《Masquerade of Betrayal》


 1. The Other Wife

    "In the tapestry of matrimony, vows weave a sacred pact, binding only the hearts of two, never more."


    ~ Rouzel Soeb ~


    ---


    Diandra Sasmita, or Andra as she''s commonly known, gazed upon her daughter, Nayla Sasongko Putri, nestled serenely on her opulent pink bed. The cherubic face of her five-year-old bore the innocence of an angel, already enveloped in the embrace of a deep slumber beneath a cozy blanket.


    Andra gently picked up a tablet phone -- still playing Nayla''s favorite Frozen video -- from beside her daughter''s peacefully resting face. With a tender smile, she powered off the screen, her fingers briefly caressing the soft strands of Nayla''s hair. Stepping out of the room, she dimmed the lights, leaving the tranquil hush of the night to cradle the dreams of her beloved child.


    "Sleep well, my princess," Andra whispered from the doorway as she gently closed her daughter''s bedroom door.


    The woman with short, shoulder-length jet-black hair, moved gracefully down the corridor on the second floor of her house. Descending the carved staircase to the first floor, her eyes briefly lingered on the joyous family portrait displayed prominently in the lower part of her home. The large frame showcased photos of herself, her daughter, and Yuda Sasongko Putra, her husband.


    No maids graced the house that night, and the opulent ambiance seemed even more muted. The air outside carried a chill from the incessant rain that had persisted since morning, accompanied by the continuous rumbling of the sky.


    "Is Nayla asleep?" asked Yuda --- her husband --- who was watching a soccer match in the living room that night. He had turned down the volume of the television to talk to Andra.


    His wife nodded, then walked over to Yuda who was lying on the sofa and lay down sideways there. She immediately grabbed Yuda''s arm from behind to hug her waist, while watching the soccer match with her husband.


    "Did you just take a shower?"


    Yuda, her tall and handsome husband, asked her while sniffing the vanilla scent of Andra''s silky hair. Andra didn''t answer right away and just chuckled as Yuda shook her hair out of her neck, then kissed her smooth skin.


    Her husband had just returned from his office in the Sudirman Central Business District an hour ago. The man, who comes from a family that owns one of Jakarta''s skyscrapers, deliberately did not greet his wife immediately when he arrived home. He knew she was always in Nayla''s room and was trying to put their daughter to bed in the hours of his return.


    Andra herself knew that when her husband returned from the office, he had a routine during certain times. He would promptly take a shower, have dinner, and settle down to watch recorded or non-live English Premier League matches in the lower living area. He never wanted to disturb his wife by watching it from their bedroom.


    "It''s so chilly here," her husband whispered in Andra''s ear. His warm, mint-scented breath caressed the skin of Andra''s neck, sending shivers down her spine. "You''re not intentionally teasing me, are you?"


    Andra glanced back with a slightly puzzled expression. "What? Teasing you?"


    "Your outfit," Yuda murmured, his fingers brushing against Andra''s low-cut lingerie beneath her thin kimono. "You know I can never resist seeing you in something like this, right?"


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    "You''re incorrigible!" Andra retorted, evading Yuda''s well-founded accusation.


    Her husband chuckled. Although Andra insisted she wasn''t teasing him, when he kissed her neck again, she didn''t stop him. Goosebumps prickled on her skin, and despite the cold, her body responded.


    She squirmed as she felt Yuda''s warm hand naughtily tracing her exposed shoulder. Playfully, she swatted away Yuda''s hand, intending to keep it from exploring beneath the folds of her nightgown, but Yuda remained unfazed.


    Her husband swiftly moved to press his body against Andra''s, his warm tongue delving into her mouth. Their mouths engaged in a dance, ranging from gentle to intense and rapid¡ªleaving Andra nearly breathless.


    The woman turned her face momentarily to catch her breath, and Yuda seized the opportunity to lower his head towards the lower part of Andra''s face. He then kissed the surface of Andra''s throat and his hand slipping beneath her thin gown.


