Bam!
The bedroom door swung open with a loud bang, echoing loudly.
"Sign it quickly. Olivia will return to Indonesia tomorrow and will immediately replace you as Mahendra's mistress," said Revan Aditya Mahendra in a cold tone and a firm expression.
Arlina stared blankly at the man who had been her husband for five years. Although never truly appreciated, her deep love had held her back all this time.
"Revan… are you serious about that?" Arlina's voice trembled, her eyes searching for the slightest sign of hesitation on his face.
"I'm tired, Arlina. There's nothing more to discuss. Sign it now," Revan replied flatly, without looking up, as if he were simply finishing a business matter.
All this time, Arlina had poured all her thoughts, feelings, and energy into reviving the Mahendra family company from its slump. She had sacrificed not only her feelings and time, but also her youth. She had willingly abandoned the opportunity to pursue her dreams, even her once-dreamed master's degree abroad, for her husband.
"Do all my sacrifices mean nothing to you?" Arlina whispered.
Revan remained staring at the paper on the table. "It was your choice. I never asked for it."
The small printing business that Arlina had built with her blood and sweat to grow to this size, she had also given up to provide for her husband's family. But what was she waiting for in return?
It wasn't love and attention she had been waiting for, but divorce papers the moment her husband's first love returned home.
That first love—Olivia—who had left Revan so easily five years ago, had now returned to inflict an even deeper wound. The old wound that had barely healed was now being torn open again.
"Revan... does it mean that just because she's back, everything we've been through these past five years means nothing?"
Revan shrugged. "From the start, you realized you were just a replacement, right? That position belonged to Olivia."
Those sharp words were like a knife stabbing straight into Arlina's heart. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed so tightly that she could barely breathe. She clutched her chest, which felt tight, as if the oxygen had suddenly vanished.
"Why are you treating me so cruelly! What did I do wrong!" Arlina exclaimed, her voice trembling. "My heart, my possessions, my time, I've given you everything, Revan. Is it still not enough for you to throw me away like this?"
Revan stared at her coldly, his eyes even narrowing slightly in disgust. "I told you from the start. Don't make this harder, Arlina. Just sign it."
The woman patted her chest several times to calm her growing labored breathing. As Revan walked to the balcony, her cell phone rang. She immediately pressed the answer button.
"Sir, I'm already on the plane. Can you pick me up at the airport tomorrow?" Olivia's coquettish voice was clearly audible, even though Revan hadn't turned on speakerphone.
"Of course, honey. I'll make sure everything is finished tonight. As soon as you arrive, everything will be fine," Revan said in a tone filled with a gentleness Arlina had never heard from him before.
On the other end, Olivia chuckled. "But, honey, if you really can't, don't force it. Especially... your wife just had a miscarriage. It would be a shame to be kicked out of the house right away. Where will she go then?"
The feigned concern in her tone pierced Arlina's heart, as she sat not far from the balcony. Olivia's words drifted into her ears, adding to the already unbearable pain.
Revan smiled faintly. "Don't worry, honey. I already have an agreement with Arlina. Don't ever feel guilty. Besides, I don't want my flesh and blood to be born from that woman of unknown origin. I just want all my children to be born from your womb, Olivia."
Arlina bit her lip tightly. Every word from her husband's mouth felt like a hammer hitting her chest.
"Mas... you really are evil," she muttered softly, but loud enough for Revan to glance over.
"You heard everything I said, right? It's better for you to realize now than later," Revan said flatly before returning to the phone.
With trembling hands, Arlina reached for the pen on the table. Tears welled in her eyes as she signed the divorce papers her husband had handed her.
"You're so cruel, Revan," she whispered through sobs. "After all my sacrifices, you throw me away like trash just for the sake of a past that hurt you."
Despite her heartbreak, Arlina knew she couldn't take it anymore. In her five years of marriage, she had become familiar with Revan's personality. The more she resisted, the harsher he became. Harsh words and insults were nothing new. She had even received a raw punch. She had endured all of this because of a love that had blinded her heart and mind.
But now, after losing the child she had longed for—her last hope for repairing their marriage, Arlina no longer found a reason to stay.
Revan returned to the room, hung up the phone, carrying his jacket. "Good. Thank you for not making this more difficult." Without waiting for a response, he walked away, leaving the room.
Arlina watched the man's back disappear behind the door. Once again, she was left alone.
With faltering steps, she made her way to the bathroom. She hoped the cold shower would calm her heart and mind. Under the pouring water, her body bent over. The tears she had been holding back burst uncontrollably.
"It's okay... if I'm the only one hurt," she said between sobs, "but your words, Revan... about our child... they hurt more than anything."
Fortunately, the baby hadn't been born and endured its father's hatred. Otherwise, Arlina couldn't bear to imagine how miserable her child would be.
"After all my sacrifices... you threw me away like a piece of trash," she continued to babble, her voice drowned out by the rushing water. The sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment that had been building up over the years finally made her resolve. There was nothing left to fight for.
After feeling a little calmer, Arlina emerged from the bathroom, her face pale and lips blue. She turned off the air conditioner and swept her gaze around the room. Her husband was gone, and neither were the divorce papers that had been on the table.
"You're so impatient to divorce me, man," she muttered sadly. "You even took the divorce papers away last night after I signed them."
Shivering from the cold, Arlina finally hid under the covers, seeking some warmth and a moment's respite from the harshness of the life that had just robbed her of all her happiness.