NOT PERPETRATORS
Behind the Photo Frame

"Oh, he's my friend. Her name is Fania" I replied.

Secretary Ve seemed to be thinking for a moment. I also noticed her shrunken forehead.

"Why, Brother Ve?"

"Oh, there's nothing, huh?" The secretary of Ve went into the office.

I follow behind him. At my desk, I sat down and turned on the computer.

Not long after me, Bastian came. He sat down at his desk.

"Mas," call me.

"Yes, Imania."

"Why didn't you bring Arka home?"

"Oh .. that. Arka did not want to be invited home," he said.

"really?"

Mas Bastian gave a faint smile. "I'm planning on having a little party. You should come, huh?"

"Fest?" I was surprised to hear that.

"Yes. Three days, birthday party. Did you forget?"

Yeah, I remember. I always remember. How could I forget? He's my son, his birthday, of course I always remember.

"Why not tell me first?" I looked at him in wonder. Supposedly, Bastian made up his mind after talking to me first. He's my son too, isn't he?

Mas Bastian let out a rough sigh. He put his smile back on me. "This is what I just said, right?"

I looked at him not understanding. Actually, I also want to celebrate it myself in my house. I had planned to invite Arka's friends that day. But ... if indeed Bastian mas want to celebrate Arka's birthday party at his home. Maybe I can celebrate it the day after that. Yeah, alright.

I went back to doing my job. And I saw the secretary Ve coming towards me.

"Imania!" call him who is standing next to me.

"Yes, Brother Ve?"

"Do this one, huh? If you have, just take it straight to the main director's room, huh?" said secretary Ve while putting a file on my desk.

"Major director?"

"Hm, get to work, yeah!"

Secretary Ve returned to his room. I stared at the file that Ve's secretary gave me. Oh, my God, this time I'm really going to go head-to-head with Mr. Wibowo. Will he recognize me soon? Then ... will he scold me? Is he going to bully me like he used to?

Oh, Imania, relax! Calm yourself! I try not to be nervous. I took my breath many times. Until after a little relaxation, I can start working on it. While doing the work, as much as I can forget, that after this, I will meet the person I fear the most.

When your mind's messed up, and you can't focus. So, give a moment of space in your brain, to forget all your worries. Only after, can you think about the matter again. This is one way to not stress easily. (Sister Thamie/Author Cheating)

***

I worked on it for an hour. Finally finished too. And the time came when I had to deliver the files I had made to the main director's room. Actually, I can ask only Ve's secretary to provide the file. However, usually the boss will ask a few things about the data that I put in the file. So, I'm gonna have to take this myself.

I took a long breath back. It's time I had to meet him. Why did my hand suddenly feel cold? I was really scared to meet him.

"really. Dimas asked me to take care of you here. And you know what? Mr. Wibowo is the Chairman of the Board of Directors here, as well as the owner of this private bank. He's very fierce. You have to be mentally strong to deal with it. Moreover. .. He doesn't like you."

"It is not easy to take his heart. Actually, the decision to bring you into this office wasn't the right one."

"Because .. if you're not good at regulating your emotions. You'll just be humiliated here."

"The Wibowo family is not a random person. To enter the family is also not arbitrary. I hope ... You can digest well these words of mine."

The words that the secretary Ve put out again loomed in my brain. Mr. Wibowo is very fierce. The decision to take me to this office is not the right one. If I wasn't good at regulating emotions here, I would be humiliated. And Mr. Wibowo's family is not just anyone. I won't be easy to get into that family.

Yeah, God. Why did my mind suddenly shrink? I feel, that I won't be able to make Mr. Wibowo like me. But .. I'm already here. Sooner or later, I'll get out of here too. And Mr. Wibowo himself will drive me out. So ... what can I do. I have to see him.

I also walked into his room. My feet stepped one after another, until my footsteps rang, tap-tap-tap! The sound of my pantofel shoes accompanies the pounding beat of my heart.

Arriving at the door of the room. I took a breath back. Scroll for a moment the file in my hand. Then try to be strong to neutralize my nervousness. Knock the door three times.

I swallowed my own saliva. There was no sound from inside the room. I knocked back on the door too. And again there is no truth. Since there was no truth, I opened the door slowly.

Sure enough, Mr. Wibowo is not in his room. I again breathed a sigh of relief. And I'm coming in right away, to put down the file I'm holding. After putting it down, I rushed out of this room. But my steps came to a halt, when I noticed a framed photograph, which was displayed next to Mr. Wibowo's desk.

I turned and approached the photo. I took it and looked at the photo. There was a smiling Mr. Wibowo in the photo. Stand in the middle of her children. And the woman I was expecting was Wibowo's wife, who was smiling broadly, facing Dimas who was wearing a toga. And there were two more men, the man I was expecting was her brother Dimas. And one girl who is still a toddler, standing in front of herself with her cute style.

Perhaps, this is a photo taken during Graduation in California. The family seemed very warm and happy. I put the photo back on the table. And suddenly there was another photo, falling from behind the frame of the photo.

I grabbed it from the floor. My eyes narrowed when I saw the woman in the photo. The photo has been a little lost. The color is also black and white. The photo measuring 3x4 cm invited my curiosity. Who is this woman? Apparently, this isn't Wibowo's wife.

I also compared the face in the photo with the face of Mr. Wibowo's wife in the graduation portrait earlier. Hm .. This is not at all similar. Even though the 3x4 cm photo had faded a little, I could still see clearly both his eyes, his lips, nose, and also his curly hair. The woman in the photo appears to be young, probably around twenty years old. However, look around, this is definitely an old photo. Actually, who's that woman? Why is this photo tucked behind a frame?

Why am I curious. That's none of my business. Yeah, it's not good to be too curious about other people's business. And just as I was about to put the photo back down, the door of the room suddenly opened. I looked at the face standing at the door with wide eyes. So did the man, looking at me with a gaze that was as surprised as me.

"Sir Wibowo!" my lips quivered when I said his name.

- CONNECTED --

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