Ajeng gazed forlornly at the wedding dais ahead. It should have been her getting married to Erwin, but the wedding was called off when Elis unexpectedly declared she was pregnant with her fiance's child.

Two hours before the vows, chaos erupted and couldn't be contained, leading to the family's unanimous decision to replace the bride.

Erwin ultimately pronounced his marriage vows to Elis, who was in fact Ajeng's cousin.

"Come on, sis, let's go inside, don't just sit here, especially in your wedding dress," said Nia, Ajeng's younger sister.

The woman in the white kebaya wept but quickly wiped away her tears.

Her chest felt unbearably tight. Ajeng made brief eye contact with Erwin, but she quickly looked away.

Wasn't this a disgustingly bitter betrayal?

She wished to disappear from that place.

"Let's," Ajeng replied weakly.

That evening, Ajeng secluded herself in her room, which had been decorated as a bridal chamber.

A knock at the door interrupted the 21-year-old's reverie. Ajeng didn't pursue college; after high school, she immediately began working as a nanny for her neighbors.

"Ajeng, why are you locked in your room? Won't you come out for dinner?" asked Ibu Tri, Ajeng's mother.

"No, I'm not hungry."

"Don't be like that. Just forget about Erwin and Elis; they betrayed you. I wouldn't tolerate a son-in-law like that!"

Ajeng cried again, unable to express the suffocation in her chest.

"I want to leave, Mom. I can't stay here any longer," Ajeng said earnestly, speaking between sobs.

"Where will you go?" her mother inquired.

"I'll go with Bi Ratih to Jakarta."

"Alright then, get ready tonight. You'll leave for Jakarta in the morning."

Ibu Tri supported her daughter's decision; what was the point of staying if she would only be the subject of neighborhood gossip? Rumors were spreading, turning Ajeng into the third party.

Ibu Tri herself was disgusted, so this was her resolve.

Ajeng began to pack, determined to push through, even if a storm awaited her the next day. She had to leave this village behind.

And with it, all the bitter memories that she knew wouldn't fade easily.

Taking a bus, Ajeng headed for the city of Jakarta.

*I curse your marriage to never know happiness*\, she silently swore.

"I won't return to this village until I'm successful and find the perfect husband."

Ajeng was resolute. Now, not even tears flowed from her eyes.

At 5 p.m., Ajeng arrived at Bi Ratih's house, a coordinator for domestic help and nannies.

"Masha Allah, you've finally arrived, Jeng. I was starting to worry you were delayed," Bi Ratih greeted her.

"I was confused by the bus routes here; they're so different. Luckily, I didn't get lost."

"Come in, it's nearly time for Maghrib prayer."

Bi Ratih knew why Ajeng had come. She was furious; Elis and Ajeng were her nieces, and she could hardly believe Elis had done such a thing.

"Ajeng, I have a job for you, but it's a challenging one."

"What is it?"

"It's a nanny position."

"That's easy enough."

"The child is quite mischievous."

"All kids are a bit naughty."

"So you'll take it?"

"Yes, absolutely. Even if the child wears me out, I'll not give up. I really don't want to go back to the village."

"Okay, I'll take you there tomorrow."

Bi Ratih then explained that Ajeng would be the nanny for a six-year-old boy named Sean Aditama, who had just started kindergarten.

The Aditama family was incredibly wealthy, owning one of the largest palm oil plantations in Indonesia, with a branch in Ajeng's hometown.

"Why would such a wealthy family need a nanny so urgently?"

"I'm not sure myself. I got the call this morning, and your arrival was timely."

"Alright, I'm ready."

Early the next morning, Ajeng and Bi Ratih headed to the Aditama residence. During the journey, Ajeng memorized all the family members living there.

Sean Aditama, her charge.

Reza Aditama, Sean's father, a widower who divorced his wife Monalisa two years prior.

The reason for the divorce wasn't mentioned in the notes.

Agung Aditama, Sean's grandfather.

Putri Kirana Aditama, Sean's grandmother.

Ryan Aditama, Reza's elder brother.

Rilly Aditama, Reza's younger brother.

The siblings had age gaps of just three years, while Reza Aditama himself was 33.

The dossier included photos as well, which Ajeng committed to memory.

After their journey, they finally arrived at the grand house.

"Masha Allah, it's so big," remarked Ajeng in awe.