    Andra''s hands instinctively gripped Yuda''s short hair. After purposefully leaving red marks on sensitive parts of Andra''s body -- eliciting loud moans from his wife -- Yuda now discarded the remaining clothes clinging to their bodies.


    With finesse, he then engaged in a passionate encounter with his wife. They continued for quite some time on the sofa. Their sounds of pleasure muffled by the thunderous roars outside and the background noise of the televised soccer match.


    After their intimate moment, they lay for a moment on the sofa, both catching their breath. A few minutes into their shared rest, Andra noticed Yuda getting up from beside her, still completely unclothed with his muscular physique on display.


    "I''ll be in the bathroom for a bit," he said, planting a brief kiss on Andra''s forehead. "You know that I really love you, right?"


    "I love you more," Andra replied with a smile blooming on her lips.


    The woman then stretched her muscles on the sofa with a happy smile. Unfortunately, the joy she felt didn''t last long.


    Suddenly, Andra''s foot touched something hard at the inner end of the sofa arm, causing her to fall silent. She slightly lifted her body to slowly examine the object that collided with her foot.


    To her surprise, on the side of the couch where Yuda usually sat, there was an unknown phone strategically placed, hidden just beneath the folds of the sofa. Andra had never seen that phone before and had no idea who its owner might be.


    The woman then tilted her head, observing the unfamiliar phone, and proceeded to fiddle with it. Andra furrowed her brow upon realizing the phone wouldn''t open and seemed to be secured with a fingerprint scanning system.


    Deciding to give up, she intended to ask about it from her husband. However, as she attempted to put the phone back, her expression suddenly froze. Something from the phone had unexpectedly captured her attention, and she now brought the phone screen closer to her face once again.


    A pair of clasped hands appeared as the wallpaper on the locked phone. Andra clearly didn''t recognize the hand of one person, but she unmistakably recognized the other hand in the photo. The scar on the right thumb in the picture was so identical to the distinctive birthmark on her husband''s hand.


    The woman sat there, astonished. Her thoughts beginning to turn suspicious. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend why her husband''s hands were on the wallpaper of an unfamiliar phone she had never seen before.


    The phone had been discreetly tucked into the folds of the sofa and its volume seemingly intentionally silenced. Andra felt a heightened sense of tension as she observed the warmth radiating from the clasp of the hands in the picture, both adorned with the same wedding ring.


    Not possible! Andra muttered to herself. Her head suddenly feeling hot and her heart beating rapidly. It can''t be Yuda''s hands! Yuda is already married to me, and our wedding rings are different. Maybe... it''s just someone else with a similar scar?


    Just as Andra tried to dismiss the dreadful thoughts in her mind, suddenly a notification came into the phone. Andra''s eyes blinked in surprise, and her body felt a sudden sway as she read a message from a contact saved under the name ''my beloved wife''.


    Beep.


    [I forgot, earlier this afternoon you asked for our baby''s ultrasound photo from the hospital, right? I mistakenly sent it to your other phone.]


    Beep.


    [You still watching soccer, huh?]


    Beep.


    [Yuda Sasongko Putra Junior in my womb misses his dad. Come home quickly, daddy! We both miss you so much!]


    Andra instantly tossed the object in her hand onto the sofa upon reading the latest notification on the unfamiliar phone. Suddenly, she felt a tightness in her chest, and her head began to spin.


    She saw Yuda emerging from the bathroom in the living room, but Andra could no longer greet him warmly. The woman swiftly stood up from the sofa, and in a matter of moments, she ran quickly up the stairs to her room, where she collapsed in tears.

 2. A Mother and Her Angel

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 3. The Masked Lady?

    "Hello...? Andra?"


    A crisp voice of a woman came through the phone. Andra let out a sigh of relief as Sonya finally picked up her phone after nearly an hour of being ignored.


