Ethan stepped off the stage, greeted by loud applause. He was receiving many congratulations from people. He had to smile and exchange pleasantries, shaking hands and accepting compliments. However, this didn’t last long, as Ethan soon returned to his seat. Gabriel offered to get him some food, but Ethan declined.
The man’s gaze was fixed on one spot. On Indra Hendrawan and his wife. Now it all made sense—no wonder he had felt like he’d seen Inka before. Because, in reality, that woman was Rica’s older sister. Of course, they didn’t look exactly alike, but a quick glance would make them seem similar since they were siblings.
“I’m going to the restroom, Sir. Call me if you need anything,” Gabriel whispered.
“Do whatever you want,” Ethan replied coldly, without looking at Gabriel.
It seemed like Ethan wanted to laugh at himself for being blinded by love for Inka, to the point where he missed the obvious signs right in front of him. In silence, Ethan thought hard, observing Indra and Priska from afar, a perfectly matched couple, making Ethan disgusted with himself for being deceived.
It was no wonder Inka had never shown any interest in him as a man, because her husband was Ethan’s boss, and Indra was so far out of his league. Ethan should have realized this when they first met at the supermarket, when Inka grabbed a lot of beef and knew some alcohol types. Ethan suddenly remembered that Indra was very fond of beef and enjoyed expensive wine. They had once met and had dinner together to discuss the company when Ethan wasn’t yet the CEO of Fast Cargo.
“Such a fool I am,” Ethan muttered, looking down with a bitter smile.
However, his gaze returned to Inka, who was wearing formal attire and looking elegant, just like what Rica had described. Her real name wasn’t Inka; the woman was Priska. Ethan immediately rolled his eyes as he realized once again he was involved with someone else’s wife.
“Ridiculous.”
Why did Indra have to stay at Enclave Gardens? Ethan had missed it again. Maybe Ethan hadn’t picked up on the strange signals because he had been too busy with issues with the board of directors and investors. His boss owned a five-star hotel, namely Hotel H&I, and Mr. Indra must have a private suite there. If his wife truly had nausea due to the scent of flowers and grass at their house, Indra could’ve just taken Priska there, no need to go all the way to Enclave Gardens.
“Ah, I get it now. He wants to go all in on messing with me,” Ethan muttered while rubbing his temples, thoroughly frustrated.
He couldn’t stand just watching from afar, so Ethan finally mustered the courage to approach them. He was disappointed and sad, but he still had to greet his boss and put an end to his feelings for Inka, who turned out to be Priska.
Ethan walked confidently, occasionally smiling back at a few people who greeted him. When he reached Indra, who had just finished talking to Tora and Mr. Lukas, the man exchanged a few words with both of them before focusing on Indra.
Now it was just the three of them. Priska seemed uncomfortable when she locked eyes with Ethan, and Indra only grinned at Ethan as if mocking him. He must have been very pleased to have trapped Ethan using his wife. However, in reality, Priska wasn’t at fault here; it was Ethan who had fallen for her at first sight, without knowing she was a married woman.
“You seem more fit to be the CEO of Fast Cargo, Sir. Very smart,” Ethan teased.
“Me? Not yet. Just so you know, when it comes to money... I don’t like to cast my net in one place. There are plenty of big fish to catch elsewhere. Our playing field is different, that’s why I entrusted the company to you, while I focus on other things.” Indra raised his glass, smiling faintly.
“Alright, Sir, then—now we’re Fair and square, right? About the embezzlement and the love affair. I don’t want to keep liking your wife anymore,” Ethan briefly glanced at Priska with an annoyed look.
Indra smiled vaguely in response, slightly bowing his head to whisper something to his wife, aka Priska, who Ethan knew as Inka. Ethan turned his head away, quickly finishing his drink before handing the empty glass to a passing waiter.
“I don’t need to explain anything to you, right? You can think, you have a brain,” Indra pointed to his own head, mocking Ethan.
“Family?” Ethan said while glancing at Priska, then his gaze returned to Indra.
If his boss’s goal was to make Ethan’s heart ache, then Indra had succeeded. Without being told, Ethan knew he had made a huge mistake with Fast Cargo, wanting two women at once, and frequently meeting someone else’s wife. “Why does it hurt so much to see her with Indra? I must be getting punished by God,” Ethan thought to himself.
Indra combed his hair back with his fingers, chuckling lightly before replying, “You always ask about boyfriends. She’s not lying, right? Because Priska has a husband, not a boyfriend. I’m her family.” Indra kissed the top of his wife’s head, then rubbed her arm to calm her.
“Sorry, this was my husband’s idea. I didn’t mean to be rude to you,” Priska explained.
“No problem. Your husband has too many ideas, Pris,” Ethan glanced at Indra, who was staring at him with no expression. Ethan pretended to feel guilty for calling his boss’s wife by her first name.
What’s the big deal? Priska was 26, while Ethan was 28, and in a few months, he’d be 29. Isn’t it common in Indonesia to have these hierarchy issues? About position, age, birth order in the family?
“Sorry, what should I call her, Sir? Mrs. Hendrawan?” Ethan chuckled to himself.
“Relax, you’re not going to meet her again anytime soon. Besides, you were the one who had a crush on her first, not my fault, right?” Indra responded with a grin.
“Good, Sir. I also don’t want to see her again.”
Ethan called the waiter and grabbed another cocktail. It seemed that getting drunk wouldn’t heal his broken heart right away. He’d already drunk so much alcohol since the event began. Gabriel had always tried to stop Ethan from drinking more, but Ethan insisted that he needed it to quench the thirst in his soul after being hurt by Inka.
“But what if I marry Rica? We’ll meet often, won’t we, Sir?” Ethan didn’t want to feel defeated because his feelings had been played with by Indra.
“Don’t dream too much,” Indra replied. “But if your dream is to advance Fast Cargo, then go ahead. I’m heading home, my wife is already sleepy.” Indra patted Ethan’s shoulder before leaving.
Now, only Ethan remained, standing frozen, watching the two of them walk away. Soon after, Gabriel approached him. He apologized for being gone too long, as he had been dealing with a stomach ache and had gone to get some medicine before returning to the ballroom.
Ethan didn’t mind, and he turned to greet the other guests. Gab hesitated behind him, scared, because Ethan seemed very serious, and it made the secretary reluctant to joke around.