The Dilemma in Silence
Intentionally Ignoring It

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Hudda's cell phone alarm rang mute Malini's sense of hearing while still sleeping. After opening his eyes, he saw the sun had shone out there from the window vents. His body acted quickly, he sat up and raised his hand to pat Hudda on the back to wake her up. However, given the events of last night, his mood turned bad, he pulled his hand and got up from the mattress without turning off the alarm that kept mute the room.

Malini's legs move heavy out of the room with a feeling of unbearable. He knew the reason Hudda turned on the alarm was because she thought she wouldn't wake him. The foot stopped stepping on the doorway, Malini turned her head back, noticing Hudda's innocent face while sleeping which made her feel guilty. However, pain also felt in her heart when her husband's affair haunted her.

"No. He did that, which means he can take care of himself." Malini continued walking out of the room while pulling the door to close it with a loud slam.

Instantly, the sound of a door slam drew Hudda's body's startled response until she woke up. His left hand felt on the table beside the bed, he took his phone with his eyes still closed. After the device was in hand, Hudda rubbed her eyes with her left hand and slowly opened her eyes, the time on the phone screen that was in line with her expectations when she woke up that morning. His body turned sideways to the right. Emptiness was found, Malini was not beside him..

"He ignored me. Lini must have heard my alarm earlier, she deliberately did not wake me up. I'm also wrong, it's appropriate for him to behave like that" Hudda said with a sad face.

***

Hudda into the kitchen in a light blue shirt suit that is tangled and the tie is not neatly attached. Her hair was not combed because she had forgotten. He was in a hurry and only drank a glass of milk and a piece of bread that was on the table in a standing position.

Inara, the mother-in-law, and Tanum, the middle-aged maid in the house, who was sitting next to Jenaka, noticed. Malini wasn't there, she was in the room.

"Sit down first. Don't be in such a hurry," Inara scolded as she swept the sarikaya jam over her bread using a knife.

"Can't, Ma. There was an important meeting with the client" Hudda replied.

"Ma. I'm off to work. Bi Tanum, take the kids to school. Then, pick them up according to the schedule I described last night," Malini said as she walked to the table and picked up the supplies she would bring to work.

"For your husband? You don't care about it? Look, her clothes are not neat and you're not preparing her breakfast either. What kind of wife are you?" Inara is angry to see Hudda ignored.

Malini was silent and looked at Hudda with a flat face. But, inwardly, he felt angry and resentful. He put his provisions and his briefcase on the table, then took a small bushel and put the fried rice that was also served on the dining table. After that, he grabbed Hudda's right wrist and pulled her, leading her back to the room with a cold face. She closed the bedroom door after being inside, she stripped the suit and shirt attached to her husband's body by unbuttoning it.

"no need. I'm in a hurry." Hudda held Malini's hand which would remove the buttons of her shirt.

"not for you. At least keep the good name of our relationship in front of Mama. I don't want him to think, let alone be disappointed after knowing the truth." Malini spoke in a cold tone and her hands moved quickly taking off the light blue shirt and ironing it, deftly. 

A few minutes later, he re-attached the shirt to Hudda's body, as well as the tie. A cold face lingered, but Hudda smiled because she realized her wife could not bear to see her appearance was ignored.

"Why smile? Nothing funny" said Malini harshly. 

Malini left the room and returned to the kitchen. After reaching the kitchen, he took a briefcase and food, then put Inara's hand in his hand and kissed her two foreheads before leaving the house. 

Today Malini will be working in a property company recommended by Rangga. The man took care of everything until it did not take long for him to find a job or enter a job application. 

After spending nearly fifteen minutes on the trip, Malini arrived at the company building where he was going to work. He reached into his cell phone from his bag and contacted someone with the name Agung. His position at that time was still in the car and looked at the front of the large and tall building.

"Yes. Just wait for me in my room. I am now on my way to the office. After that, we have a meeting with a client at the Stanum cafe. You've learned everything I explained to you yesterday, right? I entrust it to you," replied Agung, the CEO of Lantern Jaya company who spoke with him via telephone yesterday.

The man in a leather suit that was the same color as his pants was driving a car in the crowd of the road. He seemed happy to welcome Malini to work with him and was not busy alone anymore.

"Yes," replied Malini, a little hesitant.

The man nodded his head and smiled. The phone connection was disconnected and his hand switched to typing the message to be sent directly to Rangga.

'My task is done. Now it's your turn.'

Notification of the message from the man went into the phone Rangga who was busy playing a laptop at his desk facing and side by side with some ordinary employees who were equivalent to him. Rangga smiled happily, making Anisa tease him for thinking that the man had just gotten a sweet temptation from his lover.

"Focus!" Anisa brushed off Rangga's shoulder while smiling while walking in the back. 

Rangga noticed Anisa's departure with a shy smile, he realized that he had fallen for the mother of two children. However, he also consciously had to hide and limit those feelings. 

***

"It's nice to meet you. Turns out Rangga was right, it seems like you are the right person to be my secretary. Then, we leave now," take Agung and stand up. .

They just spoke for a moment. Agung wants to find out how the Malini characters are because they just met for the first time. Previously, Agung only heard stories about Malini from Rangga. 

"Thank you" said Malini, smiling a little embarrassedly. 

Agung nodded his head with his forehead slightly furrowed while smiling looking at Malini's face which made him slightly interested in the woman. 

"Come on!" The great again led him out of the room. 

Malini and Agung, they will go to the Stanum cafe to meet working partners who want to use their services. They were in a car driven directly by Agung. The car belonged to that man. 

A few minutes on the way, they arrived at the Stanum cafe. Malini walked beside Agung by hugging the map containing several hotel building designs that Agung sent last night.

Malini's move slowed down after seeing Hudda was one of those they would meet. She did not expect that her husband was also there and would be a great competitor to get the project to make the hotel. 

"Good morning, Mr. Santo. Good morning everyone," Grand greeting while shaking the hand of Saint, the man who will choose one of them to get the project. 

In addition to shaking the hand of Santo and the two men who came with him, Agung also shook Hudda's hand. Doni too, Hudda's confidant who came to replace Anisa at the meeting.

Hudda's gaze did not shift from Malini, though she still shook hands with Agung. His expression and Malini were both shocked, until silence was speechless. The direction of Agung's eyes was also fixed on Malini who was standing beside him, one of his eyebrows rose with a frowned frown confused at the look on their faces.