Karim felt a twinge of embarrassment witnessing his children's greed—eagerly vying for 100 million that wasn't theirs to claim, demanding an equal share. Where had Rudi, Reno, and Rena's reasoning gone astray? Even their mother, Rahayu, concurred with Rena's suggestion. The 100 million was within reach, its origin unknown to them and it didn't matter; splitting it evenly was their only concern.
"No!! That money belongs to Satria, and he deserves it most. You have no right to it! Greedy, gluttonous bunch! And one more thing, from tomorrow, I want Satria and Dinda to live here—this is now her home. The house deed is already in Dinda's name," declared Karim, startling his three children who exchanged troubled glances.
They could hardly bear Dinda receiving a share of the house—they deemed it unfair and demanded the sale and equitable division of it.
"But that's not fair, Dad. It's too convenient that Dinda gets the house while we get nothing. If that's the case, it's better to sell the house and split the proceeds equally. That would be fair," Rudi protested, speaking on behalf of his siblings.
Indeed, it was evident how Dinda's three siblings were consumed by avarice, particularly since her marriage to Satria, whom they had opposed and now shunned. They deemed Satria poor and burdensome or just seeking a free ride on his sister's coattails. They wanted Dinda to marry into wealth, ensuring her comfort and allowing them to enjoy her inheritance.
"I agree with Rudi, Dad!" added Reno, chiming in.
"Me too," Rena joined the fray.
Whereas Mother Rahayu was torn, her children had their individual shares already—after all, the house had always belonged to Anisa from the start.
Crash!
With a forceful blow to the table, Karim caused a loud noise that punctuated his fury.
"Why stir up trouble over Dinda's share? Have you forgotten that you each received your part—150 million each? All about wealth, you quarrel! Where were you when I needed help paying off debt? Today, it was Satria who aided me. Can't you appreciate his help instead of squabbling over money?" Karim erupted in anger.
"Pfft... Dad, that debt was a farce. And it was Satria who told me not to contribute the 25 million. He said to let him sort it. I was fine with it—why should I waste my money on debts?" Rudi's cynical smile was aimed toward Satria.
"Or maybe this is all planned by you and Satria. Perhaps the 100 million is actually yours, and this is a ruse so we'll respect Satria for settling your debts. So, this façade you're both fabricating... no way a street vendor could amass such wealth, unless it was borrowed for this very charade," Reno speculated, igniting Karim's temper further.
Slap! Slap!
Two sharp strikes landed on Rudi and Reno's cheeks, the first time Karim ever resorted to physical reprimand.
"Dad!!" Rahayu cried out, incensed at her children being slapped for defending the impoverished son-in-law.
"For this poor son-in-law, you've hit Rudi and Reno? Remember, Dad, they are our children, your own flesh and blood, whereas Satria is an outsider, merely married to Dinda, probably just leeching off her," Rahayu sneered with disdain at Satria.
"Satria, we had an agreement—so now, I am disowning you as my brother-in-law. You're not even using your own money, so you must have feared I'd cut ties, prompting you and father to stage this. The ignorance of a poor man," Rudi went on ridiculing Satria.
"Rudi, never insult or demean my husband! For your information, dear brothers, even if my husband is impoverished, he has a generous heart and has never burdened our parents. Throughout our marriage, we haven't asked for a penny, unlike some people—short on cash, lacking rice, always turning to our parents, pretending wealth while truly in need!" Dinda couldn't hold back her anger any longer.
She was justified in confronting her brothers—it was a defense of her husband, who was continuously belittled by them. Until now, Dinda and Satria had remained passive, but today she couldn't suppress her rage.
"Naive little sister! Proud of living in poverty?" Rena added her own derisive comment.
"Din, let's not waste energy anymore. Let's go home and end this debate," Satria suggested, ready to leave.
"But they've gone too far. Why don't you ever fight back, or even argue? If we let this continue, they'll push us around forever," Dinda implored.
"Then leave, and take your loaned money with you. Or maybe it's actually Dad's—if that's the case, it should be divided fairly rather than you controlling what's not yours," Rudi rebuked harshly.
Karim was mortified by his offspring's behavior, still fixated on money that wasn't theirs by right.
"Not a cent of that is mine. Satria, take the money home, I apologize for troubling you," Karim expressed sincerely.
"Okay, sir. We shall take our leave and I will return this money," Satria declared.
Without hesitation, Satria and Dinda departed from Karim's home with unsettled hearts, while Dinda muttered under her breath.
"Forgive my siblings' behavior. But I'm curious, where did you borrow the 100 million? Since Dad doesn't need it now as he has no debts, you should return it," Dinda remarked.
"This is my personal saving. I've put this aside for years," revealed Satria, surprising Dinda with the revelation that it was, in fact, his own money.
Back at their own residence, with the 100 million now resting in a plastic bag on their table, Dinda's hands trembled as Satria counted out ten bundles, each worth 10 million.
"Is this really your money?" Dinda inquired once again.
"Yes, Din, this is our money. With it, you can shop for anything you like..." Satria reassured her.
"Hmmm... Let's save it. I don't want to buy anything. I just wish for our own home, so I won't be looked down upon by my siblings," Dinda hoped earnestly.
Satria embraced Dinda warmly, comforting her. In this moment, it wasn't Dinda who was lucky to have Satria; it was Satria who was fortunate to have married someone as beautiful and kind as Dinda.
"In time, we'll live in a grand and luxurious house. We'll have everything we need, so we are no longer diminished or scorned, especially by your siblings," declared Satria with conviction.
"Amen," Dinda affirmed his words with belief.
Throughout their marriage, Satria and Dinda never troubled her parents or her siblings. They even subsisted on salted fish or plain salt. As a cendol vendor, his business wasn't always booming, particularly during rainy spells. There were times when they lived off of steamed cassava from their backyard for a week straight due to lack of funds.
"Keep this money, you have a bank account, right? Deposit it tomorrow, Din. Take ten million for a fridge and washing machine—we need not struggle with washing clothes by hand, and the fridge will keep my cendol business from depending on others for ice," Satria suggested.
"Alright. Let's just get a fridge for now. A washing machine is not necessary," agreed Dinda.
Satria merely nodded, consenting to his wife's decision.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 130 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments
sam
It's true
2024-02-07
0