"What was I born for?" Trisya asked.
Ardi didn't answer.
"Officer."
"Yes."
"Can I sleep at your place tonight?"
"What?"
"Can I crash at your place tonight?"
"How do you know where I live?" Ardi didn't answer.
"I used to follow you secretly because I was curious about you. I don't know why I was so nosy about your life after seeing you at the cafe with Aisyah that time."
"Oh."
"Can I?" Trisya asked again, this time looking at Ardi's face.
The house door opened and Dika appeared.
"Hey, Trisya?" Dika said.
Ardi quickly grabbed Trisya's shirt that was lying on the floor and put it on her.
"Am I interrupting? Sorry. I went straight in because the door wasn't locked. I just wanted to rest for a bit. I'm so sleepy. I can't make it home."
"Rest in the room. I'll take Trisya home. Come on, Sya."
"I don't want to!"
"Come on. It's not good for Dika to see us," Ardi whispered.
"Why?"
Ardi not answer it.
"I'm sleepy! I want to sleep," Trisya opened Ardi's bedroom door and walked in.
"Hey!" Ardi knocked on his bedroom door that Trisya had closed. "Goodness. Trisya!"
Dika looked at Ardi.
"I feel like I'm watching a married couple arguing," Dika said.
"Don't joke."
"Sorry. I didn't know you and Trisya were together. But it's your fault too. Why wasn't the door locked? But... since when did you dare bring the commander's daughter home? Oh yeah, one more thing. Can you do your adult scenes in the room?"
"Who's doing adult scenes?"
"She can enter your room, isn't it because she's been in there before? Come on... we're both grown men. Ah, it's awkward for me to interrupt. I'll just go home. I'll order an online motorcycle taxi."
"Hey."
"Relax. I'll keep my mouth shut and Mr. Richard and Mrs. Ariana won't know that their daughter is sleeping at your place tonight. Ok, have fun. Keep my motorcycle safe, okay?" Dika hurried out laughing.
Ardi sighed. He locked the door and walked towards his room. He knocked on the bedroom door.
"Sya, open the door."
There was no answer.
"Trisya! Stop joking! Open the door!"
"I don't want to, I want to sleep! You can sleep outside."
"I want to take a shower!"
"Your bathroom is outside, Sir?"
"My stuff is in my room!"
"Just take a shower tomorrow then!"
"Hey! This is my house! You're in my room! Why are you forbidding me to enter?"
"I'm only wearing underwear. If you come in, you'll sleep with me! You're not an angel who won't be tempted when you see a woman's body?"
Ardi was silent.
"Whatever!" He left the place.
Ardi sat on the sofa. He reached for a cigarette. He lit it and took a drag.
The bedroom door opened. Trisya came out.
"Put out your cigarette, Bang!"
"Why?"
"I don't like it, the smoke bothers me."
"Whatever. This is my house."
"Put it out!"
"Who are you?"
"I want to sleep!"
"Then go home!"
Trisya frowned, she walked towards Ardi. She reached for Ardi's hand to take the cigarette.
"What do you want?"
"Put it out! The smoke makes me suffocate!"
"This is my house. If you want to stay here, just follow my rules!" Ardi retorted, raising his arm that Trisya was pulling.
Making the woman fall into his lap.
"If you want to get sick from that cigarette, don't involve me! Here!"
"What's wrong with you? Coming to my house late at night and making a mess? Didn't you see Dika's reaction? I don't know what's on his mind seeing you here."
"Let it be!"
"You..."
Suddenly Trisya kissed Ardi's lips.
"Which is better, Sir? Smoking cigarettes or kissing my lips?" Trisya whispered.
"Don't start again, Sya!"
Trisya put her arm around Ardi's neck.
"Why?"
"I know you're having problems, but don't create new ones," Ardi said.
Trisya was silent. Soon she looked at Ardi's face with teary eyes.
"Why was Mom so cruel to sell me, Sir?" Trisya cried. "I was already shocked by the appearance of my biological father. Mom could actually ask that old man to come and take me away."
Ardi looked at Trisya's face.
"I really don't want them! Ariana and Maulana! Can you just make them die? Or should I disappear from this earth?? Do you know that I'm so tired of this life?"
Ardi reached out his hand, pulling Trisya into his embrace. Trisya's tears broke out in Ardi's arms.
*****
Richard put down his phone. He had just finished receiving a call from Ardi informing him that Trisya was spending the night at his place.
"Where's Trisya?" Ariana asked.
"At Ardi's place."
"What? What is she doing there? I'll go get her!"
"Let her rest there. Ardi said Trisya is already asleep. It's not good to wake her up. Poor thing."
"That child is really crazy! She can sleep peacefully after making everyone upset!"
"She's sick!"
"More like crazy! Maybe it's time to send her to a mental hospital!"
"Why don't you have any empathy for your child?"
"What does she want to do sleeping at Ardi's place? It's obvious Ardi is single. There's no one else at his place besides him. What will Aisyah's family say if they know there's a woman sleeping at his place?"
"What does it have to do with Aisyah? Ardi can just say that his boss's daughter is having problems. She's having a fight with her mother."
"Isn't Aisyah Ardi's future wife?"
"Who said that? That's just the parents' wish. The kids haven't thought about a serious relationship yet. Besides, poor Trisya. She's probably shocked to hear your wish to hand her over to Steven."
"Stop defending her, Richard! Don't keep covering up her mistakes!" Ariana reprimanded.
"Can you stop arguing with her all the time?"
"It will only stop if she leaves forever! That dramatic woman should never have come back home so she wouldn't cause trouble! Didn't she used to love Steven? She was happy there!"
"That man hurt your child!" Richard reminded.
Ariana laughed.
"She ran away because Steven's business went down! She's very good at spinning stories! And after being here, she depends on you! I don't know how many people she's played and chased after. She's taking shelter with you so no one can touch her!"
"How can you keep blaming her and even defend that man? You don't even know Steven?"
"I don't know Steven but I know my child very well!"
"How long will you keep being hostile towards your own child?"
"Why am I being blamed?"
"If you can't make peace with her, why don't you let Maulana take her? Why are you so cruel to return her to Steven?"
"You're not happy about her being taken by Steven, are you? Why? Are you starting to love her? Don't you realize that I want to save your life, Maulana's life even though I hate him? She destroyed her mother's marriage with the excuse of revenge. Isn't it possible that she will destroy her biological father's marriage too?"
"I'm starting to love her. Why? Because I see your insanity!"
"What?!"
Richard immediately went upstairs, leaving Ariana stunned and disbelieving what she had just heard.
"Trisya, someday I will make you regret destroying me!"