A SHAKEN MORNING
Elara woke up with a throbbing head at the villa in Lembang. She opened her eyes to the unfamiliar wooden ceiling. Her phone vibrated once, then twice, then continuously—not with calls, but WhatsApp notifications.
Moving sluggishly, she reached for her phone. There was one message from an unknown number. Just one image sent, without any text.
Elara's finger froze over the screen.
The photo was slightly blurry, as if taken in dim light. But clear enough to recognize. David, asleep shirtless on a disheveled bed. And next to him, Natasha—only covered by a sheet up to her chest, her hair spread out, with a thin, triumphant smile on her lips. One of her hands was resting on David's chest.
The world stopped.
Elara stared at the photo, her eyes unblinking. Her heart, which had been pounding wildly, suddenly went silent. As if all the sounds in the universe had disappeared. There was only that image. Undeniable proof.
Her phone vibrated again. A second message from the same number:
Unknown Number: "He chose me when you left. Maybe it's time you forget your status as Mrs. Yang."
Then, a third message: a short 3-second video. David moving in his sleep, mumbling something unclear, then Natasha's hand stroking his hair.
Elara dropped her phone as if it had burned her hand. Her body trembled, but no tears came. Only a deep emptiness, as if her entire insides had been forcibly hollowed out.
PANIC AND THE CHASE
David was driving towards Lembang when Raka called.
"Sir, we've confirmed. Mrs. Elara is at Villa Kayu Manis, Lembang. Under the name Kartika Dewi."
"Thank you,Raka. Don't tell anyone."
David pressed the gas pedal harder. His heart was filled with paralyzing guilt, but also a small hope that he could explain. That last night was a fatal mistake, that he was drunk, that he thought Natasha was Elara.
But could that reason erase the stain of betrayal?
He tried calling Elara again. This time, it went straight to voicemail. Maybe the battery was dead. Maybe she had turned off her phone.
Or maybe she already knew.
CONFRONTATION AT THE VILLA
Elara was still sitting on the porch floor when David arrived. She wasn't crying. Just staring towards the valley, her face empty.
"Elara," David approached slowly, as if approaching a wounded wild animal.
Elara didn't turn."You smell like another woman."
"Elara,I—"
"Explain what?"Elara finally turned. Her eyes were red, but dry. "Explain how you ended up naked in bed with Natasha? Explain the satisfied smile on her face? Or explain the message she sent me?"
She threw her phone towards David. The screen was still lit, showing the photo.
David looked at the photo, and his face turned as pale as a corpse. "This... this isn't what you think."
"You slept with her,David. What else is there to think?"
"I was drunk!I thought she was you! I—"
"STOP!"Elara screamed, her voice shattering the morning silence. "Don't insult my intelligence with that lie! You knew exactly who she was! You knew she's your ex! You knew she always wanted you!"
David knelt before her. "Elara, I love you. Only you."
"But you gave her your body."Elara laughed bitterly. "You know, all this time I felt guilty because of Kael. Because of my past. But at least I never brought him to our bed!"
"That's different—"
"YES!IT IS DIFFERENT!" Elara stood up, her body trembling. "You actually did it! I only met him to talk, but you... you..."
Finally, the tears came. Flowing freely, uncontrollable.
"Our marriage is over,David."
"No," David was adamant, his hand trying to reach Elara but was brushed away. "I will never let you go. I will fix this."
"Some things can't be fixed.Trust is like glass—once broken, there will always be cracks."
KAEL'S INTERVENTION
From the road below the villa, Kael sat in his car, small binoculars in hand. He saw Elara crying, David kneeling. A smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.
He took his phone, sending a message to Elara:"I'm down here if you need an escape. I'll always be here for you."
But Elara didn't even look at her phone. She was too busy with her devastation.
NATASHA'S VICTORY
In her luxurious apartment in Jakarta, Natasha was drinking champagne alone. She looked at the photo she had sent to Elara, then at the lack of reply—but the "read" status was already there.
She smiled. Just one picture to destroy seven years of marriage. Just one moment of David's weakness to open the door that had been tightly shut.
She didn't need to meet Elara. No explanations needed. Let the picture speak. Let Elara imagine the worst. And from her experience, the imagination of a betrayed woman is always crueler than reality.
She raised her glass, toasting her own reflection in the window glass. "Goodbye, Mrs. Yang. Welcome, emptiness."
ELARA'S CHOICE
At the villa, Elara had already packed her things into a suitcase. David was still on the porch, sitting slumped like a defeated soldier.
"Where will you go?" he asked, his voice hollow.
"I don't know.But far from you."
"And Alisha?"
"I'll pick her up tomorrow.For now, she'll stay with me."
David nodded slowly."I won't fight your rights. But please... don't decide on our marriage now. Give us time."
Elara looked at him. On David's face was genuine remorse. In his eyes was real pain. But there was also the image of Natasha on her phone that kept burning in her mind.
"I need time alone, David. Real alone time. Don't look for me. Don't call me. If there's anything to discuss, go through lawyers."
"Are you serious?"
"What kind of question is that?You cheated, David! Did you think I would wrap it up as a gift and pretend it didn't happen?"
David bowed his head. "I know. I just... hoped."
"You destroyed your hope last night."
Elara pulled her suitcase, passing David without a final touch. Without a farewell hug. Without a "take care."
As Elara's car disappeared around the bend, David remained sitting on the porch. He looked at his phone, the photo Natasha sent to Elara. Then he called Natasha.
"Are you satisfied?" his voice was flat, full of hidden threat.
"Just the beginning,David," Natasha replied in a sweet voice. "You'll learn that it's not good to ignore someone who loves you."
"You don't love me. You're just obsessed."
"Just hang up,David. But remember—I still have many photos and videos. So be nice."
The call ended. David threw his phone towards the valley. But it didn't lessen the pain. It didn't erase the image of Elara leaving with shattered eyes.
And in the distance, Kael turned his car around, following Elara's car from a safe distance. A smile still played on his lips.
The war had been won by the most cunning. But the question remained: could love grow in soil fertilized with betrayal and manipulation?