Galuh sat on the bench behind the café's kitchen. She leaned her back against the wall while dialing a series of numbers on her phone. Once she was sure the number was correct, she immediately pressed the call button. The ringing tone sounded on the other end, then was replaced by a man's voice.
"What is it, Mbak Galuh?" Arya's voice answered her call.
"You saved my number?"
"Of course. To make sure you don't run away," Arya chuckled. "What can I help you with?"
"Earlier… Mr. Wildan…"
"In a hurry?"
"Yes, he was in a hurry. He suddenly seemed different—"
"You mean when he caused a commotion by holding your hand in the office, making the whole building buzz?"
"What?" Galuh reacted quickly to Arya's words. She was truly shocked by the truth.
Arya's laughter was heard from the other end. "Of course it caused a stir. Our boss has never been romantically involved with any woman until now."
"Oh… that's embarrassing…"
"Relax. The gossip will die down on its own once Mr. Wildan finds a wife. Besides, right now he doesn't have time for things like that—except finding a bride. Especially since Mr. Cakrabuana collapsed again earlier and lost consciousness. He's probably at the hospital now."
"Oh, so that's why he was in such a hurry earlier?"
"Yes. Everyone is gathering at the hospital right now," Arya replied calmly. "Don't worry, everything is under control. In fact, there's a good chance that by tomorrow night, Mr. Wildan will officially introduce Ms. Celine as his future wife."
"Ms. Celine? The one from earlier?"
"Yes, that Ms. Celine. Judging from the situation, it's very likely they'll end up getting married."
Galuh bit her lip, imagining Wildan sitting side by side with Celine—the beautiful woman she had just met earlier.
"But…"
"But?"
"That plan will be canceled if you're willing to accept Mr. Wildan's offer from before. I can guarantee everything will benefit you," Arya tried to persuade her. "Mr. Wildan is not the kind of man who breaks promises, especially agreements."
"Will I still be able to marry someone else in the future?"
"Of course. Because the marriage would be unofficial. And it would only last one week. After seven days, the agreement automatically ends. And one more thing—you'll receive an allowance of two hundred million for it."
"Why does it have to be one week?"
"As a formality, to show Mr. Cakra that Mr. Wildan is married, so it won't be exposed by the media. So… your position will be safe, Mbak Galuh."
"I'm scared…"
"Think it through carefully. I can guarantee it—trust me. Mr. Wildan is not someone who takes advantage of others." Arya paused. "Please let me know before seven tonight."
"Thank you for the information, Mas. I'll hang up now."
Galuh ended the call unilaterally. She didn't want to hear anything more from Arya. His words were just as terrifying as what she had imagined. All she could think about was herself and her father's survival. To her, her father was the only family she had left after her mother passed away several years ago.
"What should I do, Father? Am I an ungrateful person after Mas Wildan helped us—after he even saved my life more than once?"
Wildan drove his sports car through the silence of the night. His mind was blank, not a single thought crossing it. He only wanted to escape from a place that increasingly suffocated him day by day.
It wasn't his father's fault for forcing him to marry. Everything was done to silence unpleasant rumors among executives who were in—or had already entered—long-term business partnerships.
Rumors that shouldn't be believed, yet forced him to rack his brain, realizing that words alone would never be enough to deny them. They only needed proof that Wildan was not a man who was attracted to men.
The rumors didn't appear without reason. They arose because Wildan had never shown interest in any woman. He spent his time working, always accompanied by his assistant, Arya.
A car suddenly sped past and cut in front of Wildan's vehicle, snapping him out of his thoughts. He jerked the steering wheel to the left. Luckily, there was only grass along the roadside—no barriers or trees—allowing him to avoid an accident. The horn blared continuously, pressed unconsciously, until he realized it and stopped the car on the roadside, releasing his hand from the horn.
His chest pounded from shock and sudden panic. Wildan rubbed his face, turmoil clearly visible in his expression.
"Damn it," he muttered softly, cursing himself for losing control. "What's wrong with me? Why did I lose control like that?"
Night had grown late as Galuh walked slowly toward her home, about two blocks away. Usually, she would quicken her pace when returning home late. But tonight, for some reason, her thoughts urged her to walk slowly.
Arya's words during their phone call still echoed in her ears—things beyond reason that she had been forced to hear. Now she was torn between ignoring them or agreeing. On one hand, she didn't want to be labeled an ungrateful woman after Wildan had helped her multiple times, even saving her life.
But on the other hand, there were considerations that made her hold back to protect her dignity. Galuh was a woman who dreamed of a beautiful marriage—one she would remember for the rest of her life. A marriage based on love, something sacred, not something to be treated as a game.
"I would do anything to repay Wilda's kindness, my child," her father had said. "Please, you must understand that. Don't be someone who doesn't know gratitude. Do whatever it takes so we no longer owe him."
Galuh sighed again as she recalled her father's words. It was only natural for the elderly man to remind her. If her father knew that Wildan's request was an unofficial marriage, Galuh wasn't sure he would agree.
A long honk from a vehicle speeding up behind her startled Galuh. She quickly moved to the side of the road, bracing herself in case the car lost control and hit her.
The quiet night made drivers reckless. They might not even realize there were pedestrians on the road.
Galuh watched a black car suddenly stop on the roadside, while the other car sped away. Her instincts pushed her to move toward the stopped vehicle. She tried to convince herself that the driver was okay.
She quickened her steps into a run. As she got closer to the black car, it felt strangely familiar, though she couldn't recall where she had seen it before. She peered inside through the dark-tinted window, but couldn't see anything. Unable to see inside, she finally knocked on the window.
"Excuse me, are you okay?" There was no response. Galuh grew more anxious, imagining what might have happened to the driver. "Hello? Can you hear me? Are you alright?"
The car door suddenly opened, and the figure stepping out made Galuh freeze in shock—unable to believe what her own eyes were seeing. Bitterness instantly washed over her.
***