Marlina waited in the living room, her eyes vacant as she stared at the wall clock ticking slowly. It had been almost two months since Merilton last returned home. His presence was no longer something Marlina hoped for. Suddenly, her mobile phone, placed on the table, rang. There was no caller name, just a number displayed on the screen. Marlina paused for a moment, wondering who could have her number besides Merilton.
"Hello," she said softly, her heart racing.
“Hello?” Orena’s voice on the other end of the line sounded playful, as usual.
"Orena?" Marlina froze, surprised by the voice on the other end.
“Marlina, I want to invite you out. There’s something interesting I want to tell you,” Orena said with a voice full of mystery.
Marlina sighed. “What else do you want to tell me? You know Merilton isn’t here, I’ve been waiting for him.”
“Ooo, Merilton again. Tch! I’m inviting you out to forget about him for a bit. I just got back from a luxury vacation with my secret boyfriend. It was amazing, darling!” Orena laughed on the other end, her laughter filled with the kind of insincerity Marlina had heard before.
“Secret boyfriend? You never stop with your secrets. Are you inviting me out, or do I have to follow you?” Marlina suppressed her feelings, trying to show calmness even though she felt like slapping Orena.
Orena laughed again. “I’m inviting you over to my place. I can’t wait to share the details. I promise, it won’t take long. Will you come?”
Marlina took a deep breath. “Alright...”
When Marlina arrived at Orena’s house, the atmosphere felt different. The house was quieter and filled with extravagant decor that dazzled the eye, yet Marlina knew where all the wealth came from. Orena sat on the sofa casually, smiling at Marlina in a way that was hard to miss. “You look beautiful today,” she said, her tone as if giving a compliment.
Marlina sat on the sofa opposite Orena, suspecting that Orena was about to show off her luxurious lifestyle once again. “So, who did you go on vacation with?” Marlina asked, trying to hide her suspicion.
Orena paused for a moment, her eyes sparkling with mystery. “I went on vacation with someone special. But I won’t reveal who he is. Some secrets should remain secrets, right?”
Marlina tried to control her expression. Although she knew Orena was lying on purpose, she pretended not to know. “Of course, a secret...” she replied with a sweet, yet insincere smile.
The two of them chatted while enjoying some drinks Orena had prepared. However, Marlina couldn’t shake the strange feeling growing in her heart. Occasionally, she noticed Orena’s overly relaxed behaviour and how she would randomly smile to herself.
Orena handed her phone to Marlina to show her a picture of her secret boyfriend. Marlina stared at the image for a moment. Only the back of the man was visible, but Marlina recognised him immediately. It was none other than Merilton, her beloved husband, and also the traitor.
In the silence, the door to Orena’s house slowly creaked open. A woman Marlina knew well, Lysandra, her sister, appeared with a smile full of pretence. Marlina was stunned, her eyes widening. “Lysandra?” the words slipped from her lips before she could stop them. “You followed me here?”
Lysandra stepped in and sat beside her. “Hi, I’m Lysandra, Marlina’s sister. How are you? Earlier, Marlina didn’t bring me here, it’s so boring being locked up at her place,” she said in a soft voice, almost exaggerated. However, in her heart, Marlina sensed something was wrong.
Marlina didn’t know what to say. Her sister, Lysandra, now looking more mature, smiled cynically at Orena. Marlina’s heart told her that Lysandra hadn’t come just for a visit, but there was something she was hiding.
Orena looked at Lysandra with sharp eyes.
“Oh, Marlina’s sister, huh? Locked up at home? Well, a beautiful and sexy sister must be locked up until she finds a match. Have you gotten married, Lysandra?” Orena asked, eyeing her.
“Oh, married? I was supposed to marry the family’s choice, but Marlina got married first, right, sis?” Lysandra replied, glancing at Marlina.
“What do you mean, Lysandra? The family’s chosen match is just one... you...” Marlina’s words trailed off. What did Lysandra mean by saying she was supposed to marry the family’s chosen match? Marlina’s mind raced as she processed Lysandra’s statement. The atmosphere became tense.
Suddenly, Merilton appeared at the door of Orena’s house. Without greeting anyone, he walked into the living room. “Hey, what’s going on? I just got back, there was no one at home, I saw Orena’s door open, and Marlina’s sandals outside. That’s why I came here,” he said cheerfully as he saw the three women sitting together.
Marlina was stunned. “Merilton?” She stood up, almost in disbelief. She didn’t expect her husband to show up here, especially when he was looking at Lysandra and Orena alternately.
Merilton just smiled faintly, but his smile seemed to carry some hidden meaning. “I just wanted to spend time with family,” he said, but something was off about his expression.
Before Marlina could say anything, Lysandra stood up, walked over to Merilton, and whispered something in his ear. Marlina glared at the two of them. She knew something was going on behind her back, but she still tried to keep her emotions in check.
Orena’s face turned sour as she witnessed Lysandra’s behaviour, which she felt was too close with Merilton.
“Marlina, we need to talk about a lot of things. Let’s all go home. Don’t disturb Orena anymore,” Lysandra said, pulling Merilton’s hand as they left Orena’s house.
Marlina, still struggling to process her shock, tried hard not to let the anger bubbling inside her explode. “What’s going on here?” she asked herself in her mind.
Marlina followed Merilton and Lysandra, who were holding hands, out of Orena’s house.
Orena stood with her hands on her hips, watching the scene unfold. She grabbed a glass and threw it at the wall, shattering it into pieces.