Trapped Hearts Find Love

Sweet bread meets coffee; it tastes the best when enjoyed together. While discussing the future, which is just around the corner, amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy downtown market. Oh, heart, who can resist it? Especially when your gaze falls on the enchanting girl sitting gracefully beside you, making your heart work double time.

"Tom," says the sweet lady wearing a long-sleeved pink shirt. Her glossy black hair is neatly tied back. Her face, lightly touched with makeup, already has the guy falling harder.

Is this what it feels like to be continuously in love? Everything is beautiful, until you forget that bombs can drop and shatter your heart.

"Yes, darling," the guy quickly responds. The coffee he enjoyed moments ago is still hot. He takes a sip and then grabs another piece of bread. Maybe this is already the third piece that's entered his mouth. As he waits, he wonders what the woman wants to say. But the girl next to him remains silent. Is she feeling unwell? "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

She had some doubts about continuing her speech, but if she doesn't speak now, when will she? She still remembers the conversation with her parents.

"Have you thought carefully about marrying Thomas?"

Initially, the girl, Diana, had served hot tea to her parents with a smile. When asked like that, her smile disappeared. "Huh? Dad, that's a strange question. I'm sure, why else would I have accepted Thomas's proposal?"

The middle-aged man called Dad sighed softly. "Listen, Da. You should think about what Thomas does for a living. He's just a regular employee. He's even on contract. While you have a permanent job at a reputable company. You're well-established. There's a big difference."

"Listen to your father," her mother chimes in.

Diana was stunned. "But Dad and Mom gave their blessing to Diana. Accepting Thomas's proposal. What's going on, Dad? Mom?"

Her dad sighed again. "Actually, Dad doesn't approve. Dad won't approve for how long either. You're the one who was too thrilled to be proposed to by that guy. What's so great about him?"

"But, Dad," Diana interrupted again. "I've already started preparing everything with Thomas. He's coming to propose next month. Dad knows, right?"

Andi and Rieka exchanged glances. "Cancel it then."

"What's really going on?" Diana still couldn't believe her parents' words. "Why are Dad and Mom like this?"

"Dad would prefer it if you married Ardi," Rieka spoke up this time. "Look at his stable job. He has a house too. Thomas? What do you expect from him?"

Diana gave repeated objections, but both of them, her beloved parents, remained steadfast in their decision. It was as if they didn't care about the feelings and the relationship Diana and Thomas were building.

"Honey?" Thomas called softly. He had been waiting for his girlfriend to speak. "What's wrong? You've been daydreaming."

Nervously, Diana swallowed her saliva. Then her eyes dropped, her hands intertwined. She started fidgeting in her seat. "I'm sorry," she said softly. That was after she gathered the courage to speak up. For Diana, Thomas was a good and polite young man. She loved him with all her heart. But her parents?

Diana became even more perplexed.

"Sorry for what, darling?" Thomas Adam, the man who had been faithfully by the girl's side, furrowed his brow in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Tom. No." Diana shook her head quickly. "It's not you who's wrong. It's me."

Thomas was getting more confused.

"Darling..." Diana squeezed her hands. She couldn't bring herself to speak further. Her eyes were blurred with tears.

"Speak clearly, honey," Thomas insisted. "What's going on?"

Their eyes met. Thomas could clearly see that his girlfriend's eyes were welling up with tears. His hand moved slowly to touch her cheek, at least to wipe away the traces of tears that were about to fall, in hopes of easing her sadness, whatever the cause.

"I've been proposed to by someone else, Thomas."

A man in a neatly pressed long-sleeved shirt with a well-tied tie, slicked-back hair, thin-framed square glasses, perfectly ironed black cotton pants, and shiny dress shoes wrapped his tall and well-built frame. He made sure to showcase his sharp appearance every day; it was a must for every employee in the Senayan branch.

Polite and neat.

For him, a polished appearance was not only polite but also had added value when serving customers, whether they came with complaints or pockets full of cash. Especially for the front liners and customer service, there was an additional requirement they had to adhere to: clear smile. If that was missing, get ready to be scolded by the man who was now looking at his subordinates one by one for almost the entire day.

Monday briefings were something the man never missed. Thomas Adam, the man's name, was as sturdy as a brand-new plywood sheet bought at a hardware store. He continued to implement all the procedures desired by the head office to this day. It was no surprise that Thomas often received awards as the most disciplined Branch Manager throughout Senayan.

