Trapped in the Love of Stepchildren
Chapter 5's

One morning, Laura found something strange when she went to the store to buy food for breakfast. He felt like he was being watched by someone, and when he turned around, he saw his neighbor looking at him with a sharp gaze. Laura knows that suspicions about her relationship with Daniel have begun to spread.

Laura tried not to worry too much, but her anxiety intensified as she began to receive questions from those around her. One of the neighbors asked, "Laura, you look very close to your stepson, Daniel. I've seen you two get out together a couple of times."

Laura smiled and replied, "Yes, we do go together a lot because Daniel often helps me with my needs at home because I only live alone. Why?"

Neighbor Laura looked somewhat hesitant before finally saying, "It's okay, it's just that I think she looks too very close to you.”

Laura felt her heart pounding. He knew that his closeness to Daniel had already attracted a lot of suspicion from those around him. Laura decided to avoid further questions from her neighbors and quickly left.

However, not long after, Laura began to receive the same questions from the other people around her. Some people even started spreading rumors about his relationship with Daniel. Laura felt increasingly cornered and did not know what to do.

—

One day, while Laura was walking in the park, she heard the voice of someone calling her name. He turned around and saw Om John, his best friend Emma's father was sitting on a bench nearby.

"It's been a long time since we met, Laura. How are you?" ask John with a smile.

Laura tried to smile back and replied, "All right, Om John, thank you. How is Om John?”

However, John did not look happy. "There's something I want to ask you, Laura. Is it true that you have a special relationship with your own stepbrother, Daniel?”

Laura felt stubborn and did not know what to answer. He pondered for a moment before finally saying, "Yes, that's right. We've been together for almost a few months.”

John nodded slowly. "I have to be honest, Laura. I'm very worried about your relationship with Daniel. You two look like lovers, but I can't shake the thought that he's your own stepson."

Laura felt as if her world was collapsing. He doesn't know how to answer Om John's questions or even face the confrontation that's going on. However, he knew that he had to explain the situation honestly and openly.

"Om, I know that this is difficult to understand and may sound very wrong, but I love Daniel. He is a person who makes me happy and I cannot imagine life without him after the departure of Mas Tom,” Laura said sincerely.

John mused for a moment before finally saying, "I understand that you love him, Laura, but you have to think about how this will affect your relationship with the family and the community around us. This is a very complex and high-risk situation. I say this because I assume you are already like my own son.”

"We know that this is not an ideal or easy situation, but we can't help our feelings for each other" Laura said.

Om John paused for a moment before finally saying, "It's so hard to understand and accept, I think you guys should rethink your relationship carefully.”

Laura just nodded slowly and left her friend's father thinking whether his decision was right or not.

—

A few weeks after that, rumors about Laura and Daniel's forbidden relationship began to spread to Laura's ex-husband's family. Laura's ex-husband's family is shocked and angered when they hear the news, and they decide to turn to Laura to find out the truth.

While Laura was shopping at a traditional market, Laura's ex-husband's mother, Mrs Sari, suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Laura, is it true that you have a relationship with your own stepson?" asked Madam Sari in a sharp tone.

Laura was shocked and uncomfortable with the question, but she tried to answer calmly, "Mother, I know this is difficult to understand and may sound very wrong, she said, but I love Daniel and he loves me. We try to live our lives happily."

Madam Sari was not impressed by Laura's reply and continued to press, "But this is not true, Laura. This is very wrong and violates social norms. How can you violate the trust and happiness of our family? From the beginning I did not agree Tom made you his wife.”

Laura felt cornered and did not know what to say. He knew that this situation was very difficult and he did not want to hurt anyone. However, he also could not deny his feelings for Daniel.

However, Madam Sari did not accept Laura's answer and continued to pursue her with sharp questions and criticisms. Laura felt increasingly cornered and did not know what to say.

Meanwhile, several members of Laura's ex-husband's family, including Tom's younger brother and cousin, come and join Mrs Sari. They all accuse Laura and Daniel of wrongdoing and ask them to end their relationship immediately.

Laura felt very upset and felt that she did not deserve such treatment. He felt that they did not understand his feelings and simply cursed him without understanding the actual situation.

"I'm sorry, but I can't change how I feel about Daniel. I love him and he loves me. We are trying not to hurt anyone and we hope that you can understand our situation" Laura said firmly.

However, Laura's ex-husband's family remains unaccepted with Laura's answer and continues to taunt and accuse her. Laura felt desperate and hoped that they could understand the situation and give her support.

After a long and exhausting debate, Laura finally managed to leave the family crowd of her ex-husband and leave the market. She felt very sad and lonely, as she felt that she had no one she could talk to about the situation she was in.

—

A few weeks after rumors about Laura and Daniel's relationship spread in Laura's ex-husband's family, the news also began to spread among their neighbors. Some neighbors started to wonder about their relationship and asked questions that made Laura feel uncomfortable.

One day, when Laura came out of the house to pick up a letter from the mailbox, she met some neighbors on the street. They greeted her with a smile, but their gaze made Laura feel unwell.

"Our neighbors are talking about you, Laura," said one of her neighbors, Ms. Rita.

"Yes, we just want to know what really happened between you and Daniel," added another neighbor, Ms. Eni.

Laura was very uncomfortable with these questions. He did not want to talk about his personal life with others and he also did not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about my personal problems in public" Laura said gently.

"But you have to understand, Laura, we're all worried about Daniel. He is a teenager who needs proper supervision" Ms Rita said.

Laura felt deeply saddened to hear of her neighbor's concern for Daniel. He felt that they did not understand the situation he was in and they only looked at it from their own point of view.

"I understand your concerns, but I can guarantee that Daniel is okay" Laura said, trying to reassure her neighbors.

Her neighbors are still unsure about Laura and Daniel's relationship, and they continue to question Laura's decision.

"But you know right, Laura, that this kind of relationship is unethical and illegal?" Bu Eni's.

"You should have thought better, Laura," said Ms. Rita.

Laura felt increasingly uncomfortable with the comments. He knows that his neighbors are concerned, but he does not want to be judged for his personal decisions.

"I understand that you have different views on this situation, but I ask that you respect my decision and Daniel's. We love each other and we try not to hurt anyone" Laura said in a soft voice.

His neighbors were dissatisfied with the answer and began to talk about Laura and Daniel's relationship among their other neighbors. Laura found it increasingly difficult to live with the gossip spread around her.

***

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