Riana felt her heart beating wildly. Her whole body was shaking violently. In a matter of seconds, her face had turned pale as a corpse. Her heart was now filled with worry that Mama Veny had overheard her conversation with Mrs Nana earlier.
Hesitantly, the woman turned around. She faced Mama Veny, who was looking at her with a slightly puzzled expression.
"What's wrong, Riana? Are you sick?" Mama Veny wiped the sweat from Riana's forehead.
Seeing how gentle Mama Veny was, Riana was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Mama Veny's attitude was a sign that she hadn't heard her conversation with Bu Nana.
"It's okay, Auntie. I just came here to say hello to Bik Nana," she replied.
Mama Veny looked at them both alternately. She was quite impressed with Riana's personality, because it was unusual for a woman from the upper class to greet a domestic worker.
"Did you know Bik Nana before?"
Riana smiled to hide her nervousness. "Yes, Auntie. Bik Nana used to work at my house. That's why I'm happy to see her again here. I just found out that she works here. Right, Bik?" Riana winked at Bu Nana.
"Yes, Non," replied Bu Nana, trying to act normal. Even though her heart was still pounding. If their charade was discovered, who knows what would happen.
"Wow, Auntie is even more impressed with you, Riana. Not many people are as polite as you and remember their domestic helpers. Auntie's decision to set you up with Alvian was definitely not wrong. You are not only gentle but also kind."
"Thank you, Auntie."
The uneasiness that had gripped Riana's heart instantly disappeared. Now she felt like she was walking on air. She had gained Mama Veny's support and sympathy. And Riana knew that Alvian was not a rebellious child. He would surely obey whatever his mother wanted.
"Riana, you have to be a little patient with Alvian. That's just how he is. Until now, he still doesn't want to get married. But you can try to get closer to him first, right?"
"Yes, Auntie." Riana suddenly looked gloomy, which was clearly visible to Mama Veny. "Actually, I'm going to be set up with my father's business partner's son. But I don't agree to it yet. Mum said that if I don't find a husband soon, the matchmaking will continue, Auntie."
Riana thought that with her free-flowing story, Mama Veny would definitely pressure Alvian to formalise their relationship. Whether it was dating first or getting engaged right away.
"Oh my goodness, so what should I do?"
"I'm also confused, Auntie. Mum is asking me to find a husband as soon as possible. If not, I'll be arranged to marry a man of Mum's choice."
Mama Veny's expression had turned worried. "I think I need to talk to Alvian again. Be patient for a moment, Riana."
Riana nodded enthusiastically. Meanwhile, Bu Nana, who was still listening to the conversation, hid a smirk. Ah, her daughter really deserved an Oscar for best hallucination.
**
**
"Alvian... Alvian!" Mama Veny screamed, looking panicked.
Alvian, who was lying in front of the television, immediately jumped up when he heard his mother's call. "Oh my goodness, Mum! This is my heart, not a pumpkin!" he said as he changed his position from lying down to sitting up. Then he rubbed his chest up and down. "What's wrong, Mum? Why are you so panicked? I could get coronary heart disease if this keeps up."
"Mama wants to ask you something serious."
"What is it?" Alvian looked at his mother, annoyed and confused.
"What is your decision about Mama's suggestion earlier?"
"Which suggestion, Mum?" asked Alvian. He felt that his mother suggested too many things. Sometimes Alvian felt like he was going to get pimples from too many suggestions.
"About Mum's plan to set you up with Riana!"
Alvian sighed heavily. He looked frustrated. "I already told you I don't want to get married yet."
"But this is an emergency, Al! It turns out that Riana is going to be set up with her father's business associate. You have to hurry! Don't let another man beat you to it," urged his mother.
Alvian couldn't believe his mother. He had repeatedly emphasised that he had his own criteria for choosing a partner. And Riana did not fit his criteria for a wife in the slightest.
"If she's going to be arranged to marry someone, then so be it!" he replied indifferently. Mama Veny pinched his arm hard.