His career could be considered smooth; his career progression had been somewhat stalled at the supervisor level for a while. But when a big promotion came along, not to mention a significant one, Thomas's name was at the top of the list to serve as the Branch Manager of the SAVEFUND bank branch in the Central Business District (CBD).

"Mrs. Marta," he called out to the deputy branch manager, a fairly attractive woman. His call made the owner of the name turn her head.

"Yes, sir?"

"Extra points for this morning's briefing from me, please pay more attention to the front liners. Serve customers with sincerity as per our slogan."

"Of course, sir," Marta replied with a faint smile. Her lips, painted in a soft red shade, added to her allure. "Is there anything else?" She also dared to look at the handsome and gallant man standing beside her. The light blue color of the shirt he was wearing that morning added to Thomas's handsome and gallant demeanor.

"That's all."

After Marta concluded this briefing, Thomas promptly returned to his office. Sometimes, Marta wondered, why did she have to lead the briefing when it was Thomas who talked the most about the reports read by all the employees? Why wasn't it her turn? If there was something wrong with her delivery, Thomas would protest, but he wouldn't say a word himself.

Annoying, right?

That was one of the many irritating things about Thomas. It was not uncommon for him to be the center of attention among the employees. Unfortunately, his handsome and charismatic appearance often came to his rescue.

The fossil on his left wrist pointed to eight in the morning. From the CCTV screen directly connected to his office, he could see that there were already several customers queuing around the counters, whether at the teller or heading towards customer service. Everything seemed to be under control. Thomas felt a little relieved. He could now focus on his other tasks, especially the issue of increasing the soft loan target that the CBD branch had to meet for customers applying for loans.

"The target is rising, but approvals are really tough," Thomas muttered quietly. He picked up one of the loan applications to review after it had passed the analyst's desk. For loan applications, Thomas had more responsibilities because he couldn't just approve them casually. He was pressured from two sides: the target and the outstanding customer arrears that were stuck.

He couldn't allow these two factors to shatter the image he had built. That's why he needed to concentrate on analyzing customer data more and consider whether it was worth granting a loan or not. Some he set aside to request additional information, while for some files, he only looked at the names. Typically, customers who received the green light from SAVEFUND had a good and smooth payment history.

His phone rang loudly, breaking his concentration slightly. His mother's name appeared on the screen, prompting him to sigh. He was pretty sure about what she was going to talk about. But if he didn't answer soon, he was afraid he'd be cursed as one of the disobedient children.

"Good afternoon, Mom," he greeted warmly. He loosened his tie a bit to relieve the sudden tightness he felt, and he leaned back in his big chair.

"You haven't even said hello yet," she scolded.

Thomas grinned. "If I don't respond to your greeting, you'll complain later."

"You're something else," his mother, Kalina, said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Where's your future son-in-law?"

"When will you ask about my well-being before asking about your future son-in-law?"

"As long as you answer the phone without groaning like you've been punched; I know you're in good health."

This time, Thomas sighed. "Your future son-in-law hasn't been born yet."

"Can't you answer a question without being so cheeky?"

"Can't you ask without making Thomas feel intimidated?"

There, Kalina successfully chuckled. "Do you consider your mother your boss?"

Nevertheless, Thomas still smiled faintly. He couldn't even count how many times his mother had asked about the prospective son-in-law he had yet to introduce to her. If he could count, it would probably be in the thousands. But Thomas still hadn't brought anyone with urgency. It was better to give a casual answer every time his mother asked than to let his heart ache from a love that had been broken.

"Don't stay single for too long, Thomas. Your mother is tired of being teased by the neighbors every day."

"Neighbors are like online CCTV, Mom. To avoid CCTV, it's better for you to stay at home. Besides, the government is recommending it, right?" Thomas quipped while suppressing a laugh.

"Do you think I've got COVID? Praying for me to be taken away by the Covid officers?" Kalina retorted with irritation.

"Mom, can you please not be so hasty with your words?" Thomas wasn't entirely comfortable with it, but because his mother often complained about this, he went along. "Neighbors won't be satisfied until they have their eyes on everyone else. Besides, it's Thomas who wants to get married, not the neighbors. Even if Thomas's wife isn't good, it will still be a topic of conversation. Does Mom want an unfit daughter-in-law?"

Kalina sighed softly. "Granting my wishes is so difficult."

"I've granted them before, but God and the universe didn't approve."

