Just My Ex Husband
Part 39 - Family ties

At about nine o'clock in the evening Arjuna went back to his mother's house with Clarisa. Arjuna doesn't want to take Clarisa to his apartment other than a holiday. Her little daughter has been sleeping since the trip home from Jenny's house.

Clarisa's body is no longer able to resist fatigue due to the activity of playing with Cleo. The boy was very carefree to play with Clarisa, although not infrequently his nosy hands always tried to grab Clarisa's hair. Maybe it was Clarisa's reply who always played Cleo's hair.

Arjuna steps so slowly carrying his daughter's body, even though Arjuna wants to stay at Jenny's house, but he remembers Verlita's mother's message that never allows his favorite grandson to stay at someone else's house. In addition, the distance of Clarisa's school with Jenny's house is very far, so Arjuna is afraid that tomorrow morning his daughter will be late to school.

Arjuna steps down to Clarisa's room, puts her daughter in a barbie-patterned mattress, then changes Clarisa's clothes with a nightgown. Finished changing clothes, Arjuna pulled a blanket for her daughter then dyed Clarisa's forehead full of deep affection.

"Goodnight my son, sweet dreams."

Arjuna said as he touched the top of Clarisa's head.

•••

Just as Arjuna turned off Clarisa's main light, Verlita came to him. Apparently Mamah Arjuna had not slept, deliberately waiting for the return of his son. Like there's something you want to talk seriously about with Arjuna.

"You need to talk to you, Jun."

That was all that was said from Verlita's lips, then her steps towards the dining room, hinting Arjuna to follow her.

Arjuna pulled one of the seats opposite Verlita's seat.

"What's important about mah?"

Arjuna asked after successfully sitting opposite his mama.

"Your mother wants to talk about something serious with you, Jun, but you hope you won't get angry."

Arjuna was very confused by his mama's statement just now. Makes Arjuna curious. What will Verlita say? It doesn't seem like a trivial thing that concerns him.

"Say me mah."

Arjuna gave Verlita a chance to tell her the question that had to be conveyed to her son.

"Last noon your mother-in-law Alya came to the house, met mamah."

Arjuna was still silent, giving his mother a chance to speak her sentence. Her mother-in-law used to come to Verlita's house to see Clarisa, but this time it sounded unusual to Arjuna.

"You know Claudia's niece named Meyriska?"

Verlita continued her sentence.

"Yes, you know. What happened to Meyriska?"

Arjuna was still curious.

"Alya came here intending to continue the fraternal bond of our family, through Meyriska."

Arjuna still did not understand the intention expressed by Verlita.

"What do you mean?"

Verlita just smiled a little.

"Your mother-in-law asked you to marry Meyriska, so that the family ties that have been built between our families still continue."

Arjuna's heart gasped at Verlita's explanation. Arjuna was surprised not to play, it could-can Alya come to the house offers an idea that Arjuna thinks is very silly.

"Then do you give a response to mamah Alya?"

Arjuna was still trying to remain calm in front of Verlita.

"Mamah told your in-laws what's wrong if we try."

Hearing Verlita's reply suddenly Arjuna's heart ruffled, scrambling his hair rough. Just recently his love was reciprocated by Jenny, now Arjuna's faith must be tested.

"Why didn't Mom tell me first?"

The look of disappointment from Arjuna's face towards the mamah.

"I'm sorry Jun, you're not feeling well with your in-laws."

Verlita was in a difficult position when she met Alya. One side Verlita knows Alya's family is not from just any class. They are a good and honorable family, of course, family ties must remain intertwined. Meyriska is a good girl as far as Verlita is concerned, she thinks Meyriska deserves to be with her son.

"What household can be built from bad feelings mah? Here I am the one who is not mama."

Arjuna begins to grow angry at Verlita's decision. Unilateral decisions without prior communication with him.

"I'm sorry son. Mamah thought you would agree with Alya's intentions. Besides Meyriska's a good girl, she's physically beautiful, a virgin."

