"What are you saying, Ziya?" Khayra's voice trembled. She struggled to stay on her feet, even as her whole world had just come crashing down.
"I'm pregnant, Sis. This child... it's Yuda's," Ziya sobbed.
Thump!
Khayra felt her heart drop.
"H-how is that possible?" She stammered, her voice nearly inaudible. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her chest felt tight—like she had just been hit by something heavy.
"I swear it, Sis. This baby is Yuda's. If you don't believe me, we can do a DNA test," Ziya cried harder.
"Ziya... Yuda is my fiancé. We're supposed to get married in two months. H-how could you—?" Khayra's voice cracked. The tears she had been holding back finally poured down her cheeks. Her hands trembled. Her legs felt too weak to hold her weight.
"I'm so sorry, Sis…" Ziya lowered her head, guilt painted across her face. "We didn't mean for it to happen. We were drunk that night. Neither of us was in control…"
Khayra could no longer speak. The pain was too much.
Five years of being with Yuda—building dreams, sharing hopes, preparing for a future. And now, her own cousin... had destroyed it all.
"Please, Sis… Let Yuda go. Let him marry me. I don't want this child to be born without a father," Ziya pleaded, stepping closer. She held Khayra's hands desperately. "Let him go, Sis. Let me have him."
Khayra remained silent. Her face had gone pale. She slowly pulled her hands away from Ziya's grip.
"Leave me alone," she whispered, turning around.
Her steps were unsteady. Her gaze was empty. Her body is cold.
Once inside her room, Khayra locked the door and collapsed to the floor.
Then came the sobs, loud, broken, and filled with despair.
How could they do this to her?
Yuda, the man she stood by from nothing for five whole years. And Ziya, her dear cousin whom she had always loved like a sister.
"Why did you do this to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Hiks…"
Khayra beat her chest with clenched fists. The pain was unbearable, so deep it made breathing difficult.
"What should I do now, Mom… Dad…?"
***
At the office, Khayra sat quietly at her cubicle. A colleague walked in, breaking the silence.
"You're early today," Sunny greeted as she sat down.
"Someone came even earlier than me. Maybe right after Fajr prayer," Khayra replied dryly, making Sunny chuckle.
"Mr. Kaivan's always on standby. I bet he comes right after Tahajjud," Sunny giggled.
"Khayra, my office. Now," came a sharp voice.
Kaivan had just stepped out of his office.
Sunny shot Khayra, take a look, go, or be devoured.
Khayra got up and entered Kaivan's office. "You called for me, Sir?"
"Finish this report. It's for Mr. Darmono's meeting tomorrow morning. I want it done by noon," Kaivan said without emotion.
"Yes, sir."
Kaivan glanced at her. Her face was puffy, despite the makeup trying to cover the tears.
Khayra left the office, returned to her seat, and opened the file.
A message notification popped up on her phone; it was from Yuda.
"Babe… We need to talk. I'll pick you up after work, okay?"
Khayra froze.
She wasn't ready. Not even close. Her heart still felt shattered.
Five years. That's how long they had been together.
Now she realized she had only been keeping someone else's soulmate warm.
She quickly wiped her tears as something was placed on her desk. She looked up.
Kaivan was standing there, setting down a cup of coffee.
"Stay focused."
And with that, he walked away.
Khayra blinked in confusion. She glanced at Sunny's desk; it was empty. She hadn't even noticed either of them moving.
She picked up her phone and typed:
"Give me time. I need to calm down. I'll reach out when I'm ready to talk."
She wiped her tears and took a deep breath.
"Focus, Khayra," she whispered, and returned to her work.
She took a sip of the coffee.
"Hm?" She paused. "It's good… The sweetness is just right, and it's creamy."
Time passed without her realizing, and she finally finished the document. She submitted it and let out a long sigh of relief.
But just as she returned to her desk, a thunderous voice shook the room.
"What kind of report is this, Khayra?!"
Kaivan's deep voice roared across the office. He threw the file onto her desk. Khayra flinched and lowered her head.
"How am I supposed to hand this in to the director when it's like this?" he snapped.
The entire office froze, but they tried to act like nothing happened. Everyone knew Kaivan's temper. He was the strictest manager in the company but also fiercely protective of his team. He never let outsiders mistreat them.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I... I'll revise it right away," Khayra said, still looking down.
"It's always 'sorry' with you. I told you—focus. Be professional. Leave your personal problems outside this office!"
"I'll fix it, Sir…" She fought back the tears threatening to fall.
Her world was already falling apart. And now she was being yelled at in front of everyone.
"Finish it. Don't even think of going home until it's done," Kaivan growled.
"Y-yes, Sir."
She took the file and walked back to her cubicle. With a deep breath, she tried to calm herself.
"Are you okay?" Sunny whispered, trying to lighten the mood. "Looks like Mr. Kai's on his period again."
Khayra gave a faint smile. She knew Sunny meant well. But honestly, she just wanted to disappear.
For the rest of the day, she worked carefully, double-checking everything to avoid another outburst.
She finally finished just in time and rushed to leave.
But as she neared her home, her steps froze.
Someone was waiting not far from her.
"So this is where you've been."
***