"Don't gawk, focus on work," Bi Ratih reminded her.

"Understood."

They entered the grand residence. Ajeng was firm in her resolve to not leave this house, no matter what happened. She intended to work as well as she possibly could.

However, Ajeng was unaware that she was the hundredth nanny to take on the role for the young master.

Sean grinned crookedly as he saw his new nanny arrive.

"From his appearance, he'll probably last only a month," Sean muttered with a sly grin on his lips. He peered through the gaps in the top section of the stairs, his right hand clutching his favorite hero robot toy, Batman.

The hero who prefers his underwear on the outside—Sean often imitated him, much to everyone's annoyance.

The little boy's eyes scrutinized the newly arrived caregiver below.

Downstairs, the new caregiver and Aunt Ratih were immediately facing Grandma Putri.

This morning, Ajeng looked very simple, wearing a long gray T-shirt and a black knee-length umbrella skirt with no pattern.

Her long hair tied back in a ponytail, she carried a medium-sized clothing bag.

From his hiding spot, Sean counted down from 10, waiting for his name to be called by Grandma...

3

2

1

"Seaan!!" Grandma Putri shouted.

Even though he knew he was being called, Sean didn’t respond. Instead, he quietly retreated and ducked back into his room.

"SEAN!"

"It's alright, Madam, perhaps Master Sean didn't hear," Ajeng said, feeling uncomfortable for blurting that out reflexively.

"Don’t call me Madam, or Sean might start doing the same. Just use the names Sean does: Grandma for me, Grandpa for my husband, Papa for Reza, Mr. if Sean's not around, Uncle for Ryan, and Big Brother for Rilly, alright?"

"I understand, Grandma."

"Rilly should be called Auntie, but she refused, so Big Brother it is, okay?"

"Yes, Grandma."

"There's not much I ask of you, Jeng. Mainly, make Sean a good boy, obedient to his elders, can you do that?"

"Yes, Grandma."

Grandma Putri then called a servant to take Ajeng to her room while she continued talking with Aunt Ratih in the living room.

Not long after, Aunt Ratih excused herself, hugging Ajeng tightly as a farewell gesture. Ajeng needed to be independent and perform all her tasks well here.

Despite being in the same city, it didn’t mean they would meet often. Both had their separate jobs and responsibilities.

"Don't forget to say 'Bismillah' and serve this family with dedication. Remember, your job is to take care of Master Sean," Aunt Ratih advised. She didn't want Ajeng to forget her duties or worse, to fall for the young man of the house and aspire to become a lady of the house too. Aunt Ratih hoped for none of that. She wanted Ajeng to take her message to heart seriously.

To maintain her own dignity and honor.

Ajeng nodded obediently, "Yes, Aunt."

Ajeng stood on the porch until Aunt Ratih had completely disappeared from view.

Then Grandma Putri spoke up...

"Come on, let's go inside, I will introduce you to Sean."

"Yes, Grandma," Ajeng replied obediently.

So obedient, in fact, that she wasn't aware she would habitually respond with 'Yes.' Yes, Grandma, Yes, Aunt, Yes, Yes, Yes, always yes.

Entering the house again, Grandma Putri explained each of the rooms. Finally, they arrived at the second floor, where the children's bedrooms were located. Reza's, Ryan's, and also Rilly's, and now Sean's, they were all on this second floor.

"This is Sean's room, he doesn't like to be called Master, just call him by his name, just Sean, okay?" Grandma Putri clarified once again, eager to avoid any misunderstandings on Ajeng's part.

And again, Ajeng responded with two words... "Yes, Grandma."

They both entered and were immediately greeted by the warm smile of the handsome boy, causing Grandma Putri to furrow her brow at his suspicious expression.

"Sean, this is Miss Ajeng, your new caregiver. I really hope, truly hope, you get along with Miss Ajeng, okay?"

"Ready Grandma," Sean replied enthusiastically.

Ajeng beamed with a wide smile. So Sean wasn’t the naughty child everyone said he was, enthusiastically welcoming her with a friendly smile and handsome face.

"I'll leave you two for now, Jeng, since it's Sunday you can get acquainted."

"Yes, Grandma."

Grandma Putri left, keeping the bedroom door open.

