The Paranormal Wealth System
The Secret of the Artist 2

"Mbok Inah!"

The fifty-year-old old lady who was busy in the kitchen turned her head, shocked as Thalia pulled her hand. "What's up, Mom?"

"Follow me a minute! It matters!" Thalia whispered so no one would hear. Luckily her husband was taking a bath in the main room, upstairs.

Mbok Inah said without saying much. Thalia took her domestic assistant to the changing room located by the pool.

"What's wrong, ma'am?" mbok asked Confused.

Thalia drowned looking at the situation, then pulled in Mbok Inah and closed the door of the room.

"Bok, do you remember that night?" Thalia gave a pause to breathe, to herself. He filled his lungs with air before returning to the past. The darkest period of his life, eighteen years ago.

"Where did this boy go? I mean the baby I gave birth to in the apartment without my father's knowledge?"

"Den Julian?" ask Mbok Inah.

"Shhhh, don't be so hard!" Thalia gave the code with her index finger in front of her lips, then nodded.

"According to mother's orders, I took her to the orphanage. I chose the Bina Kasih home because it is safe from people's eyesight. I put the Den Julian right on the doorstep of the parlour, complete with the name and ring that my mother loves."

"Why is there a picture of me at the Bina Kasih home?"

Mbok Inah looked down, "I'm sorry, Mom! I think Den Julian deserves to know who his parents were when he grew up. I took a picture of my mother and put it in her baby basket!"

"You're making it hard for me, Mbok! Are you sure that kid's been in the care of the parlour all this time? Not adopted by people?"

Mbok Inah replied in a guilty tone, "Yakin, Mom! I've been watching Den Julian all this time. Occasionally come to the orphanage as a donor if we go back to Jogja. I'm really sorry for hiding this from my mom. But I never once met Den Julian. I went to the parlor just to see Ms. Rosidah. What's the matter, Mom? Why the hell are you suddenly asking Den Julian?"

Thalia bit her fingertips, her face was pale and her knees began to tremble. His guess turned out to be true, the handsome young man who claimed to be Laila's friend earlier could be sure his own son.

Both of Thalia's eyes condensed. He shed tears. Mbok Inah just answered why was his heart pounding when he saw Julian for the first time? Julian's eyes reminded him of someone who used to be very close to him.

A mother never misrecognizes her child. It's just that circumstances don't make it possible for Thalia to recognize Julian as a child. Notnot now. She couldn't possibly explain to her husband about Julian.

The man who married her seventeen years ago never knew he had a child. Her status was still a girl at the time. He gets a child by accident and he is forced to throw Julian out because the man who impregnated him does not want to take responsibility.

Thalia wiped the tears that were everywhere. He was happy that his son grew up so well. But he was also saddened to be unable to acknowledge Julian as his son. I don't know when he'll keep that secret.

"Mom, any word on Den Julian? Why are you crying? I'm sorry, Mom!" Mbok Inah bent his legs to prostrate in front of the troubled Thalia.

"Is Den Julian okay? How did he get to Jakarta, Mom?"

Thalia replied in a raucous voice, "Julian is an adult, Mbok! Healthy and very handsome. He had his father's eyes, his face was very similar. I recognized him right then and there! He is friends with Laila in Jogja. Keep this a secret from anyone, Mbok! Laila can't know either! I'm gonna move Laila's school here just so they both drop out!"

Mbok Inah nodded, "Okay, Mom!"

"Julian was here, he asked me about the woman in the picture." Thalia's tears came back, her chest tight because she had to lie to her son.

"Den Julian here?" Mbok Inah asked with a look of disbelief.

"Destiny brought Laila and Julian together in Jogja. Julian saved his sister from a drunken youth in the cafe. My son went to Jakarta for auditioning to sing, Mbok! He stopped by this house at Laila's request. I was forced to throw him out because Laila's father came home from the office. If only I could hug her!"

"Why didn't you just talk honestly?"

"I need time to mentally prepare. Admitting that I'm an irresponsible mother to her is not an easy matter, Mbok!" The two stared at each other, "I abandoned Julian for eighteen years, can he forgive me? I have a husband who doesn't know where Julian is!"

Mbok Inah nodded in understanding, "I understand the position of mother! I made it difficult for mom! All because of that photo."

"I held myself back when Julian showed me the photo, Mbok! I chose to hurt her heart by saying that the photo only looked like me. I'm the most selfish and evil woman, just like Laila said. I saw clearly the disappointment on Julian's face, but I just kept quiet and pretended not to know!" Thalia returned as she pleased, unable to endure the cries of pain.

"Mom, I'm so sorry!" Mbok Inah rubbed Thalia's back, providing support. "Den Julian just hasn't had any luck!"

"Julian was born at the wrong time, Mbok! And he came to this house when my situation was like this. Everything's not right." Thalia wiped her tears and took a deep breath. "I don't want Laila's father to know about this, I believe Mbok Inah can keep this secret much longer!"

A male voice is heard calling Mbok Inah in the pool area, "Mbok .. Mbok Inah?"

Mbok Inah exited the room followed by his employer, walking up to the man who worked as security in the house. "What's up, Sam?"

Samhadi immediately reported the problem to his employer, "Mom, seriously! Non Laila said she wanted to go back to Jogja now! He's out of the house without an escort!"

"What?! That kid ... stubborn! Has he left?"

"Already, Mom! Just got us to the airport as the driver. I can't prevent being threatened with being fired!"

Thalia's chest instantly tightened. Her tears were falling again following the gravity of the earth.

***