Reality and Honesty    

"Flora, all of us have experienced times of hurt and anger with life. But we don't need to run. Face it. I've also been down, very badly. Even so, Baskara chose to get up. Climb that steep hill and reach the top, even though he stumbled - limp and barely able to taste it."

Baskara looked into Yuana's clear eyes. He felt sorry for the beautiful girl in front of him.

"All struggles were not in vain, son. Baskara finally succeeded. Without changing himself to Arman, or Faris, no. Stay with the same identity."

Yuana felt the tenderness of the middle-aged man she had known as the leader. At that time Yuana felt that she was dealing with a father who loved his daughter.

"Be Yuana back. Make Yuana lives in gladness and happiness." A sweet smile hung on Baskara's lips.

"But ..." There was doubt in Yuana's eyes. It was not easy. Everyone knew her as Flora. Yuana was buried deep and never thought of appearing again.

"Listen to me, it's okay for people to know you as Flora here. But, in your soul it must be Yuana who has risen," Baskara said firmly, still with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you very much, sir." Yuana sent a little sweet smile.

Baskara smiled. "You're welcome, Yuan."

It was nice to have someone call back by her name. Yuana cheerfully greeted Baskara and left the office. At the door, Niar and Ivan waited. Niar waited for Yuana to be fired, while Ivan waited for Yuana to continue working at the mall.

Niar looked sharply at Yuana.

"Thank you, Niar. Because of you, I realized that I am Yuana, not Flora." Yuana smiled.

"What?" Niar was stunned. Why did Yuana appear with a smile instead of crying over being fired?

"Bye, Niar ..." Yuana came down from upstairs and returned to her workplace.

Niar immediately met Baskara. She protested because her uncle did not fire Yuana. As for Ivan, he was very happy, the opportunity to conquer Yuana could still be continued.

*****

Suddenly Yuana became the talk of all mall employees. It was because of Niar who bumped into her at work, and she was called by the director later. Many expected her to be fired. Several friends asked Yuana. Some were gossiping about each other. Not to mention the confusing news about Yuana's identity. So far, she was hiding who she was because there was a problem with the director's nephew.

It was also heard that he deliberately used a new identity to attract the attention of the supermarket owner's son who had returned from abroad and would soon replace the director. Somehow, it was called gossip, what was right becomes wrong, and what was wrong becomes true. Trivial things become big and not clear anymore. Like a tangled thread that could make dizzy, and it was not easy to straighten it again.

The news that was getting more and more erratic, of course, finally heard Tina and Lestari. As much as possible Yuana did not want to talk about it at the boarding house. But because it was getting everywhere and many things were not true, Yuana chose to tell everything to Tina and Lestari.

That afternoon, the three of them were at home. Coincidentally, they both got the morning shift. The opportunity to speak felt open and timely.

"Flora, are you uncomfortable with all the news about you? It's the employees, you keep talking about. I'm getting tired of hearing it," said Lestari. She looked at Yuana as well with curiosity.

They just finished dinner. They sat in the front room, watching TV together and chatting.

"I'm confused, too. But I can't talk to everyone to straighten things out. After a while, they'll forget." Yuana leaned back on the sofa.

Tina looked at Yuana. She still felt that Yuana was holding something. The time she had been waiting for seemed to have come for her to get some clarity.

"Flora, from all the gossip and news circulating, I hope you honestly tell us. Other people can say anything, think anything about you. But we live with you, we are your family now. It would be bad if we had bad thoughts about you," said Tina. She seriously wanted Yuana to talk.

Yuana turned to Tina, then to Lestari. Yes, Tina was right. These two girls were already very good to her. It would be better for them to hear the truth firsthand than to just guess and then act strangely because of a misunderstanding.

"Are you actually Flora or not?" asked Tina. Direct questions to the heart of the problem.

"Okay, I will tell everything to Mbak Tina and Tari. I can no longer hide all this," said Yuana. Yuana's heart began to pound. Honestly, it was what it took. But after she confessed, how the attitude of the two friends, Yuana did not know. She had to be ready for whatever happened next.

"My real name is not Flora. That name just came up when Tina asked on the bus when we left for Jakarta that day." Yuana opened her story. Tina and Lestari looked at each other, feeling strange about what Yuana said.

Then slid from Yuana's lips the sad story of her life. From the womb, she was not expected by her parents, because their marriage was only a business game for two families. Even though she lived in luxury, she never got affection. Only her housemaids took care of her and raised her.

Until her teens, she knew Bobby and Manfred. Two special guys who really cared about her. They made her empty and gloomy life colorful. Joke, tease each other and continue to support each other. Even though at home it felt empty when you meet Bobby and Manfred everything was different.

Yuana continued, how Yuana finally fell in love with Bobby. It was Manfred who encouraged the two of them to have a relationship, even though Manfred also had a love for Yuana.

"I was very happy with Bobby. He was so kind, gentle, and loving. Very patient with me being cranky and spoiled." Yuana reminisced about the good days with Bobby. Like it just happened recently. "Unfortunately, we had to separate due to compelling circumstances. Bobby was forced to marry another girl ... He ..."

Telling the hard moment again made Yuana's heart still a little sore. However, Bobby was still there. Although then her heart was full of love and longing for Manfred, Bobby still had a part in Yuana's heart.

Tina and Lestari repeatedly stared at each other, pursed their lips, gaped, and shook their heads, in disbelief hearing the twists and turns that Yuana was going through.

"After willingly letting Bobby go, Manfred confessed his feelings. He never asked me to be his girlfriend. But because of the sincerity he has given all this time, gradually my heart chose to love Manfred."

Yuana took a deep breath. "When Manfred became famous, became a star, and had to work hard with Mardhika, I felt lonely. He wasn't by my side anymore. I got jealous. We disagreed. No, I got mad at him and told him to leave."

"Did you?" Lestari looked at Yuana. It was really hard for her to understand Yuana did that.