That evening, Aldo took Priska shopping for clothes, just as Indra had requested. Aldo knew exactly the kind of fashion Indra liked on women—something revealing and seductive. But this time, he couldn’t bring himself to buy anything too daring for someone as innocent as Priska. Since leaving home, Aldo had been racking his brain for an outfit that was modest yet not too formal, something that would still look alluring when worn by a woman.
Priska may have slept with Aldo, but that didn’t mean she could be toyed with by his other friends. Except for Rey—he might just invite Priska to cook and help him try out a new menu. Unfortunately, the real problem lay with Indra, Tomi, and Ardo.
They were now inside a store at the mall. Aldo stood lost in thought, staring at his phone screen as notifications popped up every minute. He refused to open the group chat filled with four men and their dirty minds.
Maybe Rey didn’t care much for this game since he was the calmest among them all. Rey was flamboyant yet passive in their reckless activities—he probably only went along with it for fun. Aldo’s eyes landed on Priska, who was wearing a fitted shirt paired with a gray blazer and a trendy short skirt. A smile tugged at his lips as Priska flashed him a sweet smile.
After everything she had been through, after how irrationally she had allowed herself to be touched, it still didn’t make sense to Aldo.
“Does this look good?” Priska asked, her face glowing with excitement.
“Yeah, just go with this one. You can wear it now. How much is it?” Aldo turned to the store clerk, following her to the cashier.
The clerk checked the price tag and applied the displayed discount. Meanwhile, Priska clung affectionately to Aldo’s arm. He paid with his credit card, and within minutes, the transaction was done. He carried the shopping bag containing Priska’s previous outfit.
“Want to watch a movie now?” Aldo asked, turning to look into Priska’s eyes.
She nodded eagerly. They had already agreed at home to watch a newly released film.
“Okay,” Priska replied with a sweet smile.
They left the store and made their way to the upper floor where the cinema was located. Aldo kept glancing around nervously, afraid of running into someone he knew. The last thing he wanted was to bump into Giska by accident—his first love and future wife. And Naomi? She would tear him apart if she found out he had spent the night with Priska. Even though Aldo wasn’t in a relationship with either of them at the moment, the consequences would be disastrous. The thought clouded his mind, making it hard to think clearly.
“What are you thinking about?” Priska asked.
“Nothing,” Aldo quickly denied.
Priska studied him with a sad expression, making Aldo raise an eyebrow in confusion. “You’re embarrassed to be seen with me, aren’t you?” she accused.
“What? No, Priska,” Aldo replied.
They reached the ticket counter, where a small crowd had gathered. “I know now. You’re thinking about the woman you love, aren’t you?” Priska asked again.
“No,” Aldo answered carelessly.
“I’m going to the restroom for a bit,” she said.
Aldo nodded, deciding to buy their tickets while she was gone. “Want me to walk you there?” Aldo teased, giving her waist a playful pinch.
“Ah, no need! It’s fine,” Priska giggled.
“Don’t take too long.”
“I won’t,” she assured him before walking off to the left corridor.
Meanwhile, Aldo queued up to buy tickets for the movie. Fifteen minutes passed in a blur. The line kept moving forward, and Aldo, preoccupied, didn’t realize something was off until he finally had the tickets in hand—Priska was still missing. Only then did it hit him. She had run away. He regretted letting her go alone. He should have at least kept an eye on her from a safe distance. After all, Priska was still a captive.
“Damn it, she tricked me,” Aldo muttered in amusement.
The first thing that came to mind was to check the nearest women’s restroom. He waited for a few minutes, but Priska never came out. She must have escaped the moment she had the chance.
Aldo immediately called Indra. The call was answered almost instantly, and Indra sounded far too cheerful. Aldo figured it was because Indra had been eagerly anticipating Priska’s arrival in his bed, now that she was no longer a virgin. Indra despised virgins.
“What?” Indra answered.
“She ran, man! The moment I let my guard down, she disappeared,” Aldo said, laughing at the absurdity of it all.
“Damn! Where are you? I’ll send someone to find her,” Indra said.
“Seriously? You’re not mad?” Aldo teased.
“Not for now, but if you were standing in front of me… I’d beat the hell out of you!” Indra growled, clearly pissed.
Aldo could imagine Indra crushing a paper cup or clenching his fists in rage.
“Relax. Where could she possibly go? I’m about to watch a movie, man!” Aldo joked.
“Whatever, Do! You could go have dinner with a Thai transgender for all I care!” Indra shouted.
Aldo pulled the phone away from his ear, laughing as Indra fumed over Priska’s easy escape. Indra hung up without so much as a goodbye. Aldo smirked, looking down at the movie ticket in his hand. There was still an hour before the show started—maybe he could grab a snack at one of the food stands.
“Run far away if you can, Priska,” he murmured.
Aldo might not have been a good man, but there was still a sliver of conscience left in him. He actually felt bad for Priska, knowing what awaited her if Indra got his hands on her. Maybe it was better for her to disappear rather than become Indra’s plaything—even if she would inevitably be found, it would at least take some time.
“Ah, why am I even thinking about this? It’s Indra’s problem. Me? I’m just here for the food.” Aldo strolled towards the food stand on the second floor, ready to enjoy his meal.