Last Page Story of Shabira
21. Lawrence Family Secrets

"Bah, please Mom bentar dong!"

"That?"

"Father!"

Shinta frowned, feeling astonished by her husband's strange demeanor. The man continued walking towards the study room blankly, without caring about his wife. Shinta guessed, it seems that there is a serious problem that is happening to her husband.

"Why is it so weird, he doesn't usually do it."

Intrigued by what really happened, Shinta decides to follow her husband. Inside the workspace, Antonio was sitting on the sofa holding a glossy paper in his left hand. His gaze was so sweet, it seemed that the man was looking at a photo of someone in the A5-sized paper.

"Bah!"

Shinta called her husband gently, touching the man's shoulder. The corner of her eyes glanced at the paper in her husband's hand. A picture of a woman with a smiling three-year-old girl looking at the camera. Shinta knows exactly who the woman is, the woman who is none other than the first wife of her husband who died twelve years ago.

"Sorry Papa, Mah!" Realizing the presence of his wife, Antonio again put the photo in his pocket. They had agreed to forget past events, so Antonio did not want to make Shinta remember it again.

Shinta shook her head, she was quite aware that everything that happened was her fault. "No, Mama should be the one apologizing. Had Mama not been around, Papa would have been happy with Ayuni by now."

Tears running down her cheeks, Shinta deeply regretted what she had made first. It is true, she is the third person in the relationship of Antonio and Ayuni, the birth mother of Shabira. In the past, Shinta and Antonio loved each other. Shinta knew that Antonio already had a wife, but the selfishness of the heart made him have the heart to damage their household.

Antonio, so blinded in love, chooses to marry Shinta, a widowed one-child who has just been left by her husband. Ayuni, tired of her husband's behavior, finally chooses to end it all, and sues Antonio for divorce. But without Antonio knowing, Ayuni was pregnant with her child when the divorce occurred.

Antonio shook his head, realizing the mistake was not entirely Shinta's fault. If he used to be more sensitive to his feelings, Ayuni would never leave him. It is undeniable, actually Antonio is very sorry after the divorce occurred. If the love came before the match, maybe he will appreciate the presence of Ayuni as his wife first.

"That's not what Papa meant, it's not entirely your fault!" Antonio pulled Shinta into a hug, hugged her tightly while kissing her forehead. Once Antonio loses his love, the man no longer wants to make a mistake for the second time.

For a long time the two were silent, until Shinta's voice again broke the silence. "Why dream? Papa still remembers Ayuni?" shinta asked a little jealous.

Antonio shook his head and said, "Failing father Ma, Papa has failed to be a father to Shabira."

Seeing her husband's face filled with guilt, Shinta became even more curious. It's not unusual for Antonio to behave like this with other people, including himself. "What does Papa mean?" tanyakanya.

"After everything Papa did, Papa thought it was best for Shabira. Papa always wants to make Shabira look perfect, without realizing Papa always manages his life. Papa thinks by doing that, Shabira will get closer to Papa. But apparently not, the distance that Papa considered close, it was very far for Shabira."

"Papa thought, all this time Shabira was happy living with us. He always smiled in front of Papa, but it turned out that it was not what Papa thought. It turns out that Shabira is very far from Papa's reach, Papa doesn't know anything about her. All that Shabira's been through, Papa doesn't even know anything!" Antonio let go of his embrace, then headed towards his desk. The man's hands clenched firmly, feeling extremely foolish after knowing the reality that was happening.

"Stupid! I failed to be a good father to Shabira. I didn't even know that Shabira had been depressed about everything I did. I don't even know, if it turns out that Shabira has been bullying at school!" Antonio stared in every direction with reddened eyes, condemning his stupidity all along.

Seeing her husband begin to speak indistinctly, Shinta immediately approached, then cupped her face to look at him. "Aware, all this is not entirely Papa's fault. My mom is also involved in this problem. Had Mana paid more attention to Shabira, maybe none of this would have happened!" said it.

"Mama know? During this time Shabira was experiencing mental stress, she always took sedatives to deal with everything. But what did Papa do? Papa instead gave more pressure to him, just for the sake of a high value that cost nothing at all!"

Antonio regretted that he always wanted to see Shabira's school grades surpass Renita's. Undeniably, Antonio has always been influenced by Renita who often prides himself on school grades. Renita does always compare her value with Shabira subtly. Of course, as a father, Antonio would not accept if his daughter was humbled by Renita continuously.

"That's why Mama always told Papa to stop all that, but Papa always won't listen. Papa always wants to see Shabira surpass Renita, but Papa himself already knows the limits of Shabira's abilities!" shinta said she did not think. "Mama knew Renita wasn't Papa's real son. Can't you, just once Papa thinks of him as Papa's son?"

Antonio was silent, all this time he had been trying to accept Renita in his family. He was always kind to the girl, giving her a decent life as a princess in the Lawrence family. Then what else should he do? Antonio is even willing to give his last name to Renita, a child born without knowing who his biological father is.

Renita is not the daughter of Antonio and Shinta, no one knows that fact except the two of them. In reality, Renita is the son of Shinta's deceased best friend. An accident happened to Renita who was still in the womb. Luckily, Renita can still be saved even though the age of the womb is only entering seven months.

Shinta who felt sorry finally decided to adopt her, with the approval of Antonio who was then her husband. At that time, Shinta had just lost her love fruit with Antonio who had just entered the age of six months in the womb. Shinta can't let little Renita stay in the orphanage, as she has no other family.

"Papa's been trying to think of Renita as Papa's son, giving her a decent life in our family. What else does Mom want?" antonio did not understand.

Shinta closed her eyes, not knowing how to tell her husband. She felt that her husband had always shown a different attitude between Shabira, Justin and Renita. Despite the fact, Antonio has always been kind to all three. It's just that, sometimes Antonio will be very fierce towards Shabira and Justin. Not when we face Renita.

Shinta realizes that, Antonio does look to already consider Justin as his own son. And Shinta is very grateful for that, however Justin is the son of her first husband. But for Renita, Shinta feels Antonio is still very rigid towards her.

Antonio sat back down, thinking about how to erode the distance between himself and Shabira. The life of his biological daughter was neglected just because of a value. Antonio felt stupid, how could he be affected by every word Renita said. Whether it was intentionally or not, still as a father, Antonio had to be more careful in dealing with his children.

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Title: Scavenger Wealth System

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...See you in the next HTKS story...