The Untold Story
The Delayed Promise

*Jakarta: 2022/Current Time*

"But in the end, mama chose papa right?" Eowyn, Bellatrix's daughter cut off her mother's story while yawning because time had shown at four in the morning.

"Of course Mama chose Papa. Otherwise, how could I have been born in this world." Eowyn continued her words while closing her eyes in drowsiness.

"You're right. Now sleep!" Bellatrix pulled the blanket that had wrapped her daughter's body to the chest, gave a slight kiss on the forehead and said good-bye.

Slowly swinging his legs back into the room, Bellatrix's steps came to a halt in front of the half-opened door as her beloved daughter called back.

"Ma..." The woman who was called turned her body.

"If that much papa loves you, why has his attitude been so cold to you?" A question that escaped her daughter's pink lips set Bellatrix on edge.

Eowyn. The little princess who had grown up was not a fool to not know how her father had treated her mother all this time. The man never even looked into his wife's eyes feeling again.

"What I fear the most in a match is... I'm afraid I'll end up like you Ma. I was afraid that one day my husband would have a reason to stop loving me because he too late realized that his feelings for me were not that deep." One tear droplet suddenly dripped from the tip of Bellatrix's eyelid.

Stop loving. Maybe this is what happened to Aditya? Could this be the answer to all of his questions all along? Aditya's attitude was different, upon their return from Switzerland. Yes, the man turned colder.

It is possible that Aditya bet with himself to conquer Bellatrix's heart. And when the poor woman had given up all her heart, then from that moment on, there was no more reason to challenge the dominant.

The reverie and mind of Bellatrix then flowed further. The woman imagined how dry their relationship was. Aditya only touched it when the man was under the influence of alcohol. The presence of Eowyn is also due to alcohol.

Even so Bellatrix was grateful. She had a daughter from her husband. Because after Eowyn, Aditya doesn't let Bellatrix conceive her child again. The man asked the doctor to inhibit his wife's fertility after giving birth. Isn't that painful?

Others may see the two of them as a very compatible couple. The two companies were united because of their marriage. Wealth that will never run out coupled with never the existence of slanted rumors exhaled about the marriage of Aditya and Bellatrix. Perfect right?

Aditya is a responsible man of family and workaholic. Bellatrix is a wife and mother who cares deeply about her family. All of that was visible from the outside and made millions of people feel envious of their families. But who would have thought, dozens of years are only filled with theatrics. Yeah, those two guys just played a charade in their marriage.

"How many times has Mom told you..." B's speech was interrupted because Eowyn cut it off.

"Papa has a different love language than men in general. I remember ma!" Eowyn appeared to be rolling lazily her eyeballs. Come on, the girl's not that stupid.

"Sleep! Mama should help your dad get ready for the office after this. Mama's going to bed after papa leaves" Bellatrix said, closing her daughter's bedroom door.

The woman did not move immediately. A few minutes he spent staring blankly at the door of his beloved daughter's room, before he walked back into the room he used to occupy with Aditya, her husband.

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Chequek!

The door to the room is open. Bellatrix's eyes instantly rubbed with Aditya's. The guy didn't seem to sleep well tonight.

"You.. Not sleeping?" Bellatrix started a conversation between them. Formality conversations without warm feelings. The feeling left behind in Switzerland a dozen years ago.

"Will he accept this match?" Aditya asked to the point.

"He will accept it. Eowyn just takes time. He was eighteen years old anyway. It's not easy for him either." Bellatrix is moving towards the walk in closet. The woman began to take some clothes to prepare all the clothes and the needs of her husband's office.

"Tell him he can get married in five years. It's just an engagement. I hope Eowyn isn't against this matchmaking." Aditya breathed heavily.

"I don't understand the girl's way of thinking. The man your parents prepared was a good man. Anyway I can't possibly feed my only daughter to a crocodile." Aditya tightened his jaw. He looked so desperate that he could not convince his own daughter that they both argued and ended up in a fight.

"Eowyn was afraid that man would never love her." Bellatrix walked up to Aditya and placed a full set of office clothes on the bed.

"Eowyn must learn. This world isn't some bedtime story you tell her every night." Aditya stood up while holding down the blanket that had covered his body. The man stood up and was about to walk towards the bathroom.

"Italy...." Bellatrix named her husband. For a moment the woman took a deep breath like someone gathering strength.

"Eowyn was afraid that her life would end like mine." Bellatrix sobbing. This time he was unable to hold back his tears.

The woman felt a deep pain. The man, Aditya, her husband, never even called her name again when speaking. There's never been a 'B' call coming out of the guy's mouth since they got back from Switzerland.

Aditya stopped his steps. The man looked at the beautiful face of his wife who was slightly withered from not sleeping all night with an unreadable expression.

"Is he in love with a man?" Aditya clenched his hands tightly until his fingers turned white. A few seconds passed while tossing his thoughts to the memories of the past. Painful memories for the man.

Bellatrix is still sobbing. The woman could not even answer because of the sudden burst of tears.

"Did he have someone he loved?" Aditya clarified the question. Bellatrix was still unable to answer. The woman finally shook her head.

Aditya exhaled with relief. The thing that weighed down on his heart earlier, suddenly evaporated just like that.

"Then... What does it mean to say that he's afraid of ending up like you?" The man approached his wife. He put his hand on Bellatrix's shoulder.

"Explain me!" Aditya pulled Bellatrix's chin until their eyes returned. There was a pushy tone when asking for an explanation. He did not seem to care about the cry of the woman standing before him.

"D-he knows you don't love me. He can feel it." Bellatrix raised the volume of her voice slightly as she stared intently at her husband's eyes.

Aditya gasps. He did not think that those words were coming out of his wife's lips. Instantly Aditya's heart beats pain. However, he quickly neutralized his feelings.

"Does that matter?" Aditya replied coldly.

"Isn't it better this way? We live a mediocre life. I freed you. I never burden you with my feelings." Aditya threw away his face while closing his eyes. His loud voice sounded inversely proportional to his heart that was instantly tidying up.

Bellatrix is still sobbing. No more answers came out of his lips. The woman went back to silence and kept all her thoughts in her heart.

He became the old Bellatrix. Bellatrix who won't argue. Bellatrix is trying to please everyone. Aditya who had changed made Bellatrix again build a thick and high wall.

Not intending to continue their conversation, Aditya continued his steps to immediately clean up. The man then closed the bathroom door. It seems he deliberately let his wife sob themselves in their room.

Still standing leaning against her bathroom door, Aditya touched her throbbing forehead. The man's mind raged.

"This is best for you, B! If the time comes, I will keep my promise to you. My promise that had to be delayed because of my mother's selfishness." Aditya closed his eyes for a moment before continuing his steps towards the shower and cleaning himself.

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Happy reading!

Hello readers... Sorry a thousand sorry. This story had been vacuum for months because of my busyness in the real world. After moving to the city, I worked in five different places. This condition makes me not have time to continue this story because it is very tired. If you ask, how can five places? First, because it's online. Second, I work hard.

Thank you to those who are faithful. I must have finished this story. The story is still enigmatic but believe me it's all beautiful in time.

Friends of readers, I do not contract this work of mine. So I'm not demanding anything from you. Don't feel burdened, yeah! Like Aditya who does not want B burdened so do I on my readers. Enjoy this story like a love story shared as a friend in your spare time.

Love you all!

Tirzah