KAYLA, The Substitute
The truth

Mama Hana and Kayla turn to each other as Dev hugs Adrian before parting ways.

The middle-aged woman could only wipe Kayla's arms as if strengthening her daughter who was staring at them with eyes puffy with tears.

"Maybe it's time for Nak Dev to know, he's also entitled to his son Kayla..... You have to understand, Mama wants everything to be good" Mama Hana told her daughter.

Kayla glanced at Mama and then glanced at Dev and Adrian who were not willing to part, she nodded in her heart she was happy to see her son meet Dev although not in a good way.

Also Kayla is relieved, Dev actually accepts Adrian as her son. Kayla's heart was deeply moved by the chemistry created between father and son despite only a few hours of meeting.

"Papa promised to come here often to visit you, don't be naughty don't bother Mama and Grandma Okay!!"

Adrian nodded.

"You were talking about dad, do you have a dad besides papa?" dev asked curiously since.

Adrian nodded back.

"Yes, my friend Rafi's father's name is Gilang. I call him Gilang's father, he likes to play here when he's off work."

The plain answer from Adrian made Dev look at Kayla questioningly.

"He's my husband!" kayla answered quickly as she approached her son.

Dev frowned in wonder, there was a look of disappointment when he heard the word husband, but there was also a sense of disbelief.

"really? I can't believe it!" sahut Dev is standing again.

"Indeed you think I'm not selling? I'm married to Bang Dev" Kayla said.

Dev looked at his son, "Is it true that your mother said?"

Adrian smiling.

"I don't know if you're married, but people say you're still a widow!" adrian answered plain.

Kayla became clumsy herself.

"You're not talented to lie, baby!" dev grabbed the hand of his ex-wife.

Immediately Kayla brushed her off while pulling Adrian from Dev.

"I mean I'm engaged, so don't touch me!!" kayla said in a sharp tone while revealing her ring finger that had coiled a ring there.

Dev glanced at the ring for a moment.

"Newly engaged, not married, right?" said Dev chuckling.

Kayla could only be silent and then turned the other way to avoid her ex-husband's gaze.

"Adrian, let's get you changed. Remember we had an event at the store, you forgot?" invite the grandmother who does not want Adrian to hear the adult conversation.

Adrian nods, Dev sees Adrian disappearing back with the grandmother entering the house. Dev looked at Kayla again as he approached.

"Go, we're going to the store now!" kayla said avoiding Dev who approached her.

"I'm sorry, I think you're still alone" Dev said.

Kayla just kept quiet without looking.

"You didn't ask about Nika?" fishing Dev.

Kayla finally turned her head as well, hearing Nika's name mentioned somehow her heart returned weak.

"Title my regards to your wife, sorry Bang Dev I don't want to bring up the past. Go home!"

Dev nodded, "I understand, but you should know Nikayla has been wanting to see you lately. And it's lucky I came to this town and we met."

Taking a deep breath Dev looked at Kayla meaningfully.

"Your best friend is sick Kayla, she's sick."

Hearing that Kayla returned Dev's gaze.

"What do you mean Bang Dev? Nika's sick?"

Dev nodded.

"He's very sick."

Dev grabs Kayla's hand, with my eyes Dev continues, "He's been dying to meet you, even we've been looking for you since the wedding. You disappeared long ago Kayla, there's a lot going on between us."

Kayla became interested in hearing her. The woman complied without rebutting as Dev pulled her to sit on the porch bench.

Dev clasped his ex-wife's hand tightly.

"His disease relapsed after we got married, taking years he survived with a slowly increasing stage. At its peak a few months ago, the cancer had already spread to the lungs and now to the uterus."

Kayla closed her mouth as if in disbelief.

"Bang Dev, is this serious?"

Dev nodded slowly.

"Fortunately our daughter was born before the doctor said her uterus had to be removed, Nika forced her to get pregnant among her pains, and God allowed her to become a mother in the midst of our bland relationship since marriage."

"And as evil as I am, I can't love her anymore even now. I just don't want to be a loser for the second time hurting a woman, let alone she's sick and needs someone to stand by. I've been with her until now, hoping for a cure but the doctor says something else."

"Some time ago, the doctor said maybe this is the final stage for Nika to survive, she lost you since she knew the truth about us, Nika wanted to meet you Kayla."

"In the rest of her life, the pain that is now gnawing her is really severe, she wants to meet you Kayla, even for a long time we have been looking for your whereabouts but not a single piece of information you moved anywhere."

Hearing all of that made Kayla cry again even felt her chest tight imagining how much she was suffering Nikayla faced such pain.

"Bang Dev, where is Nika now?"

"We're still in the city you left behind, he's in the hospital. Accompanied by his father and mother when I could not accompany him. I'm here for the seminar, just two days tomorrow I'll be back home on her third chemotherapy schedule."

"You know what's the saddest? Our little daughter who couldn't feel the warmth of a mother's embrace since she was born, Nika was seriously ill since giving birth."

"Good is God's business, but if I can please meet him, Nika keeps mentioning you lately."

Kayla cried as she pressed against her increasingly painful chest to hear every sentence from her ex-husband's mouth.

Even Kayla was unable to make a sound to answer Dev at this moment other than the sobs that were feeling bitter. Kayla did not expect Nikayla to experience such a thing.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened to you before we parted, sorry about my Mama who disliked and insulted you and Mama Hana. Believe me he's not as bad as you think he is, maybe this apology doesn't mean much to you anymore, but Kayla..... You should know, our breakup really made me lose love and confidence."

"I couldn't choose between you and my parents at the time, but it was triggered by a moment's emotion when I saw you slap my mother. I'm really sorry" said Dev with deep regret.

He clasped Kayla's hand and Kayla did not avoid eye contact between them at this time.

"I'm happy to meet you today, I'm happy to know that we have a fruit of love that perpetuates something that we were once together, even though now you might have someone else. It's okay."

Again, Kayla caught a disappointed look on Devano's face and eyes.

"I'm happy to be able to say everything I've wanted to say all this time, about Adrian I really had no intention of taking him away from you. Just give me a chance to be close to our son? I'll come visit her often."

Kayla nodded with tears.

"Thank you for looking after and raising Adrian so well, I'm so wrong with you Kayla, I'm sorry."

"You're the woman who took my heart until now, I love you Kayla, I love you until now."

"I see you're living well now, I'm relieved. If my parents weren't that naive, maybe we'd be happy now."

"I forgive you Bang Dev, I also understand your position as the son of an esteemed official. I've also forgotten about your parents' treatment, I've recounted what happened in the past. Life doesn't always have to be regretted."

"Didn't we end well, I want everything to be good now. I'm not going to ban your rights to Adrian, I'm glad you can take it. Let's have a better relationship than we used to, now we have Adrian, we can accompany the process of growth together even though we are not destined to be full parents for him."

"I'll see Nika if I have time" Kayla continued.

Dev nodded, his smile rising as he looked at Kayla who was now so mature in thought.

"I'm going back to the hotel, tomorrow I'm going to stop by before I go home to see Adrian."

Kayla nodded, waving to Dev who was now slowly lost in the corner.

Long Kayla was fixated, she felt her chest, there were thousands of flavors that were hard to express. To be sure, it was a relief that Dev received Adrian with open arms. But the name Nikayla started to make him think hard.

"I'll meet you Nika, you're my best friend."

####

His authority mewekkk 😭😭😭 oath.