Chapter 76: Chapter 76
“Do you still want to go on vacation?” asked Dashtan as he was about to put on his tie. Rakia, who looked ready to go, wore a maroon blazer that covered her black short-sleeved shirt with a high collar. Black material pants that looked slim completed her appearance that morning. She tied her hair, which was starting to extend down her back, in a ponytail and let some of her hair fall to the side of her face.
“No, I’m busy.” Rakia replied while wearing a pair of five-cent heeled shoes with a shiny black pointed toe.
“Are you sure? You can go alone if you don’t want my company.” Dashtan spoke still with his tie undone. Rakia looked at the man who seemed to need help with his tie. She went over to the man and helped him put on the tie. Dashtan was a little surprised by the woman’s action who suddenly took over the activity he was currently doing. But he soon let his wife take over.
“Had it not been for that news, I would still want to go on vacation and take you along.” Rakia acknowledged the change in her decision on the vacation she had originally wanted. Dashtan raised his forehead while still looking at Rakia.
“Maybe... It’s the right thing for us to do to correct the misunderstanding between us because of the news,” Dashtan said trying to keep the woman from changing her decision. Rakia fell silent while busily fixing the man’s tie with her gaze fixed on it.
“You think this is a misunderstanding? Do you have any proof?” Rakia looked at Dashtan curiously.
“Not for now, but I’ll try to get actual evidence as soon as possible.” The man let out a long breath then he grabbed Rakia’s body and hugged her. Rakia only silently accepted the treatment. The scent of the man’s perfume lulled her for a moment.
“Please, don’t you leave me too. I’m sure Dalilah must have planned all this to keep us apart.” Dashtan inhaled the scent of Rakia’s hair as he kissed the top of the woman’s head then rested his chin there. There was a moment of silence between them, Dashtan thinking while Rakia savored the moment her husband’s embrace felt soothing, warm and cozy. Her mind also thought about Dashtan’s words, if Dalilah must have planned this on purpose. But what she didn’t know was whether the woman was really pregnant with Dashtan’s child or if she was just lying about her pregnancy.
Rakia sighed then looked at Dashtan as the man unraveled his embrace. Now both her hands were in his large ones. Their eyes met and expressed their hopes for each other.
“Just trust me, okay? I’ll find out the truth and prove to you that I’ve never slept with any woman other than you let alone impregnated one.” Dashtan hinted for Rakia to trust him but Rakia was too full of consideration to agree to that. Her heart that had not yet healed from the betrayal was now faced with another reality that required her to trust a man who was her husband.
“I... Will try not to make things worse between us,” said Rakia who was more on the defensive. Dashtan could not help but accept the woman’s decision, rather than the woman showing her to be an enemy. Rakia turned her attention to the wall clock in their room and let out a small curse.
“Oh, shit! I’m going to be late.” She quickly walked out of the room to the kitchen. Mrs. Hunt and Dalilah were already in the kitchen.
“Good morning, Mrs. Dashtan, breakfast is laid out on the granite table,” the woman announced with a pleasant aura. Rakia smiled and thanked her. She first made the pregnant milk before moving to the granite table to eat breakfast. She made the milk as much as possible without being noticed by the two people who were doing their own activities. Mrs. Hunt with something she made in a pot, it seemed like soupy food, Rakia smelled a soup-like smell from the woman’s cooking. Meanwhile, Dalilah was making coffee in a cup for herself. Rakia watched the woman and her coffee. The advice from her gynecologist had told her to avoid caffeinated drinks for a while as she was still in the first trimester of pregnancy. She began to find it odd that the woman was drinking coffee during such a young pregnancy.
As Rakia followed Dalilah to the granite counter, she placed her milk on the counter and just as she was about to say something Dashtan appeared in the kitchen. Rakia took this opportunity to make an attack.
“I’ve heard from an obstetrician that women who are pregnant young should avoid caffeinated drinks, because they are harmful to the unborn child.” Rakia immediately climbed onto the high chair next to Dalilah while Dashtan had sat on the chair opposite her. Hearing that, both Dalilah and Dashtan were equally distracted by Rakia’s statement. But their reactions were different. Dalilah with her surprised reaction and Dashtan with a confused reaction mixed with suspicion.
Dalilah put down her half-filled coffee cup nervously.
“Didn’t your gynecologist suggest that? Or did you-“
“I forgot,” Dalilah said quickly. Rakia, who was eating her breakfast, smiled faintly.
“Forgot? If you care about your pregnancy you shouldn’t forget things that put the fetus in danger. Unless you don’t want it or you’re just pretending to have it.”
