing felt heavy.
There are many kinds of wounds.
But the wound from rejection… will always sting when you suddenly want to care about the one who once hurt you.
And yet, even time and resentment can collapse in one simple sentence:
"His father is sick."
~~~
The black car sped down the city streets.
The afternoon sky looked ordinary. But in Saka's head, nothing felt ordinary.
His thoughts were chaotic. His breath shallow.
His father…
The man who always seemed so strong, now lying weak again.
Saka pressed the gas pedal harder. He didn't speak, didn't curse, didn't look around.
But from the way his hands gripped the wheel, the whole world could tell he was holding back something ready to explode.
Minutes later, his car entered the hospital gates.
This place had practically become the Ardhananta family's second home in recent days.
His father's condition hadn't fully recovered. But at least it had stabilized.
Until this afternoon.
Until he insisted on joining an online meeting.
The car stopped. Saka got out quickly, shut the door, locked it. His strides were wide toward the lobby.
His body upright, but his eyes restless.
The elevator opened. He stepped in. Pressed the seventh floor.
Every second felt like a minute.
Silence.
And when the doors slid open—
Two figures were already waiting outside the VIP ward.
Pak Gatra Prakoso, his father's personal assistant.
Pak Rino Adiputra, the company's head of legal and external affairs.
Saka approached them. No small talk.
"How is he?"
Pak Gatra answered softly,
"Still conscious, Mas. But he collapsed right after the meeting."
"Which meeting?"
"Liora Capital," Pak Rino replied.
"Discussion about the Bali resort project. They pushed hard on land legality. Their tone was… provocative."
Saka exhaled sharply. His jaw clenched.
"The doctor already said he needs full rest. Why did he join?"
"We tried to stop him," Pak Gatra said.
"But he insisted. Said no one could explain the project as clearly as him. The family reputation was on the line."
"When one of them brought up the green zone, he lost his temper. His tone rose. Then… suddenly he went quiet. We panicked," Pak Rino added.
Saka shut his eyes briefly.
His breath came heavy.
"And now?"
"Still under close observation. His blood pressure spiked again. But not as bad as the first day," Pak Gatra said.
"The doctor insists he must stay completely away from business matters. Not even emails."
Saka gave a slow nod.
"From now on, I'll handle Liora. Don't let any meeting agenda reach him."
He turned to Pak Rino.
"I want a full report on the Bali project. Legal loopholes, potential lawsuits—everything."
"Yes, sir. I'll prepare it in two days."
"We'll all follow your lead, Mas Saka," Pak Gatra added.
No more words were spoken.
But Saka's eyes carried a storm.
On the outside, he was a CEO. The heir. The face that had to look calm at all times.
But inside…
He was still a son, never ready to see his father lying weak.
And for that kind of fear…
There is no strategy.
No meeting.
No title that can bring peace.
~~~
They say a good father is the one who can provide everything for his child.
But for Saka, it wasn't about providing.
A good father was the one who stayed.
Who knew when his child needed a place to return to.
Who wasn't perfect, but never too far to reach.
Saka grew up in a mansion, yet he often felt small.
Family dinners happened only in company brochures.
Laughter echoed only in commercials.
And hugs? He wasn't sure he had felt one since elementary school.
From the outside, his life looked flawless.
But inside, it was far too quiet to be called home.
Even so, Saka never hated his father.
He knew the man was harsh because he wanted him to be strong.
He knew the rules, the pressure, the scolding—were all love in disguise, though not every child could understand it.
And today, seeing his father lying weak again…
All the feelings he had buried for years finally broke through.
"Do you want more fruit?"
Saka's voice was soft, almost a whisper. He had just peeled an apple and cut it neatly onto a plate.
His father shook his head faintly.
"No… I'm full."
Saka nodded, though his hands kept tidying the leftover peels. He tried to look composed, but his eyes carried exhaustion. Too much had been held in since morning.
"Don't you have work?" his father asked, his voice raspy.
"Why are you here?"
Saka smiled faintly.
