Don't Say Love (BOOK 2)
Chapter 18
Since Ratih's death, Jullian no longer placed Arnetta in the room he had previously used to torture the woman. A room on the first floor usually occupied by a tami, where Arnetta now lay. The room that now bears witness to the woman's night of sleep is larger than the previous room. Plus new clothes that were provided for her. Arnetta knew that the clothes fit perfectly well with her body, but somehow to express her gratitude she was unable to.
"I'm disgusted with you."
The sentence kept on echoing in his ears. Every minute and second he passed just to listen to the sentence that further tore his heart apart. His cries at night were always accompanied by the hum of hurtful words coming out of Jullian's mouth.
A week his mother had gone home, during which he also realized that he had no one else in this world. All this time he survived for his mother. He kept the wound only to grow a smile on his mother's face.
Arnetta wanted to scream, cursing at anyone he saw. But, his body resisted any reaction. He could not just move his lips to speak. Even these days Aunt Mary always helped him eat and bathe because he could not stand up straight.
On the first day, Jullian took care of it. However, because of the official trip, only aunt Maria was trusted to take care of it. Arnetta didn't want to know what plan the man had devised to destroy him. Destroyed as to what else Jullian wanted, only God knows. Clearly, now Arnetta is destroyed. Perhaps if death left him in the most devastating level of destruction, then Jullian would have made him die.
The woman no longer thought about the feelings that had grown. Five years is enough to prove that he can still live a normal life without Jullian. That man is too. Arnetta no longer wished whether the love was still there or not. Just thinking about Jullian had already made his heart fall apart. He did not know if he would fall back in love with the man.
Now on his bed, covered in moonlight through the curtains of his room, Arnetta looked up at the sky of his room. His two eyes stared blankly up there imagining his life after this. He will work as a servant to a man who is not clear the reason for his hatred. The only way to pay off his mother's debts.
From the beginning there was never an official agreement until when Jullian would lock her up. The man only said he did not give a deadline, but when the night the man raped her Jullian made it clear that he would continue to be "used" until he was bored. So, Arnetta will continue to work as a waiter.
"Mother!"
Arnetta looked towards the door that was in front of his two feet. A young boy opened the door to his room, rubbing his eyes. Tak. For a long time, the tiny legs approached the bed that Arnetta was sleeping in and climbed up on it. The boy was awkward tanoa instantly positioning himself to sleep on the belly of the woman he was beginning to think of as his mother.
"Say dad, Mommy's sick. Right?"
Arnetta was eager to answer, but her mouth was hard to open. He just smiled while nodding his head. His hand wanted to be moved stroking Arif's black mane, but again there was nothing he could do but silence.
"Arif bobok same Mother, yes. Yesterday said Arif's father can't bother you. But, Arif kangen" he said while playing button shirt on Arnetta's stomach.
Arnetta knew her tears were flowing. This time is not accompanied by pain, but a sense of haru knowing that there are still people who care about him. Arif, how could he forget for this week there is a little boy waiting for his recovery. There was a figure he could still trust his kindness and innocence. Although Arif is not his flesh and blood, Arnetta loves him so much that sometimes he forgets that he did not give birth to the handsome boy.
"The Mother's dear Arif."
The woman opened her mouth. The veins on his neck appeared until finally his voice came out even though it only bore a whisper to reciprocate the expression of the child's feelings. Arif needs to know he loves him too, no, Arnetta is sure he's in love with the boy.
"Mother.... Dear.... Ariff."
Arnetta night capable of beautiful dreams. He saw a star in the darkness of his dreams. Only his body because of the tiny hand-dropping made him want to heal. At least for a child that his mother never wanted. Arif should know if Lusi doesn't want him, at least Arnetta will be his mother at this time.
"Mom, I have a child. She's your granddaughter. Name's Arif. I can, can't I love her?"
***
A man seemed to stare nyalang towards the middle-aged pair who returned his gaze no less sharp. Moreover, the figure of a middle-aged woman who has a look like she usually looks weak, now even behaves as if she is the most powerful woman on this earth. Sometimes Jullian suspects that the coma the woman had five years ago is a fabrication given how healthy she is now.
"You'd rather entrust my grandson to that? Absolutely outrageous!" james was angry.
