Chapter 5 PART 5. GIVE UP

Aisa, breathing heavily, stood in front of the grand gate of the luxurious house, which belonged to Lady Merlin. She then pressed the doorbell button located near the large gate.

A burly man, who was the security guard of the house, opened the gate. He furrowed his brow upon seeing Aisa standing in front of him.

"Excuse me, who are you looking for?" the man asked.

"I'm looking for Lady Merlin, Sir. Can I meet her?" Aisa asked nervously, afraid that the burly man standing before her might refuse her entry.

"Have you made an appointment with Lady Merlin before?"

Aisa shook her head, as she hadn't made an appointment with the owner of the luxurious house. She didn't have time to inform the owner of her visit.

"I'm sorry, but you cannot meet Lady Merlin without an appointment. It's better for you to leave now," the man said, dismissively.

The man thought Aisa might be someone begging for donations since she was carrying a brown envelope containing a letter of agreement. He wanted to close the gate but was blocked by Aisa.

"Wait, Sir!" Aisa exclaimed.

"What now? I have a lot of work to do. It's better for you to leave now, or I'll call security to handle this!" the man threatened.

"Please summon Lady Merlin and tell her that Aisa has come," Aisa requested.

The man furrowed his brow.

"Wait a minute. This girl said her name is Aisa," he mumbled to himself.

"Wait here," the man instructed.

Aisa nodded.

The man closed the gate and entered the house to inform his employer about Aisa's arrival.

"What is it?" Merlin asked while enjoying a cup of hot coffee in her hands.

"There's a girl outside who claims her name is Aisa," the man replied, bowing.

"Aisa! Are you sure she said her name is Aisa?"

The man nodded.

"She finally gave in," Merlin said with a smile.

"Let her in," she continued.

The man bowed and went out to call Aisa. He opened the gate and asked Aisa to come in.

"Thank you."

Aisa walked inside to meet Lady Merlin. At this moment, she felt very nervous. It felt like she was licking her own spit. Aisa vividly remembered how boldly she had rejected Merlin's offer before. Yet here she was, going to the owner's house without being asked to come.

"So, what's your decision? Weren't you the one who firmly held onto your dignity earlier?" Merlin said as she approached Aisa, who was sitting on the living room sofa.

Aisa bowed her head. "What's your decision? Weren't you the one who firmly held onto your dignity earlier?" Merlin said, looking sharp.

"I-I..." Aisa nervously squeezed her fingers. She was still unsure. Would she really sell her dignity for money? But if she didn't do it, her father's life would be at stake.

Aisa took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She finally made up her mind.

"I will accept your offer, but I have a condition."

Merlin furrowed her brow. She didn't expect the girl sitting in front of her to dare to set conditions.

"A condition!"

Aisa nodded.

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"I need sixty million rupiahs right now." Aisa let go of her ego. She felt embarrassed to ask for money in this way, but it was the price stated in the agreement.

Merlin smiled. "Alright. But before I give you the money, you have to sign this agreement," she said, opening the brown envelope Aisa brought earlier.

Merlin handed a pen to Aisa. Before telling Aisa to sign the agreement, she asked her to read it again. However, without hesitation, Aisa immediately signed the agreement.

"I have signed it. I hope you won't break your promise," Aisa said as she placed the pen on the table.

"Don't worry; I won't break my promise."

Merlin then contacted someone and instructed them to bring a check as soon as possible.

"What would you like to drink? I see that you're quite thirsty," Merlin offered.

"Thank you, but I'm not thirsty," Aisa declined.

Merlin was very curious why Aisa suddenly changed her mind and why she needed that much money.

"Why won't you tell me the reason for your change of heart? Don't you think I look like a good person in your eyes?"

Aisa shook her head.

"Then why won't you tell me what's troubling you?" she asked again.

"I'm sorry; I can't tell you the reason," Aisa replied, bowing her head.

"Do I appear evil to you?"

Aisa shook her head again.

"Then why won't you share your problems with me?"

"My father is currently in the hospital and needs to undergo surgery urgently. If he doesn't get the surgery soon, his life won't be saved." Tears started to well up in the corners of Aisa's eyes.

"Due to financial constraints, my father cannot afford the surgery. I need the money for my father's medical expenses," she continued. Aisa then wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.

Merlin didn't expect the girl to have such a kind heart. She felt sorry for the tragic fate that had befallen Aisa's family. She believed that she had made the right decision. The girl was indeed the right choice for her only son.

"After you receive the money, I hope you will move into this house immediately. I will also introduce you to my son."

"But I..."

"I don't like to be contradicted. That's an order. After you sign that agreement, your wedding with my son will be held soon. I don't like to procrastinate," she said firmly.

Aisa could only nod her head. She had no other choice but to follow Lady Merlin's request. Besides, she had already signed the marriage agreement. Now it felt like she no longer had any dignity left.

"I hope the decision I made is the right one. Only this way can I help my family and save my father from death's doorstep. Mother, Father, forgive me. I had to do all this. I hope you will understand why I did it," Aisa whispered to herself.

Finally, Aisa could breathe a sigh of relief because she had obtained the money needed for her father's surgery. But even so, Aisa still couldn't completely relax because she had lied to her family in order to get the money.