"I had a meeting about Manterra's new product. But it can wait until tomorrow."
His father studied him—longer than usual.
"You had that meeting with Nebula Creatives, didn't you?"
He paused.
"Did you… meet that girl?"
Saka's hand froze in midair, the napkin he was folding left unfinished.
He turned his head slowly.
"That girl?"
His father gave a faint smile.
"The girl who once made you refuse to study overseas."
Thud.
The air in the room shifted instantly.
Silence pressed down, broken only by the steady beep of the IV monitor.
"How do you know she works at Nebula Creatives?" Saka asked quietly.
"I always know, Son," his father replied softly.
"I never forgot the girl who once made you cry when she left… the girl who made you stay here instead of studying abroad."
Saka's eyes wavered. A storm of emotions—confusion, sorrow, and a quiet ache.
"You never really forgot Cayra, did you?"
The words landed gently, but pierced like an arrow straight into his chest.
Saka let out a bitter laugh.
"You were the one who told her to leave, Papi."
His father nodded, not defending himself.
"At that time, I thought what you felt was just a phase. But I was wrong."
Saka lowered his head, his eyes turning red.
"I hated you for that. Truly."
His breath shook.
"But hate… could never beat love."
His father turned, his gaze soft—for the first time in years.
"I understand now."
Saka wiped his face quickly, but a tear still escaped.
He remembered his seventeenth birthday, when he had fallen sick with a high fever, left alone because his father had flown abroad.
That day, he had stopped hoping anyone would stay by his side when he was weak.
But today was different.
Today, it was his father who was weak.
And he was the one who chose to stay.
"I just want you to know one thing," Saka whispered.
"Out of everything I've achieved, the one thing I want most… is to make you proud. But not just through numbers."
His father fell silent. Then, in a trembling voice, he said,
"You've made me proud long ago, Son. I was just… too blind to show it."
The words squeezed Saka's chest painfully.
"I'm sorry… if I've ever made you feel like I didn't care."
His father's hand moved slowly, resting on Saka's.
"But I always saw you. I always prayed for you. I always loved you."
Saka gripped that hand tightly.
His eyes brimmed again—not with anger this time, but with release.
Because in that moment, something inside him finally healed.
Not his father's body.
But his own heart.
And outside, the world went on as usual.
But in this small hospital room, a father and son were quietly learning how to forgive—
in the softest, truest, and most unspoken way.
~~~
EPILOGUE ✨
[ May 2014 ]
Graduation announcement was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. But for me, today felt empty. Like a part of me had been left somewhere I couldn't reach.
Of course, I was happy because three years of struggles and studies had finally ended. But along with it came a sense of loss—because I had to part with my friends, and with the dream I had been holding so tightly.
This morning, before I left for school, I heard news that changed everything. My brother had an accident. One in the morning, they said. He hit someone, and the victim was badly injured.
Papa and Mama rushed to the hospital since two a.m. I could only stand in front of my room, frozen, trying to process what was actually happening.
And when I was about to step into the living room, my feet stopped. I heard Papa's voice. It was soft, but filled with pressure.
"What money are we going to use to pay for Raka's mistake?"
"Your savings," Mama replied weakly.
"My savings aren't enough."
Silence. For a moment, there was only stillness. Until Mama's voice broke again.
"There's no other way, Pa. Except using Caca's college savings."
"No. That's Caca's dream."
My hands went cold, but my temples burned. My breath caught every time they mentioned my name.
"Then what money are we going to use? Even that won't cover the hospital bills and compensation for the victim."
Papa let out a long sigh. I could hear the chair scraping. Maybe he stood up. Or stepped back because the reality was too heavy.
"We'll find a loan," he said.
"A loan will be a heavy burden. If we use Caca's college savings, plus a little from yours, I think it'll be enough to cover everything."
"Then what about Caca's future? She's about to start college. We already paid half of her registration fee."
"I'll persuade her. She can enroll at the foundation university where I teach. She could get a scholarship there. Even if her dream major isn't available."
