28 || Obstacle! ||


    Part 28.


    ra and Joe were on their way to a shopping center. Mr. Joko, sitting behind the wheel, focused on driving the four-wheeled vehicle, providingfort to his employer.


    Joe and ra sat in the back, while the four-year-old girl was in ra’sp.


    “Kak ra!” whispered Kimmy.


    “Yes,” ra replied, focusing her gaze and attention on Kimmy.


    “Grandma said Kak Kimmy wants to go to college and not stay at home anymore. Is that true?” Kimmy asked.


    ra threw a smile. She paused for a moment before answering the question. Meanwhile, Joe pretended to focus on his tablet screen. Although both of his senses were tuned into what Kimmy and ra were talking about.


    “Emmm …,” murmured ra.


    “Kak ra will still stay here, she’ll go to college ande home every day!” Joe interrupted, stealing a nce at ra.


    “Emmm …, Grandma likes to lie, huh, Pa?” protested the little girl.


    Joe smiled thinly and nced at ra again.


    ra chose to remain silent. She couldn’t smile until she heard those exnations from Joe. Her heart was still burning with jealousy.


    After thirty minutes of traveling, they arrived at thergest shopping center in the city. Mr. Joko parked his car in the parking area.


    Joe, along with ra and Kimmy, got out of the car and began to enter the multi-story building. The man nced at his watch and then watched ra and Kimmy again.


    “Shall we go to the top floor? Does Kimmy want to eat ice cream?” Joe asked. “What about you, ra? What vor ice cream do you want?” he offered.


    “Anything, Uncle!” ra replied, still indifferent. In fact, she didn’t want to eat ice cream. She just needed exnations about those eye-catching and heart-wrenching articles.


    The elevator door opened.


    Joe led Kimmy, then made sure ra entered and always stayed close to her.


    The elevator door closed. The transportation device in the multi-story building began to ascend.


    Joe loves ra! That’s what he feels. Initially, he thought he just wanted to see ra without having her. However, all of that was wrong. A dominant man like him couldn’t contain his jealousy.


    The door opened.


    The three of them stepped out to a table reserved by Joe. It was a rectangr table with six seats.


    Joe sat at the end, Kimmy beside him. ra chose to sit across from Kimmy.


    Soon, a waiter came and brought two drinks and two servings of ice cream.


    ra thought for a moment, why were there two drinks? Strawberry juice was clearly Joe’s order, but what about the soda? Kimmy couldn’t have it. Joe also avoided soda.


    Tap..


    Tap..


    Tap..


    Footsteps approached. ra’s question was answered. Celine was standing next to Joe, smiling sweetly.


    “Good afternoon, Mr. Joe,” she greeted. She sat next to ra, facing Joe.


    “Good afternoon, Celine!” Joe replied. “Thank you foring!” he added.


    “Yes, Sir, I’ll always be ready if you want me toe!” she said with a continued smile.


    “I want to talk about the articles circting in the media about us,” Joe paused for a moment, looking at ra who was enjoying her ice cream.


    ra seemed indifferent. But, in fact, she was paying attention to every word uttered by Celine and Joe.


    “Oh yes, I read those articles earlier!” said Celine, pretending not to be interested. Although she was the mastermind behind the spread of those articles about her closeness to the widower.


    “Yes, I don’t know where those articles came from, I just want you to confirm that none of it is true!” Joemanded. “Our rtionship is just work-rted, nothing more. I don’t want those rumors to spread, because there are hearts I need to protect!” Joe nced briefly at ra, then looked back at Celine.


    “Mr. Joe, aren’t you already divorced? That means you’re not in a rtionship with anyone, right?” Celine asked, raising her eyebrows, full of questions. Could it be that Joe was in a rtionship with another woman?


    Joe stared at Celine sharply. He didn’t expect the model to be so bold.


    “Then, what’s the meaning of the gift you gave?” she protested. A gift of flowers and a gown was given by Joe, about a month ago.


    “Gift?” Joe squinted, trying to remember.


    Silence.


    “I’ll excuse myself to the restroom!” ra couldn’t handle it. She didn’t want to know what Joe gave to Celine, until the beautiful woman got carried away and thought Joe liked her.


    Silence. Kimmy was busy with her chocte ice cream.


    “Which gift, Celine? I don’t recall,” Joe asked.


    “Flowers and an evening gown!” Celine replied.


    “Sorry, but I really don’t know about that. I always s to the models I work with, but my secretary chooses them!” Joe exined. For a moment, he remembered Antoni and wanted to scold him.


    Celine’s breath became heavy. Joe politely rejected her. Her face turned red with embarrassment.


    “I’ll excuse myself to the restroom for a moment!” Celine said, feeling extremely embarrassed. She walked quickly. The sound of her high heels shing with the floor echoed loudly in Joe’s ears.


    In the restroom.


    Celine found ra standing in front of the mirror. They stared at each other.


    “Who are you, what’s your name?” Celine asked curtly.


