Renata bit her nails, while pacing back and forth beside her bed. Her feet couldn't stop moving. She kept thinking about the man's phone call. Renata couldn't ignore it, because she knew that the man would not hesitate to do scary things. She couldn't even imagine what bad things would happen if she didn't listen to him.
"Argh! Shit, why does he have to come at such an inopportune time!" hissed Renata as she ruffled her hair in frustration.
"Calm down, Renata. Don't panic! Be calm. You have many ways out of this problem. Stay calm!" she told herself. Trying to give calming words to herself who was trapped in a situation that she didn't know how to get out of.
Renata was at a dead end. Getting that much money in a short time was very difficult. She couldn't possibly spend her entire collection of bags, shoes, and jewelry just to get that money.
The woman walked over to the nightstand next to the bed. She picked up the glass of water there and took a sip. She gulped the drink down. Renata put the glass down a little roughly. She supported her body on the nightstand with both hands. Her head bowed down. Her hair fell over the side of her face.
She closed her eyes. Trying to catch her breath that was roaring with panic. After thinking about how to get the money for so long, she looked up.
"The only way is Melvin."
Although Renata was not too sure whether Melvin would give her that much money. Especially with the reason that Renata herself still hadn't found a reason that sounded reasonable. Still, the woman was determined to leave the room and look for Melvin.
Renata could only surrender. She could guess Melvin's attitude later between two. Either she would give him the money without asking further questions, or he would keep asking until she was caught lying to him and it would end with her not being trusted by Melvin anymore.
Ah, Renata shook her head. In a trapped situation like this. Renata really had to make a decision quickly. She just needed to convince Melvin that she wasn't lying to him.
Melvin, who had just arrived from the office, went straight into his room after looking at Danas first. He couldn't ignore her like before. Even though the whole house said Danas was fine, Melvin still seemed to want to prove it with his eyes.
Danas initially felt uncomfortable because she suddenly received such treatment from Melvin. But, as the days went by, she got used to it. Melvin opened the suit that wrapped his body.
Today everything went well. His company had just gotten the investor that Melvin had dreamed of before. Even at home, he found that neither Danas nor the rest of his family had any problems. The man was in a good mood today.
Melvin dropped his suit into the dirty clothes basket. Then he unbuttoned his clothes one by one. He opened the walk-in closet and went inside. He took off the watch on his wrist and put it in the glass drawer where he kept his collection of expensive watches. Then Melvin went into the bathroom to start cleaning his body.
He soaked in the warm water long enough to not notice the presence of someone in his room. Melvin got out of his bathtub. Covering part of his body with a white towel. Then the man walked out of the bathroom.
Melvin was surprised to see Renata sitting on the edge of his bed with her long hair left in a bun. "Ah, you scared me," Melvin said while rubbing his chest.
Renata, who was daydreaming, was interrupted by Melvin's exclamation. The woman turned her head. She blinked her eyes in confusion.
"I didn't think there was anyone in this room. And you're sitting there with an uncharacteristic silence," Melvin grumbled.
Renata, who realized that her presence seemed to have startled him, just grimaced. She scratched the back of her head. "Sorry," she said softly.
Melvin just waved his hand as he went to the walk in closet. He picked up his pajamas and put them on. Melvin thought Renata had come to his room to tease him. But seeing her sitting where she was without coming to Melvin, who was getting dressed, made him suspect that Renata had something else to say to him.
Melvin came out of the walk in closet fully dressed. He walked towards his dressing table to comb his messy hair, while silently waiting for Renata to speak to him.
"Melvin," she called.
Melvin glanced at Renata's reflection in the mirror. "Yes?" Melvin replied casually.
"I've never told you about this before. So, I don't know where to begin," Renata replied again with her head down.
Melvin put his comb on the dressing table. Then he turned around to face Renata. "What?"
"I was taken care of by my aunt," Renata continued. "I thought of her as my own mother."
"I didn't know that. Which aunt? You've never told me this."
"An aunt from my mommy's side. Well, I happened to get news that my aunt's son is seriously ill."
Melvin was still listening to the story that came out of Renata's mouth without interrupting again.
"My cousin is seriously ill and needs a lot of money for her treatment. I'm sad that I can't help the people who have contributed to my life."
Melvin walked slowly towards Renata. The woman still didn't dare to raise her chin. Until she felt the mattress she was sitting on move, a sign that someone had taken the seat next to her.
"How much?"
Getting that question from Melvin made Renata reflexively raise her face. "Wh-what?"
She asked once again to make sure that her hearing wasn't wrong.
"How much do you need?" Melvin asked again.
Renata blinked her eyes in disbelief that it would be this easy. "Fifty billion," she answered timidly.
Melvin's eyes opened wide. "What?!" he said surprised in a higher tone than before.
Hearing that made Renata bite her lip. She acted like she was crying. "I know that, I don't deserve to ask you that much. I'm just." Renata wiped the tears that dripped from her eyelids. "I'm just hopeless because I don't have that much money right now."
Melvin himself had never seen Renata this sad before. Something in him urged Melvin to embrace the woman. He rubbed Renata's trembling back. " Okay, calm yourself down. I'll help," Melvin said in the end.
His love for Renata made him unable to bear to see her trapped in sadness. After all, for Melvin, that amount of money was nothing compared to the burden Renata was feeling right now.
"Thank you, Melvin. Thank you," Renata said while returning the man's hug.
That morning, Melvin woke up from his sleep after he felt the mattress beside him and found no one. Even though last night, Renata slept in his room.
Melvin let Renata sleep in his room because he saw that she was very restless. Melvin understood that. His girlfriend must have been devastated when she heard the news about her cousin being seriously ill.
Melvin rubbed his face. Then he got out of bed. "Umm, maybe Renata has gone back to her room," Melvin muttered.
The man decided to get ready for work.
On the other hand, Renata went straight into her room before Melvin woke up. She hurriedly put her clothes into her suitcase. She also sent a few messages to the man on the other end.
After that, Renata tidied up her things without any leftovers. She did that quickly. Renata hoped Melvin wasn't awake yet. She didn't expect to run into him because she would be too confused to answer all of his questions that might trap her.
"It's ready!" muttered Renata. Then she slung her small bag over her shoulder, and pulled her suitcase painstakingly out of the room.
Renata unloaded her large suitcases one by one on the steps of the stairs. She even refused when the maid wanted to help her. As her feet touched the last step, someone's baritone voice called her name.
"Renata."
The one being called straightened her body, she turned her head to the source of the voice.
Melvin, who was sitting at the dining table, looked at Renata confused.
"Where are you going?" asked Melvin as he got up from his seat.
"I-I," Renata replied nervously. "I'm going to Germany. My cousin is very sick and needs me."
Renata hoped Melvin would believe her. She didn't dare to meet Melvin's piercing gaze. Melvin came to her with a long sigh.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier," Melvin said. Then he lowered his head and took over the suitcase Renata was carrying. "Let me take you to the airport."
He trusts me? Renata thought to herself.
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Melvin."
Renata hoped that Melvin would not realize her lie until the end.