Papa fell silent. For a long while. Then his heavy breath sounded almost like surrender.
"Hopefully she can understand."
And me? I heard everything. I heard how my dream was being considered, negotiated, and nearly sacrificed. But I also knew… they didn't have a choice.
I wanted to be angry. But at whom? At my careless brother? At Papa and Mama who chose silent sacrifice? Or at myself… because I had no choice but to yield?
I exhaled, swallowing all unwillingness, and told myself maybe this was my path. That maybe success wasn't about my college major, but about how I endured.
My dream had to be taken, but that didn't mean my future was gone. I could still succeed in another way, even though deep down I wanted to succeed through my dream.
Maybe… it wasn't the world being unfair. Maybe I was just learning to grow up faster than I should.
I walked into the living room, gave a brief goodbye, then rode my bike to school.
When I arrived at school, I didn't feel happy at all. The sky was bright, but thin clouds began to gather. Like me, who smiled outwardly though it was hard, but was almost raining inside.
My friends' laughter sounded like distant echoes I couldn't reach. But I just sat quietly at the edge of the field, staring blankly down with my fingers clutching the edge of my skirt.
Zira and Vey came by for a while. But I turned down their invitation. Today, a smile felt too expensive to force.
Then, someone sat beside me. His voice was soft. Gentle. Full of concern.
"Ayu…"
Only one person called me that.
Saka.
"What is it, Arda?" I asked quietly.
"What's wrong with you? I looked for you in class but you weren't there. Turns out you're here, zoning out."
We hadn't been in the same class since the beginning of twelfth grade. But our relationship never drifted. We were close. Too close to be just friends, but too vague to be called lovers.
We were used to being open with each other. But that day, it felt too heavy to start telling.
"Ayu… didn't we promise? If something happens, we share. Don't keep it inside."
I lowered my head, my eyes trembling. Honestly, I wanted to tell him. But I didn't know where to start. Everything felt too complicated.
Just when I was about to open my mouth, a male student came up.
"Excuse me, Saka. Miss Lia is calling you. She said it's something important about your university choice."
Saka glanced at me, then slowly stood. "Thank you, Aldo."
The student nodded and left.
Saka turned back to me. His gaze was deep, as if holding something he wanted to say, but it wasn't time yet.
"Ayu, I'm sorry. I have to go for a bit. After school, let's meet at our usual place. There's something important I want to tell you."
I gave a small smile. "It's fine. Later then."
Saka smiled too. "Don't forget, okay? It's really important."
"I'll be waiting, Ayu. Don't let me wait alone…"
He waved, then walked away.
I didn't know why, but as I watched Saka leave… something inside me felt like it left with him.
My heart felt heavy. Like saying goodbye, even though we had just promised to meet again.
But I tried to brush that feeling away.
Of course not. We'd meet later. Everything would be fine. Right?
We'd meet later. At least… that's what I believed.
And I waited. Not just for the meeting, but also for a small miracle that could make everything alright.
And at that moment… I didn't know, that day wasn't about graduation, but about a farewell we never got to plan.
~~~
The graduation announcement for twelfth grade had ended. The cheers had turned into silence. The corridor floor that had been crowded now only echoed scattered footsteps, fewer and fewer.
Most students chose to go home, but not all went straight back. Some had other destinations. Including me.
Instead of going home to see my brother, I planned to go to the place that had always been my little world with Saka—a place that always felt safe, no matter how exhausting the outside world was.
We often spent time there: studying while joking around, drawing, or just sitting in silence while enjoying the evening breeze. That place was like our little secret. A small lake on the outskirts of the city, not far from school.
I walked out of class alone. The school was getting quieter. Zira and Vey had gone home earlier. They asked me to hang out, but I refused. I had a promise to keep with Saka.
Just as I was about to head to the motorcycle parking lot, my steps froze. A man, around his thirties, stood at the end of the hall, his eyes fixed straight on me.
"You… Cayra?" he asked.
His voice made the back of my neck go cold. "I'm Cayra," I answered carefully. "Why?"
"You know Saka Ardhananta, right?"
