Eight months later...
After being kicked out of the house, Aylin never saw her sister and stepmother again. She never heard from them either. Aylin had completely lost contact with them, but what Aylin did know after receiving the billion rupiah was that Riana and her mother had bought a new, more suitable house and sold the old one.
Aylin lived a nomadic life and was in dire straits. In order to survive, she rented a cramped room. For the past few months, Aylin had also been working as a waitress at a café.
"What's wrong, Aylin? You look a little pale," asked Lisa, one of Aylin's friends who also worked at the same café.
Aylin, who was cleaning the tables, turned her attention away for a moment. "My stomach has been cramping since this morning."
Hearing this, Lisa immediately panicked. "Could you be going into labour?"
"I don't think so. My stomach has been cramping like this a lot these past few days." Aylin stroked her stomach, which was now visibly growing larger. That dark night had planted a new seed of life in her womb.
Aylin's pregnancy was a difficult time. Sometimes she had to resist her cravings. She also had to economise to survive, as her salary as a café waitress was not much. Not to mention the cost of food and rent.
Aylin should have taken leave before her due date. However, her living expenses forced her to continue working. Fortunately, the café owner allowed her to keep working even though she was heavily pregnant.
"Then go home and rest. You shouldn't overexert yourself. Besides, it's almost time for your shift change," said Lisa.
"Thank you, Lisa. In that case, I'll take this to the kitchen first."
Aylin hurriedly picked up the tray of dirty glasses to take to the kitchen. However, she suddenly collided with a café customer. The tray in her hands fell. Glass shards scattered everywhere, drawing everyone's attention to them.
"Hey, be careful when you work! Look, my clothes are dirty now!" scolded the woman who bumped into Aylin. Her white shirt was stained with spilled coffee.
"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to." Aylin bowed her head to apologise. She immediately grabbed a tissue to clean the woman's clothes.
However, the woman suddenly pushed her hand away roughly. "You?" the woman screamed.
Aylin looked up to stare at the woman's mean face. Instantly, her eyes widened. How could it be? The woman was none other than Riana, her evil stepsister.
"Sister Riana?"
It wasn't just Riana's arrival that shocked Aylin, but also the man who came with her. Mr Alvian, the man who had bought her virginity and was also the father of the child growing in her womb.
That afternoon, Riana and Alvian had an appointment with a colleague at the cafe. Riana, who did not know that Alvian was the man who had bought Aylin, was very surprised to find her stepsister wearing a cafe uniform and heavily pregnant.
"What a surprise to see you here. So now you work as a café waitress, huh?" Riana looked Aylin up and down.
Aylin's face immediately turned pale, her lips pressed tightly together. She didn't dare to lift her head. Moreover, Alvian's gaze was truly intimidating.
"Oh, Aylin, I just found out you're pregnant. May I ask who the father of your child is? Could it be that old man who once hired you?" Riana sneered.
Aylin didn't respond. It wasn't because she was afraid of Riana, but because her heart ached too much to see Alvian, the man who should be responsible for her pregnancy.
Not wanting to cause any further commotion, Aylin crouched down to pick up the broken glass scattered on the floor. She held back the tears that were about to fall.
Meanwhile, Alvian just stared at her expressionlessly. Since earlier, he had been staring at the woman's enlarged belly. Even though they had only met once, Alvian could still recognise her face. The woman he had bought a few months ago from a pimp named Mr Rizal, or more commonly known as Mr Al.
"Sorry, I have to go to the back." Aylin hurried to the kitchen. If she didn't avoid the situation, Riana would definitely cause a scene, and Aylin didn't want to get fired for arguing with a café customer.
Upon arriving in the kitchen, she leaned her back against the wall. Wiping away the tears that continued to flow down her cheeks.
"Oh God, why did I have to meet them here?"
**
**
Alvian still couldn't shake off the shock of his unexpected encounter with Aylin earlier. Every now and then, he glanced towards the kitchen. Because after going in, Aylin hadn't come out again.
"Do you know that woman, Riana?" asked Alvian.
Riana paused for a moment, trying to find a reasonable explanation. She couldn't possibly tell Alvian that Aylin was her stepsister. Moreover, it was difficult for her to approach Alvian.
