Liliana hurriedly grabbed a piece of clothing lying on the bench. Without thinking, she immediately covered her body. Unfortunately, the clothes turned out to belong to Septian.
"Sis Lili, that's Mas Septian's jacket. He wants to wear it to the office," Riana exclaimed, her face flushed.
Septian turned, his gaze immediately falling on Liliana, now wrapped in his jacket. His eyes sharpened, suppressing his admiration for the woman he secretly made queen in his heart, even though he knew he could never have her. However, Riana's clearing of her throat broke his gaze. He quickly said in a flat tone, "It's okay, Riana. There are other jackets."
Riana only smiled faintly. For Septian, this might be a trivial matter, but not for her. Her heart sank, remembering that she had just spent half an hour preparing the jacket, making sure the folds were neat and the aroma fragrant.
She bowed her head, holding back her emotions. The bitterness piled up, piercing her chest like fine needles.
Meanwhile, Liliana, with a guilty look on her face, finally spoke. "Riana, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."
Riana remained silent, bowing her head even lower. Her fingers intertwined, trying to hold back the increasingly oppressive feeling.
"I rushed out earlier to make extra milk for Lira. I thought Septian had already left, so I just grabbed the clothes that were there." Liliana looked down, her fingers squeezing the hem of the jacket.
Riana raised her face briefly, her gaze cold without a word. That brief glance was enough to make Liliana even more nervous.
"About this jacket... I'm just afraid you'll misunderstand. I really didn't realize it belonged to Septian," she continued softly.
Liliana glanced at Septian for a moment, then back at Riana. "If you mind, I'll take it off now."
Septian, unable to bear seeing Liliana feel guilty, immediately stood up. His tone of voice was gentle, but full of emphasis in every sentence.
"Enough, Riana. This is just a trivial matter. I feel sorry for your sister. Besides, she did it to cover her body, so it wouldn't be seen, right?"
Riana closed her eyes for a moment. She was tired of arguing with Septian, which always ended the same way, with her looking guilty. Slowly, she pulled at the corners of her lips, forming a bitter smile.
"I'll get a new jacket," she said softly.
Septian looked at her for a moment, feeling relieved. He thought Riana had understood this, so there was no need to argue anymore, and he nodded. "Thank you, honey. You're the best. After Maghrib, just come straight to restaurant X. I've prepared a surprise for you."
Riana only nodded briefly. Her heart felt increasingly empty, but she maintained the smile.
Hearing that, Liliana actually looked excited. "Wow... you guys are going on a date? So sweet!" she exclaimed, chuckling softly.
"Septian, you don't have to worry. I'll definitely help Riana dress up as beautifully as possible, so you'll be the most beautiful and handsome couple of the century," she added with a light laugh.
"You're always so thoughtful, Lili. Well then, I'll be off," said Septian.
"I'll take you, Mas," Riana replied quickly. She immediately grabbed another jacket and carefully put it on Septian, although deep inside, she felt unbearable bitterness.
As usual, Riana escorted Septian to the front door. As soon as the man had completely disappeared from view, she took a deep breath. Her chest felt tighter, filled with questions that never found answers. Does Sis Lili really not like my husband… or is she just pretending to be innocent?
"But Sis Lili wouldn't be like that..." she murmured softly as she stepped inside.
"Riana, what are you thinking about?" Liliana's voice suddenly sounded, making her jump.
"Huh? Nothing, Sis," Riana replied hastily, trying to hide her nervousness. She didn't want her sister to suspect that she was suspicious of her.
Liliana smiled faintly. "Oh, I know… you must be thinking about your date with Septian, right?"
"What is it, Sis…" Riana pouted, trying to sound normal.
"What did I say? Septian loves you," Liliana continued softly. "So don't be suspicious anymore. I'm sorry about what happened earlier."
Riana only nodded. Although she was still annoyed, it wasn't at Liliana, but at Septian.
"As a replacement… how about we go to the mall?" Liliana then suggested. "We'll buy clothes, as well as supplies for Lira."
Riana was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Okay."
***
Around lunchtime, Riana and Liliana arrived at a large mall in the city center. Their smiles bloomed at the lively atmosphere, rows of boutiques with well-known brands lined up neatly, displaying dresses, shoes, and sparkling accessories as if ready to seduce anyone who passed by.
"Ah… it's been so long since I've been to the mall." Liliana chuckled softly, her eyes looking around enthusiastically. "Em, how about we buy clothes for Lira first, Ri?"
Riana nodded slowly. For her, buying clothes for herself was not a priority. As long as her niece's needs were met and the little baby wasn't exhausted, she was willing to give in.
"Ri, you go into that shop first, okay? I'm going to the toilet for a bit." Liliana hurriedly handed the baby stroller to Riana. As usual, without waiting for approval, she had already disappeared in another direction.
Riana looked at her sister's retreating back, then sighed softly. She was too used to being left behind like that.
Riana led the baby stroller into the children's supply store. Her eyes were busy choosing diapers, milk bottles, and small clothes with cute motifs. Her hand stopped on a small light blue dress.
She smiled slightly and looked down at Lira, who was asleep in the stroller.
"Does Lira like this one? It's pretty, right… when you wear it, everyone will say you're a living doll," she whispered softly, as if the baby could answer.
She put the dress in the basket, then took a pair of small white shoes.
"This too, so it's complete. Lira will take beautiful walks with Mama Lili, okay? Because Auntie can't accompany you," her voice was soft, almost trembling, with a sense of guilt and bitterness mixed in.
Half an hour passed. The shopping bags in her hands were full, but Liliana had not returned. Riana glanced at the clock on her phone, feeling anxious.
'Where is Sis Lili?' she thought, looking to the right and left.
She pushed the stroller out of the store, walking along the mall corridor. Her eyes searched for her sister's figure in the crowd of visitors. Her steps stopped abruptly. From a distance, her eyes caught a sight that made her heart seem to stop beating.
Liliana stood in front of a luxurious boutique, her face beaming as she carried several shopping bags. And right next to her was Septian.
Riana gripped the stroller handle tightly, then took a deep breath. Soon, she immediately took out her cellphone and called her sister. Riana waited quite a long time for her sister to answer her phone, when it was connected she immediately asked, "Where are you, Sis?"
"Riana, is Lira fussy? Sorry, the toilet queue is really long, take care of her for a while, okay," Liliana replied.
Riana could no longer hold back her pain. Her voice trembled as she said, "You're not lying, are you, Sis? I saw you with Mas Septian."
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