"Talking to you is hopeless," Kalina grumbled on the other end. "Never mind. When are you coming home? It's been a month since you last visited."

"As long as I'm not asked about a prospective son-in-law."

Thomas's ears weren't deaf to his mother's exasperated tone. She grumbled because her biggest wish couldn't be fulfilled by her son. What else could he do? Thomas was traumatized. The pain still lingered to this day. Until the phone call was disconnected, Thomas remembered events from the past.

Events that had changed his life, making him much more closed off than before. It had also hardened his heart, as if he had been washed up on the shores of the Bogor.

Every morning for Olive was a delight. Opening her eyes with a sparkle of happiness was a duty. So for Olive, it was just like any other morning. This morning too, she had to greet it with joy. She immediately put on a smile with a blush on her slightly chubby face. Her shoulder-length, somewhat reddish-blonde hair was tied up high. She already had her black backpack with a BTS keychain hanging on its right side slung over her shoulder.

She was ready to go to work. But before she actually left, bidding farewell to her mother was a must. Although...

"Mom," she whispered half-heartedly. She crouched down slightly to level herself with her deeply sleeping mother. "Olive's leaving. Breakfast is ready. Don't have coffee first, Mom. Cut down on cigarettes."

"Rude," her mother grumbled with a soft and husky voice. Her eyes still refused to open. She just shifted to change her reclining position. "Be careful on the road, Olive."

Olive smiled faintly. "Okay, Mom. Olive's leaving."

There was no response except for the rhythmic sound of her mother's breathing. She remembered opening the door to their small apartment around four in the morning for her mother. There was nothing Olive could do, let alone protest. She loved her mother with all her flaws, just as her mother undoubtedly loved Olive wholeheartedly without exception.

The girl sighed softly, patting her cheek gently, reaffirming to herself that the life they were living was just fine. Nothing had changed in the whirlwind of their lives. Olive believed that.

It didn't take her long to arrive at her workplace. "Good morning, everyone," Olive greeted cheerfully. Her face lit up with happiness as she looked at each of her coworkers who had arrived earlier.

"Surely you've had breakfast, that's why you're so energetic, right?" guessed one of her coworkers, Riana.

"Not yet. This is my breakfast bag," Olive lifted a plastic bag containing breakfast she had bought around her home. She needed a substantial breakfast this morning. Mondays were pretty busy, and she needed a lot of energy to deal with the many customers coming in. She didn't want to get an upset stomach just because she had lunch late. Although, to be more precise, her lunch breaks during work were never on time.

Working as a teller at a well-known private bank in Indonesia, Olive had to live with the consequences. She did her part as best as she could, trying not to stir up trouble and being friendly with everyone she knew. She behaved well with her superiors and chose to be the obedient one. Regardless of the office policies, Olive didn't join in protests or badmouthing.

"Hurry up and have breakfast, Liv. We have a briefing every Monday, you know."

Olive knew her work schedule. "Got it."

She quickly headed towards her locker, but before she even reached the employees' designated room, she stopped in her tracks. Someone was calling her. Darius Phillips.

"Yes, Darius?" Olive looked at the neatly dressed man in light blue uniform who was now in front of her.

"Just arrived?"

Olive answered with a small nod. "I was in a rush, haven't had breakfast yet. Have you?"

In return, Darius nodded.

"I'll have breakfast first, then. It's not even seven yet."

"Let's have lunch together later, okay? We'll eat at Alamasta."

Olive frowned. "That's unusual. Are you treating me?"

Darius chuckled. "Yeah, I'm treating you. But don't invite Riana, okay? Just the two of us."

"Are you asking me out?" Olive laughed heartily. "Wow, Darius-Darius, I thought you'd given up."

Darius smirked slightly. "Until the yellow bamboo bends, anyone can still get close to you, Liv."

Olive waved her hand playfully. "Okay, fine. Let's go with whatever Darius wants."

"Wow, I get greeted by my darling so early in the morning."

Olive's laughter only increased. "Come on, let's stop. I want to have breakfast. I'm not even properly dressed yet. I might get scolded by Ms. Sonia."

Darius allowed Olive to leave him behind. Until the small figure of the girl was no longer visible to him, he headed to his work station. In his eyes, Olive was a tough nut to crack. She was warm, always cheerful, rarely had a sad look on her face, but it was so hard to win her heart. Olive easily shared her sweet smiles with many people but not her attention. In the eight months he had known Olive, Darius was determined to make her his girlfriend. Maybe if God was kind, they could end up getting married. That was his hope. But conquering Olive was incredibly challenging.