"She's Aylin, my old neighbour. Actually, I don't know her very well, but what I do know is that she's not a good woman."
"What do you mean, she's not a good woman?"
"She's a call girl. I'm surprised that the owner of this café would hire a dirty woman like her to work here. Aren't they afraid the cafe will be jinxed?"
Alvian felt a little doubt in his heart when he heard Riana's sarcastic tone. Deep down, he knew Aylin wasn't that bad. Because he was the first person to touch Aylin. Alvian was even sure that Aylin had never kissed anyone before.
"As far as I know, Aylin isn't married. It seems like she got pregnant by one of the men who hired her, and maybe that man doesn't want to take responsibility."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. I've seen her go out with an older man. Where else would they go but a hotel?" added Riana.
Again, Alvian was silent. His hands were clenched under the table. His mind wandered. It crossed his mind that the child in Aylin's womb was his. Because that night, Alvian had not used protection.
But, if Aylin really was a call girl, she could have gotten pregnant by another man, couldn't she?
'No, it definitely isn't my child. She must have gotten pregnant by another man, just like Riana said.' Alvian convinced himself.
"Let's find another place. I want to get out of here."
**
**
The car Alvian was riding in drove through the crowded streets. Since meeting Aylin earlier, he had become more quiet. Even when discussing work with his business partner, he was more preoccupied with his thoughts, which made Riana feel uncomfortable.
"Where are we going now?" Galih's question broke Alvian's reverie. Galih was his cousin and personal assistant.
"Let's go to the apartment!"
"But Aunt Veny has called me several times asking about your whereabouts. You haven't been home for several days."
Alvian sighed deeply. He already knew why his mother was looking for him. It was definitely to discuss the arranged marriage. That was why Alvian sometimes didn't want to go home.
"I'll go home later."
"What should I say if your mother calls again?"
"Just tell her I'm busy!"
Now it was Galih's turn to feel frustrated. If the lady of the house called, he was the one who often had to come up with excuses.
"What's so difficult about accepting the arranged marriage your mother has chosen for you? Your mother would definitely choose a good woman for her son."
"I'm not ready to get married." That was always Alvian's response when asked about marriage.
"So when will you be ready?"
Alvian sighed lazily. For now, his heart was completely empty. Marriage was not his main goal in life. Besides, he was still comfortable being single.
"I haven't found the right woman yet."
Galih looked at him in surprise. It wasn't actually difficult for Alvian to find a partner. He was surrounded by beautiful women from all walks of life. However, so far, no one had managed to win his heart. Galih wondered what kind of woman his boss was actually looking for.
"If this continues, you'll end up an old bachelor!"
***
Riana arrived home after a meeting with a client at the café where Aylin worked. Actually, she was still curious about Aylin. However, because she was in a public place, she held back.
Besides, after entering the kitchen carrying broken glass, Aylin did not show herself again. Perhaps she had gone home through the back door.
"Mum, I met Aylin earlier," said Riana as she collapsed onto the sofa. Then she took off her shoes and leaned back.
Mrs Nana, who was engrossed in the TV programme, glanced at her daughter for a moment. "Oh, really? Where did you meet her?"
"At one of the cafés. She works as a waitress there."
Mrs Nana didn't seem particularly surprised. What else could Aylin do? If she wasn't a cleaner, she would definitely be a waitress. Especially since she only had a high school diploma. It would definitely be difficult to find a good job.
"You'll be surprised if I tell you something about Aylin." Riana looked excited. This made her mother curious.
"What is it?"
"Aylin is pregnant, Mum!
The information Riana gave made Mrs Nana widen her eyes. Of course, this news surprised her quite a bit.
"Pregnant?"
Riana nodded quickly. She then laughed nervously, imagining her meeting with Aylin earlier.
"I wonder whose child Aylin is pregnant with. As far as I know, she's not married yet."
"Could it be that she's pregnant with old man Mr Al's child? That night, Mr Al hired Aylin," replied Mrs Nana.
"It's possible. Ah, I should have congratulated her on her pregnancy earlier."
Riana's laughter echoed again after uttering those words. How unfortunate that her stepsister had to bear the seed of an old, fat, ugly man like Mr Al.
*****