Episode 5

Riana had gathered her courage to ask her sister about what she had just seen. Unfortunately, right after the sentence was uttered, the phone call was cut off just like that.

She stared at her phone screen with a pounding chest, then quickly shifted her gaze towards the boutique where she had seen her husband and sister earlier. However, the shadows of the two had vanished, disappearing into the mall's crowds.

"Where did they go?" she whispered softly to herself. Regret immediately hit her; why hadn't she immediately captured that moment, and now the opportunity had passed.

"Did I see wrong?" Riana shook her head hard, trying to dismiss the doubt. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. "No... I saw it very clearly. That was Lili... and Septian."

As Riana was still immersed in confusion, a light tap on her shoulder startled her.

"Riana, what are you doing here? I've been looking for you," Liliana's voice sounded tired but flat.

Riana turned around with a pounding heart. Her eyes scanned her sister's figure from head to toe. There were no shopping bags in her hand, just a pale face with clear lines of fatigue.

"Riana," Liliana called again, waving her hand in front of her sister's face, who was still frozen.

"Huh? Eh... Sis," Riana tried to compose herself. "Was the toilet really crowded? And... why did your phone die right away?"

Liliana sighed briefly, then smiled thinly. "I'm sorry... I happened to go straight into the cubicle, so the signal was bad. Your voice was also unclear, so I turned it off." She then turned to the stroller, her eyes sparkling. "Wow... you've bought all of Lira's necessities? Oh my... Riana, thank you so much."

Riana forced a smile, but her eyes couldn't lie. Something felt off. Liliana's words sounded reasonable, but the figure she had seen earlier was clearly not a hallucination.

"Why does Lili look so tired?" Riana finally asked, trying to dig deeper.

Liliana paused for a split second, then chuckled as she tidied her hair. "Well, it's normal, queuing for a long time makes you tired. Why are you asking such strange questions?"

Riana looked down, pretending to be busy tidying up the shopping bags. In her heart, she was even more convinced that something was being hidden. If she really just went to the toilet, why was her face so tense?

"Alright, let's go home," Liliana said quickly, as if wanting to end the conversation. She reached for the handle of Lira's stroller, but Riana stopped her with her hand.

"Sis..." Riana's voice trembled, her eyes staring intently at her sister's face. "You really just came from the toilet, right?"

Liliana took a deep breath, then looked at her sister with an inscrutable gaze. There was a fleeting glimpse of displeasure there, but she quickly covered it with a thin smile.

"Of course not. I was walking around with your husband."

Riana was startled. "What?"

Liliana immediately chuckled, patting Riana's arm lightly. "Hahaha... that's what you were thinking, right? Oh, Ri... you watch too many movies. How could I possibly walk around with Septian and leave you and Lira?"

She looked down briefly, her fingers gently touching Lira's head in the stroller. Her voice softened, "You know, Lira is my life. I couldn't possibly do anything wrong."

Riana was still silent, trying to digest her sister's words. Liliana quickly added in a comforting tone, "Alright, don't be upset anymore. I'll buy you a dress at that boutique, consider it as a token of gratitude for taking care of Lira. Okay?"

Riana nodded with a thin smile, trying to swallow her sister's words whole. But somehow, her heart still refused to believe even though her logic forced her to be silent.

***

The time that Septian had promised finally arrived. Although her body was tired after a day of wandering around the mall and taking care of the house, Riana still kept her promise. She wore the dress that Liliana had chosen for her, her heart pounding uncertainly. There was a feeling of impatience to know what surprise her husband had prepared, although on the other hand her heart was preparing itself for the worst possibility, that all this would not end happily.

"Wow, you look so beautiful, Riana. Septian will definitely fall head over heels when he sees you," Liliana praised with a satisfied smile after finishing applying makeup to her sister's face.

Riana looked down shyly. Her fingers gripped the hem of the dress, her eyes staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Isn't this too much, Sis?" she asked hesitantly.

At this moment, Riana was wearing a soft cream-colored knee-length dress with simple lace details, combined with thin makeup that highlighted the natural impression. Her hair was loose with a slight curl at the ends, making her face look softer.

"Too much? It's just right. You have to look beautiful tonight. Once in a while, Septian has to realize that he has such an elegant wife," Liliana said, patting her sister's shoulder.

Riana smiled thinly, those words felt reassuring, she shouldn't be overly suspicious of her sister. Besides, Liliana's affection for her had never changed. If Septian disappointed her again tonight, it was okay for her to give up, karma would come to Septian, after all, that man's love would never be reciprocated.

"Thank you, Sis. Then I'll go now, it's almost late," Riana said goodbye, which was immediately given a nod by Liliana.

It only took half an hour for Riana to arrive at the place. Restaurant X looked magnificent with dim lights and the tinkling of classical music playing softly. Riana stepped inside, her steps carefully arranged.

The waiter greeted her kindly, "Reservation under whose name, Ma'am?"

"Septian Prawira," Riana answered.

"Oh, Mrs. Riana Calista Putri?" Seeing Riana nod, the waiter led her to the table that had been reserved under Septian's name.

A table with candles and fresh flowers was beautifully arranged. Riana pulled out a chair slowly and sat down. Her heartbeat raced with the clock.

"Mas Septian, you really surprised me," she said, admiring Septian's taste in giving her a surprise. Because Septian hadn't arrived yet, she waited.

Ten minutes passed. She had finished a glass of water.

Twenty minutes passed. The waiters came several times offering the menu, but she refused, hoping that Septian would order.

Thirty minutes... Riana began to grip her small bag tightly. Her fingers trembled, her lips holding back a bitter smile. Maybe he was stuck in traffic, maybe there was a sudden office matter. She tried to calm herself and convince herself of various possibilities.

One hour.

A couple at the next table had finished their main course, laughing together, while Riana was still waiting alone. Her eyes began to sting, but she looked down, not wanting tears to fall in public.

A waiter approached with a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, is your husband still coming? Or would you like to order something first?"

Riana smiled stiffly. "No need... I'll wait a little longer." Her voice was almost inaudible.

She held her phone tightly. She opened the screen repeatedly, hoping for a message. But the screen remained empty, no news, no explanation.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, the restaurant is almost closed. Are you sure you don't want to call your husband first, maybe we can wait because Mr. Septian is already a VIP member," the waiter asked.

Riana shook her head, making the waiter sigh heavily as if wanting to say poor you. However, Riana's voice was heard, "If I am his universe, there is no need to whine just to get news. If I am his universe, he will keep his promise."

Finally, Riana stood up. The chair creaked softly as she pushed it back. The candles on the table were still lit because they were replaced repeatedly, as if mocking—even though hope existed, she would never get it.

She walked out leaving the restaurant, on the way she whispered softly to herself, "Enjoy the surprise, Riana. A surprise that never came."

That night, on the sidewalk in front of the deserted restaurant, Riana let a tear fall. It felt empty, bitter, and piercing to the bone.

"Mas Septian, this is the last time I shed my tears for you."

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