    "I''ve been trying to reach you, but it was hard getting through," Andra said, trying to keep her tone calm. "Is Nay with you? Mama Sukma called you earlier to pick her up from school, right?"


    "Oh, yes. mama asked me to pick up Nayla from her school," replied Sonya, laughing amiably. "Nay is with me now."


    Andra tried to brush off the ''mama'' reference Sonya used for her mother-in-law. "Thank goodness! Thank you for picking up Nay. I feel bad for bothering you."


    "By the way," Andra continued, "I''ve been waiting in front of your house, but neither you nor Nay was there. I was planning to pick up Nay."


    "Oh? Yuda didn''t tell you?" Sonya asked, sounding puzzled. "I''m taking Nayla to Yuda''s office. She was hungry because I picked her up late, so I called her dad for permission to have lunch first. Turns out, Yuda suggested bringing Nay for lunch at his office. I''m on my way there now."


    "Why didn''t you just call me?" Andra asked, slightly irritated. "I''ve been trying to reach you, but you weren''t answering."


    "I was focused on Nay, so after calling Yuda, I didn''t check my phone," explained Sonya. "Sorry, Dra. I''m sure you were worried. Would you like to join us for lunch near Yuda''s office? I''ll inform him."


    Andra furrowed her brow. She wondered why Sonya felt the need to inform Yuda about her arrival, considering Andra was Yuda''s wife and had the right to be there anytime. Sonya''s words made Andra feel as if she was being treated like a stranger ¨C- as if Sonya had more control over Yuda and her daughter.


    "Where are you now?" Andra asked with a hint of annoyance in her tone.


    "I''m in the car," replied Sonya. "I''ll be at Dumaga Restaurant, near Yuda''s office, shortly. You know the one behind SCBD that famous for its delicious pasta, right?"


    "Yes, I know," said Andra. The woman was trying hard to conceal her frustration. "I''ll head there right away."


    Feeling uncomfortable, Andra quickly hung up. She restarted her car and headed towards Dumaga Restaurant. She knew the place well. It was where Sonya and Yuda used to play the piano and dine when they were still together. What puzzled Andra was whether it was Yuda or Sonya who suggested having lunch there.


    She recalled Sonya''s situation when the ex of her husband returned to Indonesia. Sonya seemed genuinely distressed that time. Even though Yuda''s parents were willing to help Sonya through Yuda, if Andra hadn''t agreed, Sonya wouldn''t have received support from her husband. Despite this, Andra had compassion for Sonya and agreed to Yuda''s request on behalf of his parents.


    Andra even suggested that Yuda provide funding for Sonya, who eventually used it to open a flower shop. Apart from that, Sonya was sponsored with a luxurious house near Yuda and Andra''s home, and Yuda''s parents gave her a car more luxurious than Andra''s current one.


    Andra wasn''t the envious type. She was genuinely happy that Sonya was getting help to overcome her difficulties. Andra even suggested to her husband to help Sora Ramaya -- Sonya''s younger sister who had just graduated from high school -- get a scholarship from Yuda''s company.


    She liked Sora. To her, Sora was honest and cheerful. Andra''s fondness for Sora was also due to the fact that the girl always behaved naturally in Andra''s presence.


    Unexpectedly, all the genuine help Andra extended to Sonya''s family now seemed to entangle her in a web of complications. Though not entirely convinced that Yuda was cheating with Sonya, her presence in Indonesia had heightened Andra''s paranoia. Andra was quite sure something was going on between Sonya and her husband.


    "Ah, you have arrived!" Yuda said when he saw Andra arriving at their reserved table.


    The woman''s heart suddenly ached seeing her husband and daughter sitting there with Sonya, looking happy as if she didn''t exist.


    Both Yuda and Nayla were laughing, engaged in a joyful conversation, as if Sonya was the woman in their family, not Andra. Despite the sudden wave of anger and heartache, Andra tried to appear composed for Nayla''s sake.


