EMBRACE YOU: Presence & Poison
Episode 313

...

“Because I don't want us to fight.”

“We don't fight, we just straighten out misunderstandings during this.”

“See! We've started arguing!”

“You don't like to argue with me?”

“Do I always like to argue with you?”

“Why do you like to answer my questions with other questions?”

“Can I not ask questions?”

“Of course you can! But I was the first to ask, you should have answered.”

“I've answered.”

“Absponding with questions.”

“Yeah! This is so ridiculous! We argue because we don't want to argue.” I took a deep breath, now I don't want to play monopoly anymore.

“So, what should we debate?”

“You forgot? Didn't you yourself start arguing—“

Tok tok tok tok

My words stopped as soon as I heard the knocking on the door. At first glance I glanced at Bayu who was also glancing at me, from his gaze alone I knew that he was not waiting for guests, as well as me.

“Let me open.” I said as I stood up and walked closer to the door.

Before I opened the door, my eyes tried to peek out of the small door hole in the middle of the door, and I was a bit surprised to see who was coming.

My hand quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open.

“Oh! Madam Nadya?” Sapaku found the woman whom I had seen so many times her face was covered in bruises, standing at the door. We never talked, just greeted each other.

Several times I wanted to talk to her, but she always avoided rushing when she saw me.

“A—what am I interrupting? There's something I want to talk to you about.” He said that again surprised me.

“With me??”

“Y—ya. Can k—we talk?” Nervous answer.

Although the bruise on her face was almost healed and left only a slight bruise, but looking at her fearful eyes and nervous manner of speaking, she must have had an inner wound.

“You guys talk first inside. I'm out for a minute.” The voice of Bayu behind my back interrupted the two of us.

This woman in front of me did not say anything to Bayu, she just lowered her head deeper as the man walked past her.

“Come in.”

“Ma—maaf because it has to interfere.”

“No no! We are playing monopoly.” I answered when we were both on the sofa in the living room and our game was still on the table.

“My son often plays this.” This woman smiled little, looking at her like she was daydreaming about her son.

“Please sit down, I'll make you drink.” I said as I spruced up the monopoly game quickly.

But Nadya followed me, she helped me with the paper money, with a small smile she said, “sorry because I came suddenly. We've never broken into it, but I'd like to ask you for help. Maybe a heavy help.”

“What can I help you with?”

“Please help me win custody of my son in the trial later.”

The movement of my hand that was inserting a monopoly game into his box came to a halt in the air. I never expected him to discuss it directly like this without a stale ado.

“Divorce trial? Why did you tell me?” I don't understand at all. He should have told his lawyer that.

“More precisely on Jeremy's family. You're their daughter-in-law, I don't know how anymore, so the only way I think about it is to tell you. The enemy of your enemy is your friend.”

I stared at him, thinking for this month, he was always hurt, “Can you explain to me in more detail?”

Nadya gave a small smile and nodded, she let out a long sigh as if she was gathering energy to tell it.

“I'm the only child from the family to be, my mother and father are very good. They always emphasized to me to help others and not to be arrogant, then at the age of eighteen, my mother died in an accident and my father remarried to a woman who already had a daughter. Because the father was always saddened by the death of the mother, he became busy with his work and was rarely at home. Once when my stepmother introduced me to the Baron family, my father liked their family because of their background from a military family so that in the end my husband and I were married.” He said with a dreamy look.

“Are you and your husband also in a match? I heard many apartment building residents here are betrothed by their families.”

“At first they had the intention to match us, but not so, the family wanted us to choose our own life partner, but in the end we still mate without the need for a match. Kinda complicated.” My answer.

She nodded and nodded, “I can see, you guys are very compatible and seem to love each other. Unfortunately, it did not happen to me.” his smile was lost in replaced with a short breath.

“You can see, I'm often beaten up. People don't want to help me because of the Barons. I've filed for divorce several times but never made it to court, the Baron family wants to be considered good family on the surface, their surname does not want to be ugly, even for small matters, he said, they cover. Then, I took dangerous action with a gas leak and wanted to commit suicide on the roof of the building to fruition. My divorce suit for him could get to court, but again I have bad news that later, the court staff, for our case, will be charged by all who sided with the Baron family. They plan to reverse the facts and eliminate my custody of Devila.” This woman lowered her head, her voice trembling withstanding the cries.

I approached her, rubbing her soft shoulder, hoping to calm her down. Anyway, I don't know what to answer, if I say I understand, it sounds like a lie.

“H—only Jeremy's family is the only rival of the Baron family so far. I've always heard that the Barons are obsessed with excelling at everything with Jeremy's family. So, I thought, maybe a way out so that my son's custody falls to me by asking for your help.” He looked up with wet eyes and a pleading gaze, holding my hand tightly.

“I can't make a direct decision. Although I'm already part of Jeremy's family, but I also don't know about the two families' rivalry. I can't promise anything.”

“At the moment I am desperate. You are the only hope—“

“Do not like that!” I held her hand, not wanting her to express any uncertain hope.

“I know, you are the only daughter of a successful business family. Although Jeremy's family may refuse later, I hope you can work on it for me. You must understand, our suffering because of the family that was supposed to protect.”.

As soon as I fell silent, I somehow felt that his statement was very inappropriate for him to say. At least he should pretend to hide if he checked my background.

...