The series of reasons stated by Verlita still does not change Arjuna's decision to reject the idea of arranged marriage.

"If you want to find a virgin, even one night Juna can buy a myriad of virgins. It's not just about that Juna's looking for mah."

Verlita felt increasingly guilty hearing her son's rejection.

"Then how did you resist Alya's wishes?"

"Mamah just said that Juna had found his choice. That's pretty obvious according to Juna."

A glimpse of Jenny's face in Arjuna's mind. Whatever his circumstances Arjuna will not give up just like that, he will still fight for his love with the woman who is right to fill the empty space in his heart.

"If mamah doesn't dare say, let Juna himself tell mamah Alya."

Arjuna reaffirmed his sentence, with a slightly threatening tone.

"No Juni. Let mama herself say it, but you need time to tell Alya this."

Verlita did not want to ruin Alya's mood for now. Alya is so in love with her dream daughter-in-law. It is unfortunate that Arjuna made his choice to another family.

"It's okay, ma'am, which is clear I strongly reject this matchmaking."

Arjuna rested his back on the back of the chair, as if he did not want to hear compelling reasons.

"Is all this because of aunt Barbie Jun?"

Verlita still remembers the woman Arjuna told her about a few days ago.

"Yes, um."

Answer Arjuna briefly.

"Will he accept you?"

Verlita is increasingly curious about the development of her son's romance.

"About three days ago Jenny was already committed to Arjuna."

Netra Verlita sparkled when her son mentioned the real name of aunt barbie.

"Ehm... Jenny and Juna. Unique couple's name."

Mamah Arjuna developed her smile, slightly teasing her son.

"You should not be surprised if Jenny has given birth to Arjuna's child."

Verlita's smile instantly vanished after hearing Arjuna's confession just now.

"How old is your son with Jenny?"

Verlita immediately asked the age of Arjuna's second child. His mind wanted to estimate when the event happened.

"Two years more mah."

Mamah Arjuna raised her index finger with her middle finger, counting the age of Arjuna's son who was two years older, if plus Jenny's pregnancy means about three years ago the relationship occurred.

"You betrayed Claudia Jun. If your second child is two years old and your pregnancy is one year old, it means you are secretly having an affair. Claudia's departure has been almost three years."

Verlita grew increasingly angry at her son's behavior.

"No, not at all. Arjuna's love is still sincerely awake for Claudia."

"Then why can you have a husband and wife relationship with Jenny?"

Mamah Arjuna cuts off his son's explanation.

"The incident happened about a week after Claudia's funeral. Arjuna is unable to accept the harsh reality, Arjuna always wants to renege on Claudia's death by spending Arjuna's time at the nightclub. Until that night Arjuna did it with Jenny under the influence of alcohol."

Arjuna's stare, staring at the ceiling of the room, was like describing a hot event three years ago.

"Why did your son become a coward? Don't want to take responsibility for what he did to Jenny."

Verlita was right, Arjuna should not let Jenny painstakingly support her son alone.

"Arjuna had tried to offer Arjuna responsibility to Jenny, but she just said that if she was a barren woman, there was nothing to be held accountable. Jenny asks Arjuna to forget everything that happened. While Arjuna is still overshadowed by the guilt towards Claudia, Arjuna is a little unsure about marrying Jenny."

Hearing her son Verlita's explanation was only able to sigh deeply.

"Jenny boy or Jun girl?"

It seems that Mamah Arjuna does not want to discuss further. However Verlita is a wise woman figure, for her all that needs to be corrected is about the future of her son.

"Male. Ivan said his face was very similar to Juna's."

Arjuna bowed after answering Verlita's question.

"Redeem your past responsibilities as a father. Our family needs a successor for the continuity of our business, mamah hope you understand."

There was no other choice for Verlita. However female Verlita was, she could not imagine how difficult it would be for Jenny to raise her son without the figure of the man beside her. That's what makes Verlita's heart feel claustrophobic and disappointed in her son who has let Jenny face everything herself, ironically all of that due to Arjuna.

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