CHAPTER 2

Aris tilted his head leaning against the porch pole. His head tilted slightly to look up at the sky. His hands crossed, his cellphone lying on the table. Aris seems unmotivated now. His mind is somewhere else.

Twenty-three years of life full of ambition. Pursuing dreams without knowing what love is. He didn't even want to feel it because love could make a person an instant fool for him.

Yes, the man now remembers the figure of Rania, a girl who tries to show her feelings and pawns her self-esteem.

He had to admit that his heart had long since died. The man could not feel the feeling even though there was a girl who laughed to melt his heart. As far as Aris dodges, the girl has a thousand ways to catch up. Surround him with the shadows of kindness.

"Stupid! You are an idiot, Ran. There are still many rich guys who are even better than me... Why should I, why should Aris Sabarudin?" Aris shook his head and lamented his fate. It turned out that this taste was too complicated for him to digest.

"Ris?" The door creaked softly. Dwi Melina appeared and then came out with a calming smile. Aris suddenly straightened up and faced his mother, changing his face to be cheerful. "Yes ma'am?"

Dwi Melina sat on a chair on the terrace, then took a deep breath. The forty-year-old woman seemed to be preparing to say something important.

"Ris, how are you and Rania? Still not getting better? Actually, what's the problem with you two?" Her face lit up with enthusiasm.

Aris didn't move, the man slowly walked towards the figure of a woman who was so beautiful at her age that she was no longer young, the man was thinking hard about where to start to share his story—considering that Aris rarely shares stories with his mother.

"It's okay, Mom, there's nothing wrong with that. It's only been a few days, I haven't sent messages and so on."

"Because you blocked Rania's number, huh?"

"Hmmm, let's start, Mom. She must have complained...!" Aris sulked and then took a deep breath. The man was very good at covering his heart, which surged erratically.

In his heart pity still dominates. No... there is another feeling now residing. Whether it's true because of pity or love must be given up.

But again this is not about feelings that must be reciprocated. His mouth cursed, it's about a man's pride, his smile forced to grow. Disharmony between the brain, heart, and limbs. He didn't want to be away from Rania for even a second.

"Ris," said Dwi Seeing while changing her body position to be closer to her eldest son. A round table made of rattan is a barrier to their current closeness.

"Maybe I rarely talk to you, even very busy and can't understand your feelings, but I want to see you happy."

"Mom. I've been happy for a long time, has Aris been unhappy?" Aris smiled. Hiding lingering anxiety and fear.

"Rania is a good child. She is still waiting for you, Ris."

Silence lurks for a moment. Aris flinched.

"You don't want to get married?"

"Ouch!" Aris ruffled his long hair roughly. "What are you talking about with Rania? Look... Aris wants to focus on making money first."

"You don't like Rania? Don't you have a little feeling for her?" The middle-aged woman spoke carefully. She tried to keep the intonation.

Dwi Melina knows her son very well. Even though she is busy, her son cannot be separated from her supervision. Aris stubbornly holds principles and is persistent in pursuing what has become his target—making her bachelor son too hard on himself.

Aris fell silent again. That question was difficult for him to answer. Because love is not in his life dictionary for him, Rania comes and tries to break Aris's belief.

As if understanding the son's feelings, the woman who had brought him into this world smiled meaningfully.

"Her family is also good, Ris. I think Rania's parents also approve."

"I don't want to be her husband, Mom," said Aris quickly.

"Why, because you feel that Rania is a rich family?" Dwi Melina asked curiously.

"Rania is beautiful, good, she is close to perfect." Aris firmly answered.

For a moment, a perfect smile spread across Dwi Melina's face. But then Aris continued his sentence, "But Aris doesn't want to be with her, even if Aris has to marry, it's not the same as her. She's not the person Aris dreamed of, Mom. There are many other men who deserve to be side by side with her."

The beautiful smile disappeared instantly from the mother's face.

"Ris...."

"I can't, Mom. I don't want to marry a higher rank woman than Aris. Aris even feels embarrassed when standing next to her, it's not about feelings but self-respect. You understand, don't you mean Aris?"

"You've known each other since middle school, until now you're together because of fate."

"Aris has his own choice, Aris will marry but with someone else. Soon someone will also bring Aris home."

"Which woman, Ris? I have never seen you serious with other women, let alone invite you to this house, except for Rania. You can't deny it without realizing that Aris always opens the door for Rania."

"That's because Aris is poor, she's the one who's stupid." Aris smiled bitterly, not to be more precise, he smiled in pain.

"Aris... It's not good with women, don't be too harsh."

"She's looking for a guy a thousand better than Aris, so why are her still waiting for Aris, who hurts her a lot!" he said assuring that his sentence was confirmed.

"Besides, Aris and Rania are also of different castes, Mom. Aris should have blocked her number, it would have been easier for her to move on," he continued later.

"You're wrong, Ris. She keeps looking for you, she often comes to the shop to ask how you're doing, don't you feel sorry for her?"

"Mom, Aris wants to teach Rania to accept other people and accept a partner who truly loves her. Aris thinks that Rania is just a friend and nothing more. So, let Aris choose women carefully, not because I feels not feel good about the kindness of others or return the favor." At length he answered his mother who was starting to get restless.

Dwi Melina sighed. Give up. Aris is very strict. Her strong upbringing made an impression on her eldest son. Since childhood, Aris has been forced to grow up by circumstances.

Dwi Melina just realized that her first child grew up to be principled and courageous in a family environment that was not fine.

But there is one thing that makes Aris so scared that his courage disappears instantly.

That is love for the father. At the same time, the father was sick and the burden was also debilitating.

Both Dwi and Aris spend more time outside, earning a living to be able to pay for their lives and their father's treatment.

Aris Sabarudin, that fragile when he realized he was a child from a broken home who had never had a good time playing...