Episode 16

"What is it, brother? Can't you come in first and then call me softly? This is your house, not a jungle," Dinda chided, because Reno started shouting for her right away.

Reno wasn't shouting for Dinda without reason; it was surely about the car parked in front of Dinda's house. Not only Reno, but even the neighbors were puzzled to see such a luxurious car neatly parked in front of Dinda's house. Dinda's home wasn't far from her parents'; it was only a few meters away.

"Oh come on, that's irrelevant! Now you tell me, whose car is that in front of your house?" Reno asked.

"It belongs to Mr. Satria," Dinda replied nonchalantly.

From this day forward, Dinda was going to slowly reveal her husband's true identity since she pitied him for always being the subject of her siblings' scorn. They judge a person's worth only by their wealth. Speaking of money, it's Satria who now holds a high position. Yet, he's someone who remains humble and prefers to lead a simple life.

"Hahaha... Keep dreaming, Dinda! Wake up, it's already late afternoon; you've slept too long," Reno said, bursting into loud laughter.

"If you don't believe it it's fine," Dinda replied again.

Dinda approached her father again and sat beside him. From the kitchen, Mrs. Rahayu came out with a cup of tea for Mr. Karim.

"Hey Dinda, when did you come back? Where did you and Satria go last night? Why didn't you come home?" Mrs. Rahayu inquired.

"We spent the night at Mr. Satria's grandmother's house, Mom. We didn't plan to stay over, but it got late, so we did," Dinda responded politely.

Reno settled himself on the living room sofa, still curious about the luxurious car. He fantasized that if the car were his, his friends would be envious, especially if seen driving it to the office.

"Oh... I get it. Don't tell me your husband got that car from stealing," Reno joked.

A car?

Mr. Karim and Mrs. Rahayu were confused by Reno's statement, as they were not yet aware of the car issue he referred to.

"Whose car?" Mr. Karim and Mrs. Rahayu asked in unison.

"That one, Mom; Satria and Dinda came home with a luxurious car. Rena informed me and I came right away to confirm it, and yes, they did come home with a fancy car," Reno's words sparked their parents' curiosity.

The parents immediately stood and walked outside to see the luxurious car Reno mentioned. They stood on the porch, looking toward Dinda's house, and indeed, there was a deluxe vehicle parked, a latest model at that.

Now Mr. Karim and Mrs. Rahayu were just as curious as Reno about the car. Things got even noisier when Rudi and Sinta also came to Mr. Karim's house, and Rena returned to her parents' home as well.

"Whose car is that, Dinda?" Mr. Karim asked gently.

"That's Mr. Satria's boss's car. I already asked Satria about it. He's now been promoted to a personal driver for a wealthy man, so he no longer sells cendol with his cart. That's why he sold his cendol cart to Mr. Marno," Rena said, glancing at Dinda.

Dinda sighed silently; she might as well just agree with Rena's statement to avoid a lengthy discussion. She had tried to be honest, but no one believed her.

*It's difficult to convince them\, so I might as well just agree with what Rena's saying. The evidence will make them believe eventually\,* Dinda thought to herself.

"Yes, that's his boss's car," Dinda agreed.

"See, I was right. I never believed Satria could afford such a luxurious car. If it were his, I'd bet it was stolen. It turns out to be his boss's. Good to know his job's improved a bit, but it hasn't surpassed our husbands' jobs, right, Ren? Our husbands are office people, working in air-conditioned rooms and buildings," Sinta said arrogantly.

Dinda laughed internally, thinking that if only they knew Satria was their husbands' boss, what would happen then?

*If you knew who your husbands' boss was\, would you still be this proud?* Dinda mused.

"Yes, your husbands are indeed admirable. By the way, where is Reno's wife? Where's Sarah?" Dinda inquired.

"Oh, the usual - Sarah's out socializing with her friends. She won't be home until later tonight; she's quite the socialite, always busy with so many activities," Reno boasted, oblivious to what his wife actually did when she was out. All he knew was that she was out at gatherings with her friends.

Reno was never worried that something might happen to his wife. She left in the morning, came back at night, and sometimes didn't come home at all.

"Don't let your wife have too much freedom, Ren. Your child needs attention from Sarah. Going out is fine, but not too frequently and especially not until late. It's almost evening; surely she isn't home yet, right?" Mr. Karim asked.

"Just let her be, Dad. She'll come home eventually. The maid looks after the child. He's old enough to eat and drink by himself. Sarah can't stand being home all the time; she needs to stay busy with her friends. Besides, she's also running a business, so it's not just gatherings and gossip. You should know that, Sarah," Reno said, glancing at his sister-in-law, who was more interested in her phone.

As evening approached and it was almost time for Maghrib prayers, Dinda realized she hadn't cooked dinner for her husband yet. The debate with her siblings had made her forget to cook. Dinda excused herself to leave but Mrs. Rahayu called out to her just as she reached the porch.

"What is it, Mom? I'm going home because it's almost Maghrib, and I haven't started cooking," Dinda said.

"You don't need to cook; better you take a shower and dress up nicely because Tono will pick you up at 7 pm. He's taking you out to dinner at a fancy restaurant," Mrs. Rahayu announced proudly.

Dinda's heart ached; it wasn't from disease, but from her mother's lack of respect for her marriage to Satria. What kind of mother would match-make her daughter when she's already married?

"Never in a million years would I agree!" Dinda retorted, holding back her anger.

"You're foolish, child! Tono is wealthy, Dinda; he can give you a life of happiness. You'll suffer with Satria - what do you expect from your poor husband? Don't you want to shop, travel, and go on vacations?" Mrs. Rahayu questioned her.

"I don't need any of that from Tono, because Mr. Satria can give me what I want. Excuse me," Dinda said, walking away from her mother who seemed to be restraining her anger.