Episode 4

Bang!

The bedroom door slammed shut from outside. The vibration traveled all the way to the dressing table. Kairo was gone.

Elena slumped back on the sofa, massaging her throbbing temples. The confrontation with that narcissistic, ego-driven man was exhausting.

"Refusing to divorce but hating his wife. What kind of logic is that?" Elena muttered cynically. She glanced at the shredded pieces of her business proposal on the floor. "Does he think tearing up paper changes the fact that this household's balance sheet is broken?"

Sora's phone on the bedside table vibrated loudly. A barrage of notifications came in.

*BANK ALERT: Platinum Credit Card **4567 BLOCKED.

BANK ALERT: Transaction declined.

BANK ALERT: Additional account access FROZEN.

Elena read the messages with a blank face. The corner of her lips twitched upward mockingly.

"Oh, wow. Classic move," she commented. "Economic sanctions. Freeze assets, cut off the cash flow, starve the opponent until they give up."

Kairo must be smiling smugly in his luxury car, imagining Sora crying her eyes out because she couldn't shop.

"Too bad, Kairo," Elena whispered at the phone screen. "You forgot one thing. I'm not a consumer. I'm a producer."

Elena stood up. Adrenaline erased the pain in her wrist. She walked towards the walk-in closet. The double doors opened, the sensor lights turned on, revealing Sora's "paradise," which for Elena was a "warehouse of assets."

Glass shelves stretched to the ceiling. Hundreds of branded bags, shoes, and clothes were arranged like a Paris boutique. Hermia, Channello, Louis Vondon.

"Illiquid assets," Elena muttered, touching a crocodile skin bag. "Hundreds of millions piled up, gathering dust, the depreciation value ticking every second. Stupid."

Sora saw this as a collection. Elena saw this as working capital.

"Mina!" she shouted loudly.

The bedroom door opened. Mina appeared with a worried face and a spare pot of coffee. "Yes, Ma'am? I heard a slamming sound earlier..."

"Forget the slamming. Come in here," Elena ordered. "Bring the lamp tripod that Sora usually uses for selfies. We're working overtime."

Mina entered hesitantly, her eyes widening as she saw Elena taking bags worth a car from the top shelf and throwing them roughly onto the carpet.

"Ma'am! Be careful! That's a Hermia! Don't throw it!" Mina shrieked hysterically.

"Quiet and help me. Arrange everything on the center table. We're doing asset liquidation," Elena replied without looking back. "Prepare Sora's social media account. What's the name?"

"Account... Sora_Official? Is Ma'am going to show off the bags again?"

"Not showing off. Selling," Elena corrected. Her eyes gleamed sharply. "Kairo blocked my card. He thinks I'll starve to death without his money. So, we'll turn this pile of dead skin into cash. Hard cash."

Mina's mouth hung open. "Sell the bags given by Sir? Sir could go ballistic! Those are anniversary gifts..."

"Gifts given with money but without heart aren't gifts, they're compensation," Elena interrupted coldly. "Legally, these items are mine. Hold the phone. Point the camera at me. If it's blurry, I'll deduct your salary."

Mina trembled as she held the phone, opening the BuzzLive application.

"What's the title, Ma'am?"

"Write: CEO'S WIFE'S GARAGE SALE: SELLING CHEAP FOR SURVIVAL. STINGY HUSBAND, WIFE RISES UP."

Mina swallowed hard. "Are you sure, Ma'am? Mr.Kairo could kill us..."

"Press the Live button now."

"Three, two, one... Live."

Elena's expression changed instantly. Her cold face turned into a friendly but deadly professional mask. The "Female Shark" aura came out.

"Good evening, honorable internet citizens," Elena greeted clearly.

The audience surged dramatically. 50. 200. 1,000. Notifications came in droves. Netizens who were used to seeing Sora crying, were now seeing something different.

"Okay, let's get straight to the point. I don't have time for drama, I need cash tonight," Elena opened bluntly. She raised the first bag. A neon green Vercelli.

"First item. Vercelli Neon Limited Edition bag. See the color? An eye-watering highlighter green. My husband bought this last year because he forgot my birthday and told his assistant to buy the most expensive item without looking at the model. Condition 100% new. I don't want to be mistaken for a walking traffic sign."

Mina held her breath. Her mistress was roasting the big boss's taste!

"Store price 150 million. I'm selling it quickly for 80 million only. Direct transfer, item delivered by instant courier tonight. No booking. Money in, item out."