I nodded. "Why?"
"I work at Master Saka's residence. He had urgent business and asked me to pick you up. He said you'd be talking at his house."
House? That word alone made my chest feel strange. In all the time I'd known Saka, I had never once stepped foot into his house—not because I wasn't allowed, but because I was embarrassed. And Saka knew that. So why would he ask me there now? Something didn't feel right.
"What proof do you have that you're really from Saka's house?" I asked cautiously.
He took out his phone, showing a photo of Saka with him in a large courtyard. I recognized that smile. I couldn't mistake it.
"Now come with me. Don't make Master Saka wait," he said flatly.
I glanced around. My gut said no, but my feet refused to listen.
My heart was still doubtful, but my legs moved on their own, following him into a luxury car.
As soon as I sat in the middle seat, the door closed, and the car sped away from school. Nobody spoke. Only the sound of the engine accompanied us, and somehow I felt like I was being taken farther and farther from where I was supposed to go.
A few minutes later, the car entered the grounds of a large house with tall iron gates. Garden lamps lined the way, their light reflecting off marble walls. I stepped out, my legs heavy.
The front door of the house was made of dark brown wood. Its faint scent mixed with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The man who picked me up opened the door, his gaze cold.
"Go in," he said shortly.
The sound of the door shutting behind me felt like cutting off my way home. Inside, the room was too neat. Bookshelves lined the walls, a thick carpet muffling my steps. And in the middle sat a middle-aged man in a tidy suit, his gaze piercing straight through me.
"Come here," he said.
His voice was low but firm, like a command that left no choice. I approached, clutching the hem of my skirt.
"Sit."
I obeyed, trying to steady my breathing.
"You're Cayra Ayudhia?"
I nodded.
He placed an envelope on the table. "Take this. And leave my son's life."
My head spun. "Your son… Saka?"
He nodded slowly. "He is the heir of our family. There's already a plan: studying abroad, earning a Master's degree, a future measured. But since he met you, he's rejected all of it."
I wanted to argue, but my throat was dry.
"I know your family is struggling," he continued. "This money will help a lot. If you refuse… your family will collapse. Your mother fired. Your brother… in prison because of last night's incident. All of that can happen with just one phone call from me."
The world around me seemed to shrink.
He leaned slightly forward. "I'll count to three."
My heart pounded.
"One…"
The ticking of the wall clock pierced my head.
"Two…"
My temples burned, my hands trembled. In my mind appeared fragments of memories: Saka laughing while holding a bottle of cold drink by the lake; his voice saying I was his home.
I closed my eyes, and before the last number left his lips, I grabbed the envelope. "I'll take it. But don't touch my family."
His gaze was cold, but he nodded. "Leave Saka's life. Forever."
I rose, leaving the room with shaky steps. Outside, my bike was already waiting. Apparently, it had been brought there by one of Saka's father's men.
I pedaled with a heavy heart. My only destination now was the hospital. Somehow, I had a hunch my parents were struggling there.
The road to the hospital felt longer than usual. The sky darkened, clouds hanging heavy.
When the rain began to fall, I could only take a deep breath. On one side, I knew Saka might still be waiting for me at our little lake. On the other, the promise I had just made bound me like chains.
When I arrived at the hospital, I found my parents arguing with the administration staff. Without many words, I handed them the envelope. They were shocked, asking where it came from. I only said, "Not stolen. Don't ask anymore."
But the money wasn't enough. I eventually allowed them to use my college savings.
Now I sit near the hospital window. Heavy rain still pours outside. Each drop reflects the streetlight like falling stars one by one.
Today, I lost my dream… and the person I wanted to share that dream with. But the most painful part of it all was leaving without being able to explain why. And maybe… that's exactly what will make him remember me forever.
If only I had time to meet Saka, I would've told him something. Unfortunately, that was impossible.
Forgive me, Saka. I hope this truly is the best decision for us, and I hope one day we to meet again in the future.
Let only my dream be taken. May your dream continue to burn, like your spirit in reaching it.