Shocked

"Didn't I hear you wrong?!" she asked, occasionally pinching the skin on her arm in the hope that this was all a dream.

"You didn't know that your sister was flirting with that playboy?"

"Playboy? Flirted? Did you know that he..." Maya covered her mouth with her fingers to contain the shock.

"You have to accept this fact, Maya. Your father has agreed, and there is no going back," Inayah whispered, standing closer to her stepdaughter. "The marriage contract is done."

"Mum! But..."

"But what else," Inayah whispered and chuckled.

"Why are you laughing as if it's all a joke?"

"Why am I laughing?" Inayah grabbed Maya's hand and smiled with an annoying squint. "You turned out to be a stupid!"

"What!"

"You don't know that that guy played backstabbing, got your sister pregnant and then came to your father to use her as collateral for our debt!"

"Did Mike really do that?"

"Ah! Too late, you slow-witted kid, you don't understand. Your sister has been his target for as long as you and Mike have been dating. You're the stupid one!"

"Mom!" growled Maya, realizing that this middle-aged woman knew about Mike's rottenness.

"So you too..."

"That's it! Let's focus on your father's recovery!" interrupted the doctor who was treating Maya's father, knowing that this argument would never end. "Let's get back to his health and take care that nothing worse happens."

"Right!" Inayah said and nodded. It's useless to talk to this plain, angry girl; she only knows that all problems will be solved according to her heart's desire!"

"Me!" Maya pointed at her face with the tip of her forefinger. She then looked down and let the doctor and stepmother walk out of the room.

She was still transfixed, her body so stiff that she could not move.

She had never imagined that all this time, her quarrel with Mike was a sign from her lover that the handsome man didn't love her.

After a long period of wordless silence, Maya closed her eyes to hold back the tears that were about to fall down her cheeks, but it was useless; she could not hold back the torrent of diamonds that would soon flood her beautiful face.

"How can I trust someone who stabs me in the back," Maya whispered and stepped out of the doctor's office with her head bowed.

"Miss!" called a man in a blue shirt who was none other than her new driver. "We're looking for you!"

"Why?" Maya look so confused.

"Your father has been moved to the infirmary; his room is over there," the young man pointed out with a crooked smile.

"Are Mike and Miya there?"

"No! I don't see them there. So what, do you need to see them?"

"Mmm, they must have left because they knew I'd be furious!"

"Oh! It must be about Miss Miya's pregnancy,"

"Eh!" Maya widened her eyes at the words from the new driver's mouth. "What do you know about them?"

"I already knew about this plan. Everyone knows, but they asked us to keep it a secret."

"So you're new to the job already?"

The young man nodded with a wry smile. "I'm sorry, miss. We had to keep this a secret from you, I know you must be devastated but we couldn't refuse the order from Mrs Inayah!"

"So she is?"

The young man nodded again.

"Damn it!" annoyed Maya, and she kicked the waiting chair beside her. "I suspected that she knew something about all this."

"But you can't fight him head-on. It won't be fair to you."

"Hah!" Maya furrowed her brow and then sighed, realizing that the young man's words were true. "Alright, but first, tell me your name. I'm sorry if I've never seen you before,"

"Oh! I am," the young man extended his hand and smiled, bowing his head friendly.

"My name is Ray, I'm the son of Mr Joko, your old driver who passed away a few months ago,"

"Ray, thank you for telling me everything, I really didn't know that everyone knew this fact before me,"

Ray widened his smile and released Maya's tight grip on his hand. "I think we should keep our distance, there are a lot of prying eyes and I don't want you to get into trouble because of this,"

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

Ray smiled again but boldly brought his face closer to Maya's e this time.

"I know Ibu Inayah has secrets we need to uncover, especially about your father's wealth!"

"Huh!" Maya was again wide-eyed in shock.

"Let's just let her do whatever she wants as if we don't know."

Maya nodded slowly and sighed, trying to accept her sister's marriage agreement, which turned out to be a setup from her stepmother.

"So now let's go to your father's treatment room, Miss!"

"Okay!" replied Maya, then straightened her chest as she usually walked. She no longer wanted to look weak and had to smile to look okay.

"Right! I see!" praised Ray and followed behind Maya.

They then headed towards a hallway containing VIP class treatment rooms where rich people were treated.

Rows of rooms with white painted walls and large tiles added to the luxury of Maya's place.

Occasionally, Maya's eyes glanced around, hoping to find one of the people who had annoyed her to death that day, but she could not.

There was no Miya, Mike or Inayah. There was only an empty hallway with no occupants, and Ray immediately told her where her father was being treated.

"Here!" Ray pointed at the door marked VIP 2 next to Maya's body before the beautiful woman asked him again.

"I'm going in!" said Maya as she pushed the doorknob. "Dad," Maya whispered as she saw her father lying weakly on a white-sheeted bed with his eyes still closed and his hands infused.

"He's sleeping," Ray whispered as he held his forefinger before his lips. "Let's just go in quietly."

"Yes!" said Maya as she stepped inside and sat on the grey velvet chair beside the bed.

"He must be very tired," Ray whispered as he looked at the middle-aged man whose face conveyed a deep annoyance.

"You know what happened," Maya whispered, trying to remain calm in front of her father.

"This is all because of Inayah. That woman also got my father into trouble."

"Hah!"

SSST!

Ray's eyes suddenly widened with an index finger before Maya's lips. "You don't make a sound, just pretend I never said this to you,"

"But what? Tell me first,"

"Yes, but later. After we get out," Ray whispered, making Maya's cu