Comments exploded.

@SultanBintaro: 80 million?! Deal!

@HatersSora: Must be a fake.

"Complete certificate, even the dust in the box is original from this mansion," Elena replied sarcastically. "I'll DM my personal account number—not my husband's account. Five minutes without a transfer, I'll throw it to the next bidder."

Ding! A notification came into Sora's maiden account. 80 million rupiah.

"Sold!" Elena exclaimed, throwing the expensive bag at Mina. "Wrap it up. Next!"

Elena grabbed the second bag. A classic black Channello.

"Second item. Classic. Elegant. Unfortunately, this bag has bad memories. My husband gave this as an apology for being caught having dinner with his ex. A bribe bag," Elena said nonchalantly, exposing her marital problems as easily as opening a candy wrapper.

The audience broke 10,000.

"Condition 99% smooth. 1% stained by my tears who was once stupid for crying over a jerk. Market price 200 million. I'm letting it go for 120 million. Consider you're buying history."

Comments became increasingly wild.

@GosipLambe: Anjayyy Kairo ate with his ex?!

@BuyerSultan: I'LL TAKE IT!

In one hour, Elena acted like a stockbroker on the trading floor. Fast. Tactical. Playing with emotions. Ten bags were sold. A total of almost 1 billion rupiah went into her personal account.

"Come on, only three bags left! You won't take your husband's money to the grave, it's better to use it to buy cheap bags from a CEO's wife who's going bankrupt!" Elena shouted.

"Ma'am... there are already 50 thousand viewers... this is going viral..." Mina whispered palely.

"Good," Elena smiled crookedly at the camera. "Let it go viral. Let Kairo know, if he closes one door, I'll break down the wall."

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Diwantara Tower.

Kairo sat in his grand chair, his back to his desk, staring at the city lights of Jakarta. A glass of whiskey in his hand, his emotions still boiling after the argument. The words "I'm sick of you" kept replaying in his head like a broken record.

"Mr. Kairo." His assistant, Reza's, voice sounded hesitant.

"Get out. Don't bother me unless this office is on fire."

"I... this is worse than a fire, Sir."

Kairo turned his chair around with a frightening face. Reza handed him a tablet with a trembling hand.

"Mrs. Sora... is live streaming, Sir."

"What do I care?" Kairo scoffed. "She's probably crying complaining that I blocked her card. Let her embarrass herself."

"Not complaining, Sir. Mrs... is selling things."

Kairo's forehead furrowed. He glanced at the tablet screen.

There, he saw Sora. But not the Sora he knew.

The woman was wearing Kairo's oversized white shirt, the sleeves rolled up carelessly, her hair tied in a ponytail. Her face was radiant, full of enthusiasm, laughing freely. In her hand, the woman held a men's Rolex watch.

Kairo's watch that he was looking for this morning.

"Okay, last bonus item!" Elena's voice sounded clear. "This is a men's watch. I found it lying around. Looks like it belongs to my husband who forgot it. Rather than being trash, let's cash it out. Who wants a secondhand watch from a CEO who likes to get angry? The aura is negative, but the metal is real gold. Opening price 50 million only!"

CRASH!

The glass of whiskey in Kairo's hand shattered into pieces. Amber liquid and fresh blood dripped onto the carpet.

Reza backed away in fear. "Sir..."

Kairo didn't feel the pain. His eyes were fixed on the screen. On his wife's smile that looked so alive. So wild. So challenging.

She was selling Kairo's watch? And that caption: STINGY HUSBAND, WIFE RISES UP.

The number of viewers was 75,000. The comment section was full of people laughing at Kairo Diwantara. But strangely, in the midst of the exploding rage, a foreign feeling crept in. His blood was buzzing hot.

The woman on the screen was no longer a display doll. She was a worthy opponent.

Kairo wiped the blood on his hand with a handkerchief, his gaze fixed on Elena's face who was shouting "SOLD OUT!" happily.

"Reza," Kairo called. His voice was low, calm, but much more terrifying.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Prepare the car. We're going back home."

Kairo stood up, taking the tablet.

"And buy that watch. Buy everything she's selling. Use an anonymous account. Don't let a single item from my house fall into the hands of other people."

Reza gaped. "You mean... we're buying up Mrs's merchandise?"

"Just do it!" Kairo snapped. He walked quickly towards the exit, his steps long with obsession. "I will make sure she has nothing left to sell but herself."

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