Andara who sits beside her husband also judges the unilateral decision of her son who she thinks is outrageous. Who would have guessed that Jullian handed over all matters concerning Arif to an Arnetta, the prostitute he knew as the destroyer of the relationship of his son and son-in-law.
"His name is Arnetta, not a whore. I need to remind you if your favorite daughter-in-law does not lose her net with that title." said Jullian relaxed. The man grinned when he saw the wrathful faces of his parents. He was caught off guard arranged to be like this and so in the household. His decision to part ways with Lusi was already unanimous. He was sick of living this cunning life. Jullian wants a break.
"You?!"
Jullian stood up from the sofa he was sitting on. Just a few minutes he arrived at the house that had been a witness to his life had invited saturation. He was not used to living with two parents who did not care about him, then acted like God in his life.
"Lusi will receive the divorce papers tomorrow. She's officially my ex-wife and Arif will come with me." she explained.
Andara immediately stood up as soon as she heard the steps of her son who was judged to be quite outrageous. "You can't do it. Arif needs Lusi."
"Ariff needs his mother, and she's in my house now."
"ARNETTA DOES NOT DESERVE THAT GLORIOUS CALL. HE'S DIRTY!" yelled Andara in front of the child's face.
"THEN LUCI IS AS DIRTY AS THAT WOMAN. SHE HAD ANOTHER SON WHEN SHE MARRIED ME!"
The guest room was suddenly quiet. Andara pias's face after hearing the confession from her son's mouth. He never knew this. Andara only knows that Lusi gave birth to Arif in the premature process.
Nah! Arif.
"No! I know my granddaughter Arif. You must be making things up." Racau Andara half in disbelief. His mouth could no longer close with the chunk of stone that landed right in his heart.
James removed his glasses and massaged his nose. To be honest he did not want to admit it, but his suspicions had been getting the answer all along.
"That's possible. Arif couldn't have been born eight months into Lusi's pregnancy, but we had been married for six months. He's been lying to you."
Andara's old body just fell on the sofa. James swiftly held onto both of his wife's shoulders.
"Lusi couldn't possibly lie to me. She's..."
"He's right. Luci has lied to us." said James who immediately made the two people surprised. However, James chose to continue his words. "When Arif was born I had time to ask the age of Lusi's pregnancy when the contractions first."
You don't know who else to trust. The son and his husband chose to silence this reality and kept it close. The middle-aged woman felt stupid, as she was the last to know about it.
"I'm going home. Think of the truth of my decision. If I am still considered your son, respect my decision." said Jullian before leaving his parents who are still devastated by all this.
**
Jullian woke up to the sound of a wood bump in his ear. He realized the crystal lamp he recognized was in his living room hanging above his head. Both of his eyes were forced to open due to the dazzling light from the side.
The man realized he reached the house at three in the morning. All of his house fell asleep. Only the security guard who guarded his house, who was forced to wake up because he opened the door. Overnight he just circled his vehicle indeterminate direction in order to eliminate the feeling of gullibility in his heart. His brief encounter with his parents was a bit much. Influenced him. He was not used to his life being disturbed so far, especially his father who almost never appreciated him as a child.
When the man regained consciousness and sat down, he saw the narrow back of a woman holding a child behind him. The woman seemed to be cleaning the furniture with feathers so seriously that she was not aware of its presence.
Ariff!
The child being carried by the woman is her child. Jullian stood up and stared intently at the woman who dared to take her son to a place full of dust.
"Hey you! Put my son down now!"
As the woman's figure turned around, Jullian reflexively rewinded his body. He did not notice the figure of the woman wearing the servant's clothes. He never saw any of his servants who had short hair. However, when he realized the figure, his anger raged for a moment.
"Arnetta... "
Arif who was in his carrier was reluctant to look at his face, because of fear.
"I'm sorry, sir. Young master doesn't want me to put it down" he said.
Arif who was in the sling of the woman's cloth moved his legs wrathfully. "My name is Arif, Mother. Not the young master. Who the hell is that young master? Naughty!"
Inevitably Jullian also circulated his gaze throughout the body belonging to the woman. His long hair disappeared and the servant uniform he wore formed that small body perfectly.
Goddamnit!
Jullian thought of kissing the woman if only he didn't notice the blank stare aimed at her. Arnetta felt nothing for him but emptiness.