    "Sorry, I''m late," Andra said, bewildered as she saw Sonya still sitting with Nayla, not budging an inch from Yuda''s side.


    Trying to stay patient, Andra pulled a chair in front of Sonya, on the other side of Yuda. Her eyes then narrowed as she noticed a cup of ice cream in front of Nayla.


    "Nayla ordered ice cream before lunch?" Andra asked in surprise.


    "Sonya ordered it for her," Yuda replied casually. "Don''t worry, it''s okay if Nay eats ice cream before lunch once in a while."


    "You''re aware she won''t eat her meal if she has something sweet beforehand. What were you thinking? What if she falls ill again?" Andra scolded.


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    "Sorry, Andra. It''s not Yuda''s fault. I ordered it before he came because Nay wanted ice cream. I''m not familiar with Nay''s eating habits," Sonya explained apologetically.


    "It''s okay, Sonya. Thanks for picking up Nay today since my wife was late," Yuda interjected, glancing at his wife.


    Andra obviously was taken aback to see her husband taking Sonya''s side so easily.


    "I had trouble with my car earlier, so I was late picking up Nay," she lied again. "My phone was busy because I was calling people for help. That''s why I was late picking up Nay."


    "When I arrived at her school," she continued, "her teacher said she called you and mama, but you didn''t answer. I only found out later that Sonya ended up picking Nay up."


    "I''m glad I did it, Andra," Sonya intervened, trying to mediate between Andra and her husband. "I like picking up Nay. She''s such a sweet girl. Right, Nay?"


    Sonya playfully teased Nayla in her arms, making the little girl laugh with joy.


    Feeling a twinge of jealousy as she watched her daughter seemingly happy with Sonya, Andra fell silent. Although Nayla rarely got close to anyone, Sonya managed to easily connect with her. Even Nayla moved to Sonya''s lap during lunch ¨C a rare occurrence when she usually insisted on staying in her mother''s arms.


    Nayla Sasongko Putri was the name given by Yuda''s parents. Initially hesitant due to its similarity to Sonya''s full name, Kanayla Sonya, Andra eventually decided to let it be. Now, for some reason, calling Nayla felt a bit bothersome.


    "Nay, my dear, eat some meal, okay?" Andra gently urged her daughter.


    Nayla immediately shook her head toward her mother. The round face of the child looked sulky as her mother asked her to eat some meal. The little girl quickly spooned the ice cream given by Sonya into her mouth again, fearing that her mother would soon take her ice cream away because she refused to eat a proper meal.


    "Don''t do that, Nay! Why are you resisting your mommy?" Sonya coaxed Nayla. "You will eat your meal, okay? Later, you can play with Auntie Sonya again."


    Nayla seemed a bit sulky for a moment. However, after that, the little girl nodded. Sonya then took the menu book in front of her and quickly looked at the best food options for Nayla, who was still on her lap.


    "See, Nay is more obedient to you than to me and Andra," Yuda remarked, laughing along with Sonya.


    In essence, it was just a passing remark from her husband, but it immediately struck Andra''s heart hard. She began to feel disgusted seeing her husband''s face, which seemed unapologetic, as he already had a secret phone at home, and most likely, another woman hidden in his life.


    Andra felt the urge to directly ask Yuda if he had indeed been cheating all this time. However, at this moment, Andra chose to try to be a more calculated and cautious woman to avoid making the wrong move.


    The situation then returned to normal, and everyone was occupied with their respective meals. Andra almost forgot about her issues as she listened to her husband''s stories about his office situation¡ªuntil something surprising happened.


    Sonya''s face suddenly turned pale after eating half of her lasagna. Within minutes, she looked extremely nauseous and started opening her mouth as if she wanted to vomit.


    Looking extremely worried, Yuda stood up immediately upon seeing her silent distress. "Sonya, what''s wrong with you?"


