The Sweetest Harsh
Episode-36 Dilemma

Helmia and Berta had just been sitting in the living room when the two men entered Berta's house in complete silence. Two cups of warm tea have been presented on the table complete with small snacks neatly arranged on small plates decorated with gold lines. Berta observed the long-sightedness of Helmia's unfailing gaze staring at him. An uneasy feeling was already lingering in her heart when Helmia came without bringing a smile to her when Berta first opened the door.

“How are you?” Berta started the conversation. Helmia then stared with her ferocious gaze without covering up the slightest bit with a smile.

“Good. Are you healthy?” Take his teacup elegantly, drink it a little and put it back down while continuing to look towards his interlocutor.

Actually Helmia is lazy to make small talk like this friend. I just want to talk about what is already crowded in his chest. Saying all, until it is complete already the burden that is wrapped on his back, lightening the body and relieving his heart.

Berta breathed a heavy breath. The next day he did not see her at all when she was admitted to the same hospital as her son-in-law. As if breaking a good relationship by showing dislike in real. What does this woman really want? Given his arrogant and ambitious nature, would he talk about Tiara?

Oh, is this the answer to the question that came to his mind all along? Did Helmia not treat her son well?

As a parent and as a woman, of course Berta can already feel what is happening to his child's household relationships. How sharp words have added to the depth of the wound, with the verdict as if it had been set to become a patent because until now, after a long time of marriage, he said, Tiara has not yet shown any signs of health to be able to get pregnant again. I don't know what God is planning, but it seems that this has disturbed Helmia's calm.

“I.. good. What made you come here?” Berta was no less anxious with the unpleasant atmosphere created.

Helmia felt she had escaped the door of the first stage when she managed to come to this house and got a green card from Berta to immediately express her intentions when receiving the same cold tone of the iron. Berta seemed to have realized the meaning of his arrival. Good though.

“I just want to affirm, Alfa is my only son. My hopes, my family's hopes, and the company's hopes are on him. I want what's best for him right now, get married, have kids and get on with his dad's business. You know, Yunus is getting older and with his health, he needs a companion to lead the company.”

Berta clicked, “Tiara is my only child. I'll just leave it to the responsible man and the family who can treat him well" he booed.

“As a man who has been in charge well, Alfa should also get the right thing when he intends to wade through the household. He wants to carry on the descent. And Tiara, can't make it happen," he scoffed without being covered up again.

“You alone? You can't make yourself a good parent to them. You forced your ego and sacrificed them. You know what it's like to break my heart to see a Tiara who's constantly bracing herself up because of a lot of pressure? You're a girl too. You must know what it's like" Berta said in the same poignant phrase.

“Together... I'm not in the mood to hear your outpouring. I just came to ask you to consider one thing. Let Alfa have a better life than now, and I will also let Tiara to live with the man who will accept her.” Helmia stood up from her seat with a sentence of utter ridicule and murder. “Excuse me. I gotta go. I don't have much time.” Said without paying attention again Berta who was looking down inside there.

Although Helmia is still worried because the woman she had long dreamed of becoming Alfa's wife has now betrayed her. There's no way he's gonna marry Alfa to a crazy woman like Nelly. Helmia still had to think hard. Who is the woman he will compare with his son.

Berta closed his eyes. His heart and mind were unable to cooperate. How could he possibly be that hard to separate their children just for this reason? This issue is too sensitive. It involves too much personal emotion. He knew Tiara's current position, perhaps even, in Helmia's deepest heart. Somehow the same fate must be experienced by their children as well?

And Helmia too. Not understanding correctly, the woman had felt moments like this where she patiently and painstakingly underwent treatment and pregnancy programs to be immediately blessed with baby. But it seemed, he had forgotten himself at this moment.

Oh, marrying Alfa to Tiara is like marrying hardships and difficulties that lead to misery. He wanted to keep his daughter with all the love he could give.

