Doctor Alby Pujaan Hati
Strategies

The earthy sound of birds chirping and sunlight that began to infiltrate through the window of his room made Devi wake up. It seems like it is morning.

Devi turned to the side and found that Alby was no longer there. 

"Is Alby awake?"

Devi looked towards the wall clock hanging beautifully on the wall and the clock showed seven o'clock in the morning.

"It's too early to wake up" said Devi, laying on her bed.

But the next second he woke up as soon as he realized where he was living now. Devi immediately runs to the bathroom to clean up and after a while struggling with her activities in the bathroom, Devi decides to go down to help Ishwari.

"The first day of living in the house of parents om Alby, I had to leave a positive impression as a prospective daughter-in-law" said Devi giggled herself.

Once down, he finds Ishwari arranging flowers in the living room. Devi walked closer to Ishwari.

"Aunty to me" said Devi with a big smile.

"By the morning too, dear. Howwasyoursleep? No sound?" tanya Ishwari threw a smile towards Devi.

"Yuduk aunty. Aunt Ishy what are you doing?" ask Devi.

"Tante replaced this flower with a new one because this one was already withered."

"Can Devi help you?"

"No, aunt is done. Then let's have breakfast together," asked Ishwari, who is possessed by Devi.

Ishwari immediately invites Devi to go to the dining room. Previously he washed his hands first and asked one of their servants to prepare food on the dining table.

Devi looked hungry at the food barrage on the dining table. The delicious food immediately piqued Devi's appetite.

"Woah Aunty Ishy is very good at cooking," praised Devi pointing her thumb at Ishwari.

"Tante doesn't cook," Ishwari said with a laugh. "There's aunt Jum cooking. Alby's father forbade me from doing housework and would rather tell me to relax."

Devi smiled clumsyly at the same time she was amazed by the type of husband like her father Alby. For sure he will feel united every day if he has a husband like Abhimanyu.

"Oh yes aunt, where are Alby and Abi? Did they not eat breakfast?" ask Devi curiously.

"They've gone to work. Alby had left earlier this morning to return to the city," Ishwari explained which made Devi sigh disappointed.

"Om Alby when's aunt coming home?" ask Devi lethargic.

"Tante doesn't know yet. Later try to call Alby and ask him yourself" Ishwari said gently.

Devi nodded her head and started eating her food.

"Today want to come with aunty to go shopping?" ask Ishwari.

"You aunt," replied Devi excitedly.

"Alright then, now finish the food first," Ishwari smiled.

*****

"Syria?"

"Yes. This must be because of your relationship with Laudya. The old, annoying director deliberately sent me away from here so that I wouldn't interfere with your relationship with Laudya" Renata said.

"It was your own fault. You're the one who made Laudya think you liked me" Alby replied.

"That's because I care about you. Look, Laudya isn't the woman you see. Deep in his heart was a dangerous demon that could destroy your life at any moment."

"What do you mean?" alby was confused.

"Laudya killed his own mother. He hit her with his own car" Renata replied, which surprised Alby instead of playing.

"I didn't kill my mother," said Laudya who had just arrived while staring at Renata fiercely.

"I know you hate me but speaking incorrectly about me to influence my boyfriend is not an honorable act of Doctor Renata" Laudya said sharply.

"What's not true, I've known about it since I accidentally heard what you said to your father first" Renata said in self-defense.

"You're eavesdropping on me?" laudya asked, staring intently at Renata.

"You didn't hear me say it wasn't on purpose?" Renata returned Laudya's sharp gaze fearlessly.

"Since you've already told Alby, then I'll explain the real situation that happened back then. I hope that after you hear my explanation, you no longer speak ill of me to others, especially to Alby."

Renata crossed both hands in front of the chest challenging Laudya's statement.

"That night my father and mother had a big fight. Dad kicked mom out of the house. Mother who did not want to leave also tried to apologize and kneel at the feet of the father in order to undo the intention to expel him. But my father remained firm in his stance. Dad refused and pushed mom tight just as my car was passing by. Mum should not be seriously injured because at that time I intended to park the car in front of the house so that I slow down the speed of my vehicle. But because the father's impulse was so strong, the mother fell right under" Laudya's breath choked as soon as she was about to continue her story. This is a story that not many people know about Jessica.

Tears began to flow soaking Laudya's eyes making Alby and Renata become pity. There was a sense of regret in Renata's heart as soon as he saw how broken a Laudya was.

"Mother was crushed by the tire of my car" Laudya continued to cry bitterly.

Alby walked over to Laudya and hugged her lover to calm her down.

"I didn't kill my mother. I didn't kill him" Laudya said in her tears.

"Yes, I believe you. No cry. Forgive Renata for misunderstanding you," whispered Alby softly as he stroked Laudya's back.