The slightly curly-haired man sighed softly. He began to tidy up his desk before the Gajah Mada branch of SAVEFUND opened at eight o'clock, ready to serve its customers.

The morning briefing lasted only ten minutes. Most of it was to boost their spirits because they mostly worked face-to-face with customers. They couldn't afford to have their performance complained about because they weren't friendly or didn't make a good impression. As much as possible, even if they came in with unfriendly faces, complaints as high as mountains, and anger ready to devour anyone, those working as front liners still had to put on a smile. They had to serve and respond to customer complaints well.

"Oh, Olive, before you head down to the floor, I'd like to talk to you," Sonia said before closing the morning briefing. Almost everyone in the second-floor office of SAVEFUND turned their heads towards Olive. Their gazes mostly expressed curiosity about what was happening with Olive. While she herself was puzzled. Her mind raced, trying to recall what she might have done. Throughout her time as a teller at SAVEFUND, even though it hadn't been two years yet, she hadn't encountered any significant issues.

Everything went smoothly and proceeded as usual.

"Alright, Mrs. Sonia." There was nothing Olive could do but say 'yes,' right?

Once the briefing was over, Olive's steps didn't follow her colleagues. She chose to mimic the steps of the branch manager at her workplace, known for being firm and disciplined.

"Please have a seat, Olive," Sonia said with a faint smile. She also immediately opened her desk drawer, knowing that Olive had been watching her since earlier. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

"I'm scared. Did I do something wrong?"

Sonia chuckled softly. "No. Your performance has actually been good in recent months."

Olive sighed with relief. "But why was I called in?" She asked with curiosity in her tone.

"You're being transferred to the CBD central branch, Liv. You know that the CBD branch is the best one in Jakarta, right?"

Olive still hadn't responded to anything.

"One of the tellers is resigning because she's accompanying her husband on an assignment, Olive. You're being asked to replace her."

"Why me?" Olive wanted to protest.

"They don't want intern tellers there. And you're the top candidate to fill the position," Sonia explained wisely.

"Why does it have to be me, Mrs. Sonia?"

"Well, this is your opportunity to move up, Liv. Don't you want to become a head teller?"

"I do, Mrs. Sonia," Olive replied softly. "But..."

"No 'buts,' Liv. This is your opportunity. Mrs. Marta and Mr. Thomas over there will surely guide you. Don't think I'm just getting rid of you, not at all."

"I don't think like that, Mrs. Sonia," Olive quickly retorted.

Sonia's shoulders seemed to slump. "You don't know what rumors will circulate. I'm sure that's what you'll hear."

Olive didn't know what to say. Although there was a slight feeling like that because the transfer seemed sudden, seeing Sonia looking sad made Olive think it might not be as bad as she feared.

"I'm losing you, actually. Your work here is excellent, Liv. Rarely any mistakes. Disciplined too. Not much fuss, and, well... I admit you're meticulous and smart. Don't forget that your name often comes up as the friendliest teller in this branch."

Olive involuntarily chuckled.

"Since a week ago, I've been arguing to keep you. Everyone here is good and performs well. You have your flaws, they do too. But at least there's something more in you. And now, I have to let you go through the transfer."

Olive felt sad hearing Sonia's words.

"I can't do anything else when it's Mr. Matthew who makes the decision."

The blonde-haired girl looked bewildered. Who didn't know Matthew? A well-built athletic man with a fairly handsome face, but don't think he's easy to approach. Matthew was an Area Manager for SAVEFUND across Indonesia. Every decision he made was something that had to be done, including transferring Olive.

"What do you think?"

"They promise a three-month trial for you. If it goes well, Mr. Matthew will promote you to head teller."

A smile that was reluctant to appear on Olive's face began to emerge, albeit faintly.

"I really hope you can follow the flow there. Rise to become a head teller and become the best employee, even if it's not in this branch," Sonia sighed finally, but she quickly dispelled her displeasure because Olive had to go through this transfer.

"Alright, Mrs."

"Stay the Olivia Charlotte I know, alright?"

Olive laughed. "Have I turned into Sailor moon, Mrs.?"

They finally laughed together. Although Olive still felt a bit uncertain, at least Sonia's laughter and the expressions of this woman who was quite a bit older than Olive gave a unique impression.