Mila nodded, sitting between her father and mother's chairs. For a moment, I forgot about the problem. The jokes and laughter conveyed Mila's sadness.
*** Mila went to the market with her maid. Mila needed some fresh air. However, fear returned when Mila saw her parents. So Mila decided to go shopping, hoping to soothe her bad feelings. When Mila and her maid returned home, she was suddenly startled by her mother crying. Mila was confused and anxious, while her father stared intently at her.
"What's this? Whose is this?!" Gilbran asked impatiently, showing Mila the pregnancy test she'd hidden in her closet earlier. Mila was speechless. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"MILA, ANSWER, DAD, WHOSE IS THIS?!" "I-it's M-Mila's, Dad," Mila replied nervously. "Dad is disappointed in you!"
"I-I'm sorry, Dad. Mila can explain—" Her father immediately cut her off. "Who got you pregnant, Mila?"
"Mila doesn't know him, Dad."
"If you didn't know, how could this have happened! You shouldn't have hidden her from Dad!"
"But Mila really doesn't know who Dad is!" Mila screamed hysterically. Slap! Gilbran, overcome with rage, slapped Mila's cheek, utterly enraged by his beloved daughter's response.
"Fine. I don't need your explanation anymore!" "But Dad, Mila really did nothing wrong. Mila was framed!" he insisted.
"I don't care about your excuses. You've tarnished my good name. I've never had a child like you!"
Mila fell silent. She lowered her head. Gilbran's words—her father's—truly shattered her heart. How easily Gilbran had thrown those hurtful words at Mila. Mila stared intently into Gilbran's eyes, which radiated anger. Today had been a nightmare for Mila; one night's mistake had robbed her parents of their trust in an instant.
"How could you distrust me so easily, Dad? We've been together for seventeen years. But because of this one incident, you think so lowly of me? You think Mila would do that!?" Mila screamed in frustration. Tears continued to flow.
Mila's mother—Rosa was crying. There was nothing Rosa could do now but lower her head. Rosa couldn't even look at her daughter and husband. Rosa didn't know who to defend anymore, her emotions torn between defending Mila and agreeing with Gilbran's words.
"How dare you do this to me?! You shameless child. All this time, you haven't had enough of our love? We haven't given you enough money, and you dare to sell your body!"
"Oh, so Dad measures affection with money! Mila may live in luxury, but are Mom and Dad ever there when she needs you? You're busy out of town! And Dad thought Mila was that kind of woman! It turns out Mila was wrong all this time. Mila was the one who loved you too much, even though you didn't want her at all!"
"Mila, dear, Mom and Dad did that for you, honey." Rosa cupped Mila's face. However, Mila slapped Rosa's hand away roughly. Mila was truly disappointed in herself and her parents. Gilbran glared at Mila.
"WANT TO DEFEND YOURSELF AGAIN? GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
"Okay!" Mila replied. Mila immediately rose from her seat. It was no use explaining at length to her parents; they would never believe her. Mila decided to leave her parents' house.
***
Aina hugged Mila's trembling body tightly. They were now in a modest house with only two small rooms. Yes, that was Aina's house. It was a far cry from Mila's; even the maid's room was larger, but Mila was grateful; at least she had somewhere to stay. Mila smiled sweetly, seeing Aina's head lowered in dismay, feeling bad for Mila.
"Na, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry, Mil. My house is really small, so different from yours."
"Oh my gosh, Na, I should be the one feeling bad for you, because I've caused you trouble."
"No, Mil, in fact, I'm really happy and now I'm not lonely anymore."
"Na, thank you so much, I don't know how to repay you for your kindness."
"Mil, this is nothing compared to what you and your family have given me. If notBecause of you, I wouldn't have been able to go to school until now."
"From now on, let's live our lives and forget the past. Agreed?" Aina said encouragingly. "Agreed!" Mila intertwined her pinky with Aina's. They laughed together. Mila was grateful to have known a loyal friend like Aina.
Aina used to go to school with Mila, but Aina chose to transfer after receiving a scholarship from Mila's parents. This was, of course, at Mila's behest. Concerned that Aina had often been a victim of bullying, Mila encouraged her to transfer. Coincidentally, Mila's uncle owned Aina's former school. Of course, this wasn't a difficult decision for Mila to make.
"Mil, come on, get up. I've cooked."
Mila rubbed her eyes and followed Aina to the kitchen. Stir-fried water spinach and fried tempeh were served on a 4x4 meter wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. Mila sat on a plastic chair. Mila studied the food intently. She had never eaten such a simple meal before, but she quickly took a bite. She felt bad for Aina, perhaps it wasn't as bad as she thought. Mila devoured her food greedily. It was true! It wasn't as bad as she thought; in fact, it was very delicious. The shrimp paste chili sauce Aina made was especially delicious. Aina laughed at Mila's hasty eating, as if she were chasing a debt.
"Mil, eat slowly. The food won't spill everywhere." Aina laughed at Mila's behavior. She thought it was very funny. Mila, meanwhile, smiled awkwardly, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Oh yeah, Mila, aren't you in school?" Mila thought for a moment.
"I don't know how."
"I heard yesterday that my school was holding a charity event. It's a kind of test for underprivileged people who will receive scholarships. Do you want to try it?" Aina quickly covered her mouth. Then she cursed herself for speaking so carelessly. Mila was confused by Aina's sudden behavior
"Sorry, Mil, I didn't mean to insult you." However, Mila responded with a light laugh. "It's okay, don't worry. By the way, your cooking is really delicious!"
"Thank goodness you like it. I thought you wouldn't."
"Can't you see I finished a whole plate?" "Okay. I'll wash the dishes first, Mil. You can watch TV out front."
"No, let's wash them together to make it quicker. I can do the dishes, too." Mila winked, making Aina giggle.