    “I’m ra, Kak,” ra replied kindly. The woman she was talking to was incredibly beautiful, even with minimal makeup. Truly out of her league.


    “Do you know the woman who’s close to Joe?” Celine asked while examining her appearance in the mirror.


    “Emmm…,” ra murmured.


    “Damn, who is that woman! Why is she not interested in me! Why can Joe not be interested in me?” she eximed angrily.


    “ra!” she called.


    “Yes, Kak!” ra replied, trembling.


    “I’m beautiful, aren’t I?”


    “Yes, Kak Celine, you’re beautiful and talented!” ra replied honestly. The woman standing next to her was indeed perfect.


    “I deserve to have Joe, right?” Celine’s breath still sounded heavy with frustration.


    ra didn’t answer. “I’m going out, Kak!” ra excused herself.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    “Wait!” Celine stopped her.


    “Yes?”


    “If you know who the woman close to Joe is, you should tell ra!” she requested. “Since you’re always close to Joe, you should know who he’s close to!” she added with emphasis.


    “I… I don’t know, Kak!”


    “My efforts have been in vain!” Celine sighed. She bowed her head, resting it on her hands.


    “What do you mean, Celine?” ra asked, abandoning her intention to stay longer in the room.


    “I made those articles, I paid the media. I thought he liked me!” shemented again.


    ra sighed. It was understandable! What she had been feeling all along. Loving Joe deeply. The man was indeed charming. Even someone like Celine, a model, desired Joe. Not to mention Vivian, his supermodel ex-wife.


    ra’s courage faltered. Did Joe really love her? The longer it went on, the more doubts she had!


    “Kak Celine, be strong! Loving someone without any reciprocation is painful! I’ve felt it for years!” ra advised and quickly left Celine. A feeling of sadness creeping into her heart.


    Celine was stunned. Was what ra said true? Wasn’t she still in high school? For years?


    Celine shook her head, unsure.


    Joeplied with ra’s wish to go home.


    “We need to talk tonight,” Joe requested before they arrived at the parking area.


    “Yes, let’s talk over the phone, Uncle!” ra suggested. There was a sense of fear because Joe had started to boldly kiss her anywhere.


    “Yes!”


    They got into the car. Mr. Joko, who had been waiting faithfully, started the car.


    “Where to, Sir?” the man asked.


    “Let’s just go home!” Joe replied.


    “Okay!”


    The car started moving back towards home. Throughout the journey, Joe felt relieved because ra wasn’t angry anymore.


    The four-wheeled vehicle arrived at Joe’s residence. ra got out of the car, as did Joe, carrying the sleeping Kimmy.


    Out of the blue, ra was startled to see a woman sitting on the veranda of the house.


    “Why is Aunt Vivian here already! It hasn’t even been two months in Paris!” ra muttered as she followed behind Joe.


    The man stopped in his tracks.


    “Darling, let’s talk!” Vivian called Joe “darling”.


    “Don’t touch me!” Joe whispered, brushing off his ex-wife’s hand. He chose to leave Vivian behind.


    ra, who had been silent all this time, followed Joe into the house.


    “Wait, ra!” Vivian stopped her, grabbing ra’s hand roughly.


    ra stopped. She returned Vivian’s gaze.


    “I’ll make sure Joees back to me! Realize yourself, ra, you’re just a parasite living in this house, without Joe’s mercy, you can’t experience life with such facilities!” Vivian said confidently.


    “You’re the one who should realize, Aunt! Youe and go as you please without respecting Joe’s feelings!” ra retorted. She understood well how painful it was for Joe. Loving but not being prioritized was painful.


    “Watch your words, ra! You’re no match for me! Give up on getting Joe!” his former wife urged.


    “I’m not afraid, Aunt!” ra tried to sound strong. But her heart was already torn apart.


    “Fine! Get ready, ra, I’ll make you cry blood. Because you’re bold enough, I won’t hesitate, I’ll make sure your heart shatters into pieces!”


    “Let go of my hand, Aunt!”


    Vivian released ra’s hand. They exchanged fierce nces. Neither wanted to back down; they both felt entitled to Joe.


    “I’m not giving up, ra, don’t cry! I’ll make sure we’ll be together!” Joe said as he reached out to ra in his embrace.


    Before ra entered, Joe was already inside her room.


    ra opened her unlocked bedroom door. Strange, because she had locked it when she left earlier.


    The girl sat on the edge of her bed. In her dimly lit room.


    “How strong do I have to be, Uncle! Do I have to be a mountain! Or as tough as a rock! I feel small, why does loving you have to be this exhausting! I’m tired!” ra murmured as she closed both of her hands. Tears welled up. Her chest felt heavy. Celine, Vivian, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Linn, who else would hinder her feelings for Joe.


    “I’m tired! Should I give up!” ramented with herself.


    Silence.


    Only faint sobs from the girl could be heard.


    “Don’t give up, ra, don’t cry! I’ll make sure we’ll be together!” Joe said as he reached out to ra in his embrace.


    Before ra entered, Joe was already inside her room.