Alpha. Berta believes the man is not the same as his mother.he only hopes that his warm embrace can be represented by Alfa who has now become Tiara's husband.

He covered his face with two palms. Good prayers he offered. Hopefully we can give way a little.

******

“Where are you from?” Jonah lifted his gaze from the pile of papers on the table. His back rests on a chair with both hands crossed in front of his chest. Looking suspiciously at his wife.

“Meeting Berta. Why?” Challenging for real. Put the tote bag on the table and slam his body on the sofa. Ready to argue.

“What have you said? You can't take my name with you as an excuse, because I don't agree with you" he said on target.

“You till when you're stupid? I did this all for you! You're not conscious? Other companies are eager to wait for you to fall and will soon drop when everything is off guard. We need Alpha. What is wrong with asking our children to help us? Until when will you continue to educate him as an unfilial child?” Helmia said with a loud voice filling the entire corner of the room.

He doesn't think out. Why only he can think normally. Everything he does is in accordance with the logical mind and solutions that can be run. Alfa still does not want to lead the company. The boy was too attached to Tiara. The innocent woman dazzles like a rose with her sharp thorns. His presence was like closing a gray mosquito net that was unable to be broadcast by Helmia. Closing all the good loopholes Alfa could do for her parents. Close his eyes to his parents and consider Tiara as the only way of happiness. Proud to say that he can succeed in his own way. Really stupid and naive.

Jonah closed his eyes. Think hard. He really loved that one boy. The son he had waited so long for his presence. Deep down, he always remembered how 2-year-old Alfa welcomed him home from work with her tiny footsteps still struggling to walk. Hugged his feet. Jonah also still remembers very well when the boy managed to make him worry half dead in the middle of the night with a thunderstorm rain, Alfa who was still 5 years old, experienced high heat with a convulsive body.

Memories of how the child just grew, passing just in front of his dreams. How he could have forced the boy to fulfill his wish. His presence, all the memories that have been broken, is enough to make him happy.

But at once, Helmia's deheman's voice robs her of a cruel, small reunion of Jonah with her son's childhood memories. The man looked at his wife for a moment. And, out of nowhere it comes, anxiety just rushes. Helmia was right, things are different now. Alfa was no longer his little boy whom he could spoil continuously. Sometimes he has to be strict. But he doesn't want to stop.

“I'll think about it.” Jonah rubbed his head with both hands. That's all he can say for now. The man could not decide in a state of great dilemma was attacking him. Jonah breathed a long breath. He told himself to find the best solution soon.

“It's been like this and you're just gonna think about it?” Helmia. “Hopefully it is not too late. Maybe Alpha will listen if you do the talking. Act fast.”

Jonah nodded his head violently and leaned his body back on the back of the chair. Closing eyes. The scratches and wrinkles on his face deepened. Helmia smiled obliquely at Jonah who was thinking hard. Finally, after a long time, her husband also wanted to listen to her opinion.

“I'm planning to marry Alfa to the woman of my choice. He could not continue with Tiara if things were like this. What are you gonna do when our son gets in the spotlight for his prolonged drama of life?"

Jonah widened his eyes. It was not a matter of the company that gave him a headache, but Helmia's attitude that liked as good as her own nose like this that she could not face.

"You must not be reckless!" Start losing patience.

"You can't refuse or your company will completely collapse like the old Nicholas company that was shaken because of his stupidity in making decisions." Helmia stood up from her seat and grabbed her bag lying on the table.

Turn around and stay there for a while. Smiling satisfied because it had managed to make Jonah confused. A sneaky smile was very obvious there. Her husband froze in his chair.

"You..." Jonah growled with a deep tone of voice filled with his neck muscles protruding out.

Unheard of her husband who was holding back emotions. Helmia relaxed triumphantly.

Any minute. If this plan can go quickly, a wide road with a red carpet is ready to welcome it with a more beautiful future.

Just hang...

An evil smile accompanied his steps that were getting further away from the room.