Dashtan’s words managed to hit Dalilah right on the mark, but the woman didn’t want to look suspicious and defeated.
“I used to drink coffee every morning, that’s what made me forget.”
Rakia knew the woman was trying to defend herself. She thought of adding to Dalilah’s current situation.
“Yes... You’re right. One’s habits form a program in one’s subconscious to do that thing automatically repeatedly and continuously. But I guess, the pregnancy hormones will start working early on, I think you’ll experience morning sickness more often. Is it because you drink coffee every morning that you don’t experience it?” Rakia asked as she turned to Dalilah with a curious expression that implied her pretense. Dalilah began to feel cornered by Rakia’s statement, she swallowed rather noticeably and tried to remain defensive.
“I’m not....”
Rakia instantly changed her facial expression to a puzzled one and then said, “But it seems strange if you continue to do your coffee habit while you daily forget about your pregnancy which should be more important, right?” Rakia did not take her gaze off Dalilah for a second. She could catch the movement of the woman who was clenching one of her hands tightly. A faint, sly smile played on Rakia’s lips. She turned back to her breakfast and ate what was left on her plate then finished her milk. Meanwhile, Dashtan sighed and quickly finished his breakfast.
Rakia got up from where she was sitting after finishing her breakfast and milk. She drank a glass of water first before actually leaving the kitchen. But before she left, she approached Dalilah who was still silent in her place.
“Don’t forget to take your pregnancy vitamins, you need good nutrition.” She said so with a tone that sounded sincere and caring but actually she was taking out her sarcasm. Dalilah stared at Rakia’s leaving with a sharp gaze from behind her lashes. As Dashtan got up from his chair to leave, Dalilah looked at the man and said, “Sorry for making you worry.”
Dashtan sighed and only remained silent not responding to Dalilah’s words. He quickly walked away without caring about the woman who had the face of a warrior who had lost the war.
**
Arriving at the office, Rakia immediately took her vitamins while she was in her office. She had planned to take them at home but she was running late for work and again she was worried about being caught by the people at home. She was just about to work on a document containing the draft of a new program when someone knocked on her door from outside. She ordered the person to come in. Liam’s figure appeared in the doorway, which the man opened only as wide as his body.
“Are you recovered?” Liam asked as he stepped inside and closed the door. He immediately sat down on the chair in front of Rakia’s desk that had been set up there.
“Um, why, do you want me to take another day off?” Rakia smiled and tried to hold back her laughter. Liam laughed as he threw his head back. He was really amused when Rakia was in the office. Rakia couldn’t help but laugh too.
“If you take a vacation, your salary will be the victim.” Liam tried to threaten.
“Oh, come on... Don’t cheat here. I’m just taking a vacation, not skipping.”
Liam sighed then asked, “How are you and Dashtan?” Liam looked at Rakia curiously and spoke again, “I didn’t think he’d marry the woman who hurt him.”
“You know about Dalilah?” Rakia was interested in this topic. She had never asked Liam anything about Dashtan. So far their conversations had only been about work and joking around. Rakia didn’t think Liam knew much about Dashtan.
“Of course, Dash and I went to the same college with different majors. I majored in Mass Communication and he majored in Mechanical Engineering, but he’s almost talented in all areas. I admit Dash is a genius, but unfortunately he’s too weak with women, maybe because he doesn’t have many friends, let alone female friends.” Liam began to tell the story and Rakia listened carefully.
“And Dalilah, at first like a guardian angel who brought hope but then the woman dumped him. All I know is that recently Dalilah tried to re-enter Dashtan’s life in a way that she deliberately hooked a number of companies that gave political support to Dash’s father. That way she can make deals.”
Rakia nodded once as she understood what Liam was trying to say.
“But, do you think Dashtan will let that woman do as she pleases?” Rakia wanted to know how well Liam knew her husband. Liam smiled wryly then said, “Right now Dash is looking for a way to keep that woman out of his life, I hope you help him this is for the good of both of you. Believe me, if I were you I wouldn’t let my husband be used by another woman let alone a woman like her.”
Hearing that, Rakia was moved. She felt Liam’s words were right. She should have helped Dashtan to get rid of that woman in their marriage, and then she could have sorted out what she needed to straighten out with Dashtan. But on the other hand, he was disgusted with Dashtan who seemed slow in making decisions.
“You think so?” Rakia asked for advice. Liam nodded and then said, “You just need to be patient. Because in this matter, Dash also has to face his own stepfather and family.”