Ajeng squatted down to be at Sean’s

"Hi Sean, nice to meet you, I'm Miss Ajeng." Ajeng reached out her hand, offering a greeting.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Ajeng, I'm Sean. Oh, and let me introduce you to my friend as well."

Ajeng's eyes widened with curiosity about what Sean meant by friend. After shaking her hand, the boy placed his Batman robot on the bed, ran to his study table, and picked up a bag.

Standing before his new caregiver, he pulled something from his bag.

A frog that instantly hopped onto Ajeng, prompting the girl to scream out loud.

"KYA!!! GRANDMAAA!!!!"

Below, Grandma Putri massaged her throbbing head. Not even five minutes had passed since she left, and she had already heard Ajeng's scream.

Grandma Putri turned and glanced toward the stairs, waiting to see if Ajeng would bolt out from her grandson's room, then scamper down those steps in a rush.

But as one minute ticked by it became clear that Ajeng's cry had resounded just once, and then above, silence returned, peaceful once more.

Ajeng did not come racing out.

"Phew, thankfully, it looks like Ajeng can handle her first issue," Grandma Putri muttered to herself, though she had no real idea what had actually transpired upstairs.

What mattered most was that Ajeng could hold her ground.

In Sean's room.

The boy had been laughing uproariously at first, but now his laughter had vanished.

Replaced with a cynical gaze at his caregiver.

"Aren't you scared of frogs, Miss Ajeng?" Sean probed with searching eyes, a child of genius, inheriting his intelligence directly from his father.

Sean could already read exceptionally well, was skilled in mathematics, and fluent in several languages.

But that brilliance was his secret, while everyone else judged him to be naughty and dumb, so much so that Sean pretended he couldn't write at all.

"Not at all, why should I be scared? It's adorable, isn't it? This is the villagers' squishy," replied Ajeng, nonchalantly stroking the frog belonging to the boy, showing no fear whatsoever.

"Squishy?" Sean inquired, furrowing his brow.

"Yes, see, if you squeeze it, it's soft."

Quack! The frog noisily objected to Ajeng's squeeze.

Sean, not wanting his frog to be harmed, quickly snatched it back up and hugged it.

"Why did you scream earlier?" he countered.

"Just startled," Ajeng answered crisply, her wide smile unfurling.

Ugh! Sean grumbled internally.

That morning, Sean carried on pretending to be Ajeng's buddy, they talked about various things - school, favorite foods, and much more.

Ajeng felt she had conquered the youngster. Her job seemed very easy, not at all as frightening as Miss Ratih had warned.

At 10 o'clock, Reza returned from playing golf with Ryan.

Meanwhile, Rilly had stayed in her room since earlier and refused to come out, the girl was a homebody.

"Grandma, has Sean's nanny arrived yet?" Reza asked.

Ryan had already headed to his room, while Reza approached his mother, who was in the living room. Grandma Putri and Grandpa Agung were having their legs massaged by the masseur, relaxed while watching TV.

"Yes, her name is Ajeng, she's been with Sean all morning, this one seems to fit well," Grandma Putri replied.

Reza didn't say anything more, the man with the cool demeanor just nodded slightly, affirming his mother's statement.

Since the divorce, his relationship with Sean had been strained.

"You'd better meet this Ajeng, after all, she's the one taking care of your son now. I’m too old, can’t manage alone..."

"Yes, Grandma," Reza interjected swiftly, before Grandma Putri could expound at length.

He even immediately left the room and ascended the stairs.

Approaching Sean's room, the door was still open. Inside, he saw a stranger, a woman sitting on the carpet playing with Sean.

"Ahem!" Reza cleared his throat.

Sean just glanced up, while Ajeng promptly stood up, greeting him.

"Mr. Reza..."

"Dad," Reza cut her off.

"Oh Mr. Reza," Sean mocked.

The six-year-old boy then gave his father a dismissive look, as if 'Mr.' implied Reza was not his father.

While Reza returned the look with his own chilling expression.

Ajeng found herself caught in the midst of battle, her tongue stiffened entirely, too tense to address this handsome man with 'Dad'.

So stiffened, in fact, that Ajeng almost wished to pull her own tongue out.

Because she had to speak, to break this oppressive tension.

"Dad Reza! Allow me to introduce myself - I'm Ajeng." Her nerves made her introduction sound almost like a curse.

Sean laughed.

Hahahaha, his laughter filled the room.