    The former pianist immediately held onto Yuda with her hands and appeared to be trying to calm Andra''s husband.


    "It''s okay, I just accidentally drank too much soda earlier. It''s my bad habit to drink soda when driving," she explained.


    "Why did you drink soda?! You''re not supposed to drink that yet!" Yuda exclaimed. His face suddenly took on a very concerned look.


    "Sonya is not supposed to drink soda?" Andra suddenly interrupted them. "What''s wrong with Sonya and soda?"


    Both Yuda and Sonya were momentarily stunned after hearing Andra''s question. It seemed like they just realized Andra was there with them.


    "Uh, no, Dra," Sonya replied, smiling nervously. "I have a sensitive issue with my intestines lately, so I shouldn''t drink too much soda. I feel like vomiting now because I accidentally drank a lot of soda earlier. Maybe I just need to go to the toilet for a moment."


    "Oh," Andra responded while mysteriously looking at Sonya''s pale face. "Do you want me to accompany you to the toilet? It''s not advisable for you to go there alone if you''re feeling sick."


    "Uh¡ªokay, if you don''t mind," Sonya replied after glancing briefly at Yuda. The two women then walked together towards the back end of the restaurant.


    Once inside the toilet, Sonya immediately headed towards the sink and remained silent for a few moments. She looked genuinely nauseous, but couldn''t get anything out of her mouth.


    "Are you... okay, Sonya?" Andra asked again with investigative eyes.


    Sonya shook her head. "I''m fine, Dra. The nausea is starting to fade. Now, I just feel a bit dizzy."


    "That''s good, then. Fortunately, I always have aspirin with me. Do you want one?" Andra tried to test Sonya.


    Sonya suddenly shook her head quickly and immediately wiped her face with the sink''s tissue. She seemed confused with the situation, as if struggling to recover as quickly as she wanted.


    "It''s funny; if people see you now, they might think you''re pregnant!" Andra exclaimed, laughing at Sonya.


    Oddly, her interlocutor lapsed into silence instantly¡ªand now looked at Andra with sharp eyes.


    "So what if I''m really pregnant?!" Sonya suddenly hissed, with her eyes glaring sharply at Andra. "Do you find this amusing?"


    Andra was a bit shocked at the sudden change in Sonya''s expression and tone. Somehow, she seemed enraged by Andra''s earlier question and appeared resentful without a clear reason.


    Sonya then wiped her face with the wiping tissue on the sink and casually threw it at Andra.


    "Trashy woman! Don''t you remember the case when you stole Yuda from me? It started with what? With your pregnancy, right?!"


    "S-Sonya...?" Andra mumbled, looking half-deadly shocked by Sonya''s drastic change in attitude.


    "Don''t pretend to be the most perfect woman because now you enjoy everything as Yuda''s wife. For me, you will forever be a cheap thief who steals someone else''s property!" Sonya continued with sarcasm.


    She then left Andra alone in the toilet. Andra herself was stunned there for quite a while until she finally decided to return to her dining table to follow Sonya.


    The woman hadn''t quite grasped the awkward moment with Sonya earlier. Even so, when she returned, Sonya immediately left and Yuda stared at his wife with a face that somehow looked very angry.


    "Why did you do that to Sonya?" Yuda suddenly asked with a trembling voice.


    "Huh? Do what...?" Andra stared blankly, not knowing the drama that was happening.


    "According to Sonya, you got angry at her in the toilet just because of her WhatsApp status about Nay. Then, you also got angry because she brought Nay to me?!"


    Andra was now even more dumbfounded. "Huh? What?"


    Yuda didn''t immediately answer Andra''s confused question. After giving a sarcastic look to his wife, he immediately slammed the napkin in his hand before rushing to chase after Sonya.


    Yuda Sasongko Putra¡ªher husband¡ªleft Andra just like that with their daughter, Nay, alone in the restaurant for the first time in their marriage history ... only for another woman who had already slandered Andra.