"What's wrong with you? It's hard to find a woman like Riana. These days, many women only care about wealth. But Riana doesn't even take advantage of her parents' resources. What more could she want?"
"Then just match me with Galih!"
Mama Veny's lips pursed. "I want you to marry Riana!"
Just as Alvian was about to speak up, he suddenly felt an odd sensation centred in his stomach. It felt like his intestines were being shaken.
"Hold on, Mum. I need to go to the bathroom first."
The tall man immediately ran to the bathroom. He threw himself against the sink and vomited. Alvian had been experiencing strange symptoms like this for several months. He often felt nauseous for no apparent reason. He had already visited the doctor out of concern for his health, but the examination results showed everything was fine. Alvian was puzzled by the sudden odd behaviour of his body.
"Galih, come home now. Bring lots of sweet martabak!" Alvian requested after returning to his room.
Another oddity of Alvian's. Sometimes the desire to eat something suddenly arises in unexpected situations. And Galih is the one who has to deal with this situation. Alvian even once asked for fruit salad to be ordered. Even though he had never liked sour food before. Who knows what's wrong with him. What's clear is that Alvian is very disturbed by this situation.
Less than an hour later, Galih, the versatile personal assistant, arrived. Like an angel, he brought many martabak with various flavours. Since Alvian didn't specify which flavour he wanted, Galih took the initiative to buy all the available flavours. It was said that the owner of the martabak shop was the president's son.
"Here are the martabak, Boss!" Galih said as he placed several packets of martabak on the table.
The cool air blowing from the air conditioner allowed the aroma of hot martabak to fill the room. This made Alvian feel nauseous again.
"Why does it smell like that?" he protested, pinching his nose with his thumb and index finger.
"What flavour did you expect the martabak to have? Camellia or lavender?"
Alvian wanted to throw a grenade at Galih. His super insolent assistant always managed to make his emotions rise and fall. Luckily, Galih was his cousin, otherwise he would have been retired early and sent to Jeju Island to farm seaweed.
"Take everything out! I can't stand the smell!"
Galih sighed irritably, shaking his head. He had to queue with other customers to buy the martabak. He even lost out to the strongest race on Earth, aka mothers. And now his efforts were wasted by Alvian. The sweet martabak with various flavours had to end in rejection.
"It's troublesome when the boss cosplays as a pregnant woman." Galih muttered softly, but Alvian could hear him clearly.
This made Alvian fall silent. Then he lay down on the long sofa. When he heard the word "pregnant", his mind immediately turned to Aylin. Yesterday's surprising encounter had kept him from sleeping well. Aylin was pregnant, and that was deeply troubling to him.
Alvian's memory flashed back to an incident eight months ago. At that time, he attended an invitation from a business associate at a hotel, accompanied by Riana. At first, everything went normally. Although Alvian didn't really like parties, he enjoyed it because he met many old friends.
However, suddenly everything felt strange. As far as Alvian could remember, he only drank soft drinks with a low alcohol content. However, not long after, he felt as if he were heavily intoxicated. His body felt hot and sweaty. His heart was pounding, his chest felt tight, and his head was throbbing. Not only that, his private parts, which were always hidden behind his trousers, suddenly became as stiff as a flagpole.
Alvian, who was in a daze, glanced at Riana, who was engrossed in conversation with other guests. He used that opportunity to leave the hotel building and head to his private apartment. Perhaps he needed to calm down.
However, lying down, showering, eating, and drinking did not help. Alvian was still restless. Even now, his vision felt blurry. It was as if he had just taken a high dose of stimulants. He guessed that someone was trying to trap him. But who?
"Find me a woman who can serve me tonight, as soon as possible!" he ordered someone he contacted over the phone.
"A woman, sir? A call girl?" replied the man on the other end of the line.
"Whatever! I'll pay whatever it takes. As long as she's available tonight!"
"Alright, sir. That's easy. I have an acquaintance named Mr. Al. He's a pimp."
