Chapter 5 Betrayal

Sent!

I sent Faiz's number to Putri's phone. Whatever, I have bigger problems to deal with.

That night, when Rama got home, I could barely contain myself, bombarding him with questions. My heart was boiling with anger at a husband who kept so many secrets.

"So where's the rest of your salary? Why didn't you tell me it went up? Where did the other two million go? I've had to start selling online because we're short on money. How could you!"

Rama didn't answer, taking a slow sip of his hot coffee. He didn't care about my anger boiling over.

"Calm down, Nai, don't blow up. Think about your pregnancy!"

"Calm down? Am I your wife or not? I'm not asking for your money to keep for myself. It's for the house, for food, for your child. I'm selling online now because I need money for the delivery. Why won't you be honest with me?"

"I'm saving the money for Mira's future. Remember, I told you, you're just Mira's stepmom. No one knows what the future holds. I'm worried you'll pay more attention to your own child than to Mira. So, I'm making sure my child's needs are covered from now on."

He answered so calmly, without concern even as I winced from the contractions in my belly. He grabbed his motorcycle keys to head out.

"Where are you going? This late at night?"

Rama scoffed, shrugging my hand off his arm. "To Cafe Bintang to watch the game. It's boring here."

As the sound of his motorcycle faded away, his phone began to ring. He had forgotten to take it with him.

I stared at the screen showing a call from a woman. Mayang-that was the name on the contact.

Just as I reached to answer, the call ended. I was itching to interrogate him, but I was startled to see his phone was locked.

Since when did he use a PIN? It was never locked before, which is why I never checked it, trusting him instead.

Not long after, Rama came back to grab his phone. I stopped his hand before he could reach it.

"Who's Mayang? She just called you."

Rama looked calm, then said, "A coworker."

Again, the same answer. What could I do? His work environment was full of people. Men and women. It wasn't possible to investigate every person named Mayang.

Rama left, just as a message from Faiz popped up on my phone.

[The woman's name is Mayang. Do you know her?]

All these problems were making me feel overwhelmed. I quickly sent a reply to my ex.

[Please don't interfere with my life, Iz. I just want to focus on my delivery. Your messages are just stressing me out more. If he's cheating, so be it. It's not your business either.]

I was furious. After Faiz read the message, I blocked his contact immediately. Truly, I didn't want to add any more stress. My pregnancy was what mattered most.

"Bang, my feet are swollen. They hurt. My hands are a bit numb too. Can you give me a massage?"

Rama didn't respond when I spoke. I had just put Mira to bed, and he was only busy with his phone.

"Bang!"

Rama scoffed. "I'm the one working all day. I'm the one who's tired. I should be the one getting a massage."

I was speechless. After our last argument about his salary and my recent doctor's appointment, his behavior had changed. He seemed completely indifferent, pulling up his blanket and turning his back on me. He was more interested in using his fingers to scroll through social media than to massage me.

"My due date is in about a week," I reminded him.

"Oh, right!"

Rama jumped up, looking surprised. "I forgot. I have to go out of town in three days for work. Is it okay if I'm not here? It's not like you'll give birth exactly on the due date."

"Yes, but I could go into labor earlier, couldn't I?"

Annoyed by his indifference, I left him and went to the kitchen to eat something. Half an hour later, when I came back, Rama was already asleep, his phone in his hand. Just then, a notification popped up on his screen.

[We'll meet there, yeah? I'll bring Yudha.]

A message from someone named Mayang. I wanted to investigate further, but his phone was still locked.

"Once this baby is born, I'll ask everything to clear up this suspicion," I said to myself.

"Mama, what's wrong?"

Mira kept asking me because she saw me wincing in pain, holding my stomach.

"It hurts, dear. I think your little sibling is coming."

"Call Papa, Mama."

"Papa just left this morning for Kisaran," I said, still holding my belly.

The contractions were clearly a sign that labor was near. I had packed a bag with everything I needed for the hospital just yesterday, and I grabbed it quickly. Making sure the door was locked, I decided to take Mira to my mom's house first.

"Wak Dalang," I called to the neighbor who drove a motorized pedicab.

"Yes, Miss Nai?"

"Could you take me to my mom's house?"

"Oh, Miss Nai, are you going to give birth?"

Quickly, Wak Dalang grabbed my bag. He took me to my mom's house first, so I could leave Mira there. I was surprised to see a white car parked outside. It was Faiz's. Since I'd blocked his number, we hadn't communicated. Faiz looked worried as he walked over to me.

"What's wrong, Nai?"

"I think I'm having contractions, Iz. The baby's coming."

Without hesitation, Faiz helped me into his car, even though I tried to refuse because of Putri's intense stare. My mom took Mira inside to stay with Dad. The car quickly took me to the hospital for delivery. During the drive, my mom tried to contact my husband.

"Have you called Rama, Nai?"

"He's probably on the road, Mom. He left for Kisaran this morning for work."

I kept repeating prayers, asking for safety and strength for me and my unborn baby. The child I'd waited for during these past nine months.

"Rama..."

I kept calling his name, feeling let down. I looked at my phone again, where I'd sent a photo of the beautiful baby girl I gave birth to yesterday. Rama only opened it and didn't even call to ask how I was.

"Nai!"

My mom approached me, holding a large green bag. "I'm taking this home-your dirty clothes and other things. The doctor said your baby needs to get her immunization today, but you can go home tomorrow. I'll switch off with Putri later. She's on her way."

"Alright, Mom."

"Where is your husband? Your wife just gave birth, and he's nowhere to be found? He hasn't even called."

I just gave a faint smile in response, to hide my embarrassment. He was the husband my parents chose for me. Without love, I tried to endure the marriage. I took care of his daughter like my own. At such an important moment as this, his so-called words of love meant nothing.

Over and over, I cried. The pain in my body, and the heartache of a husband's betrayal disguised as love.

"What about your in-laws? Have you told them, Nai?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Your husband and in-laws are all the same. They live nearby too. It's been two days since you gave birth, and your in-laws haven't even come to see you."

"Maybe they're busy, Mom."

I tried to ignore my husband's and in-laws' absence. I had to stay strong because I was now a mother to two beautiful daughters.

"Thank goodness for Faiz, Nai. Without him, who would handle all the paperwork and administrative stuff?" said Mom.

It wasn't my husband but my ex who was by my side. A knock sounded at the door. Putri came in, followed by Faiz, carrying a basket of fruit to place on the table.

"Mom, you can go home now. I'll take over," said Putri.

"Who's Mira with, Putri? With Dad? Poor Dad, he must be exhausted," I asked.

"Yes, with Dad. Sister Ayu also came by earlier. Mom wants to go home to switch off with me."

Since then, I avoided looking directly at Faiz, who was there for me. I felt so awkward, and I hadn't even expressed my gratitude. I wanted to speak freely, but I was all too aware that this man was now growing close to Putri, my younger sister.