Alby feels sorry for Laudya. Laudya's situation is not much different from Devi's. They both share a terrible past and a prolonged trauma. This incident made Alby a little want to reconsider the deal he made with Sena.

Alby had previously intended to cancel the deal he made with Sena and Alby was ready to accept any consequences because once he was near Devi his strange feelings began to appear. It was very different from how he felt with Laudya.

But now seeing how helpless a Laudya in front of him made Alby so full that he did not dare to hurt Laudya by canceling the deal. Laudya is already quite devastated by her mother's death and Alby does not want Laudya to be further devastated with her abandonment.

After all, isn't this Alby's own consequence of making careless deals without thinking? I don't know, Alby is still confused by his own feelings. There's no way he's starting to like two people at once, right?

"I'm sorry, I don't know if it turns out like that" Renata said.

Laudya silently did not answer. Alby gestures to Renata to let her out of her room and leave her alone with Laudya. Renata who understood Alby's gesture immediately stepped out.

After a while later, Laudya had already started to calm down. Alby thrust mineral water at Laudya and sat down beside Laudya. Laudya immediately leaned her head against Alby's shoulder making Alby feel a little uncomfortable but Alby held her back. Alby must be aware that he is now Laudya's girlfriend and what Laudya does is a common thing that is done like other couples do.

"The thing that makes the father angry and expels the mother is because the mother cheated on him. No one knows about this because me and my father wanted to keep the good name of my dead mother. Jessica doesn't know about this, and thinks the one who cheated on her is a father, not a mother."

"Why could that be?" alby was confused.

"When mom and dad had a fight, Jessica was in her room and she just vaguely heard what mom and dad were saying. He was not very clear to hear what they were making noise but surely Jessica heard the word 'cheating' from their words. Perhaps out of curiosity, Jessica went out and headed for the balcony. There he saw my father pushing my mother and I who hit my mother to death. Since then, Jessica's personality has changed to what it is today. Jessica thought it was my father who cheated on me and many times Jessica called me a murderer" Laudya explained.

"Why not tell Jessica the truth?" ask Alby.

"That was my fault. I should have explained everything to Jessica but in reality I was not able to. I was too scared to go back to remembering the incident until it hurt so much. I wanted to erase those painful memories, but Jessica used to bully me and often acted rudely towards him. By, besides being a bad daughter, I'm a bad sister to Jessica as well. I'm.aku-"

Laudya was unable to continue her words and immediately cried back inside Alby's arms.

Alby immediately tried to calm Laudya back down and whispered soothing words in Laudya's ears.

Now Alby feels he is very wishy-washy and has no stance. His feelings are very easy to change. Is it because Laudya and Devi have the same mass trauma so that there is a sense of pity for both? If it is like that means all this time his love for Devi is purely because of his love is not because Alby likes him. The proof now that he heard Laudya's story appeared the same feeling as he felt for Devi just that the feeling was not as strong as he felt for Devi.

"It turns out that as strong as my love for Icha up to two people who are near me can't yet replace my feelings for her until what appears in my heart to Devi and Laudya there is only pity," alby said in his heart.

Laudya who saw how gentle and caring Alby was to her laughed triumphantly in her heart. First he managed to break Renata's statement in front of Alby and secondly it seems he managed to melt Alby's heart which previously looked cold to him.

Laudya acknowledges that the statement Renata made to Alby is the truth while the one he explained to Alby is just a scenario of his lies.

The fact that her father cheated on her and her mother's death was intentional. During this time his mother always curbed and demanded Laudya as her mother wanted ranging from the matter of school grades that must be perfect, college majors to matchmaking all have been arranged by her mother. Laudya who had lived for years under pressure was frustrated until he finally ventured to end his mother's life. He did it to seek his freedom.

And the impact of that made Laudya think all her wishes she had not gotten from her mother had to be fulfilled, including her desire to get Alby. His mother set him up with a wealthy businessman who was a widower with one child. Laudya rejects him but his mother forces him and even threatens him. Now instead, he has to get Alby to his liking even in a dirty way. Including threatening his father to set him up with Alby. As long as Laudya does not tell Jessica the truth, all of Laudya's wishes will be fulfilled by her father.

Isn't that the best strategy he's got?

*****

On the other hand, Bima looks relaxed with one cigarette tucked in her hand. He is waiting for information from the men he sent to find out where Devi is now.

Not long after, a man appeared who immediately saluted him before he finally reported his work.

"Sorry sir, I have not managed to find Devi's whereabouts. But today Alby is coming to work and I'm going to follow him when he gets home because I'm sure Alby will definitely be heading to where Devi is."

"Follow it properly and do not let Raden know about this," said Bima.

"Good sir."

"Raden must not know this plan because if he knows he will definitely kill me" he said.

*****