"But I want someone who's still a virgin. I don't want a used woman!"
Silence! The man on the other end didn't answer. He seemed too shocked by the strange request. A virgin? Where could they find one tonight?
"Hey, are you listening?"
"Yes, sir. Okay, I'll find one right now."
The call ended. Alvian lay down on the bed. Trying to calm himself. But the longer he lay there, the more intense the feeling became, making his entire body feel like it was on fire.
The phone rang dozens of times. It was a call from Riana, who was probably looking for Alvian because he had left without permission. However, he ignored the call.
Thirty minutes later, the phone rang again. It was from the person Alvian had called earlier to find a woman. Alvian immediately answered the call.
"Sir, I have found a woman as you requested."
"Bring her to me quickly!" he ordered impatiently.
"But she wants 200 million, sir!" The man's words made Alvian lose his patience. If only the man had been right in front of him, he would have strangled him to death.
"I don't care! I'll give you a billion as long as she's a virgin and can satisfy me tonight!" Alvian shouted angrily.
"O-okay. Mr. Al is currently negotiating the price with her. I'll bring her to you right away!"
Alvian slammed his mobile phone onto the bed. Then he lay back down and waited. He had never imagined that he would spend the night with a paid woman. All this time, Alvian had been very careful to avoid contact with women.
If this got out and people found out that he had paid a woman to satisfy him, the Darmawan family's honour would be destroyed. Alvian had to make sure that the paid woman kept her mouth shut.
Finally, Aylin appeared before him. She was a very young woman with a simple appearance. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she was cute. For some reason, Alvian could see the pain in her swollen eyes. Her petite body was covered in blue bruises.
That night, Alvian asked her where all the bruises came from. However, his desire was overwhelming and could not be contained. Especially when he saw Aylin wearing only a white bathrobe with wet hair. She looked very sexy and seductive.
"Alvian, are you sick?" Alvian's daydream about that night was suddenly interrupted by his grandmother's hoarse voice as she entered the room.
The 69-year-old woman had just returned from a trip out of town. Her name was Oma Titin, Alvian's father's mother.
"Grandma, you're back?" Alvian asked.
"Just now. Your mother said you were sick." Grandma approached her beloved grandson and chose to sit on the edge of the sofa. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead to check if his body temperature was warm or not.
"It's okay, Grandma. I just feel a bit bloated."
"Oh dear, it seems like you just have a cold. Come here, Grandma will rub you down!" Grandma Titin may seem trendy and modern for her age, but don't be fooled. She still holds onto the traditions of her ancestors. This includes treating her grandchild when he is sick. She chooses to use traditional methods.
Alvian's smooth white back had to endure the sharp coin that tortured him, creating a red line across his skin.
"Slowly, Grandma. It hurts!" Alvian complained as he lay on his stomach.
"Slowly, Al. It hurts!" said Grandma, pressing the gold coin with all her strength.
"This isn't scraping, it's cutting!" protested Alvian, enduring the painful sensation on his back.
"You're so fussy, Al!" Oma protested.
"He is fussy, Oma. Like a pregnant woman. Nauseous, vomiting, asking for strange things to be bought for him, and then when they're brought, he doesn't eat them!" Galih interjected.
Alvian shot Galih a sharp glance. "Say that again and I'll fire you from the company!"
However, Galih responded to the threat with a small laugh. There was no way Alvian would fire him. He was the type of person who found it very difficult to find a work partner who suited him.
"Oh yes, Alvian. When are you going to get married? Grandma is getting old. It's time to hold your grandchildren. Our family needs an heir!"
Alvian could guess that this commanding question from his grandmother was his mother's idea. Yes, his mother must have asked his grandmother to persuade him. His grandmother and mother were a complete package sent by God in the form of women.
Alvian fell silent again, his mind filled with thoughts of Aylin. Thinking about silly things that felt impossible.
What if the child in Aylin's womb turned out to be the seed he had once entrusted to her?
*****