Chapter 1. Dilemma Between Two Options

A middle-aged woman sat in front of me. Her face looked different from usual, as if highlighting the figure that had been hidden behind laughs and friendly smiles for the past five years.

She placed an empty check and a pen on the table, then pushed it towards me. Her breath was uneven. "Write down any amount you want, as long as you leave my son," she said firmly.

I looked at her with a confused expression. "What do you mean, Auntie?" I asked, uncertainty, not understanding her words.

"I want you to leave my son," the woman said firmly again.

"Why?" I asked with a sad and confused face.

"Because you are not the right person for him. You are just a poor woman who came from a village, completely unworthy of my son," she explained.

I was so surprised and my heart felt so heavy. How could she say that? All this time, she had never shown any dislike towards me. Why did she suddenly turn like this?

I have been in a relationship with Keenan for five years. During that time, Aunt Belinda had always been a good person to me. I even regarded her as my birth mother. However, the words she had just spoken made me confused and began to wonder.

Why did she ask me to leave Keenan? What have I done to make her think like that?

Aunt Belinda's words felt painful and made me afraid of her decision. She warned that my relationship with Keenan would not bring happiness. I felt confused because Keenan was someone I loved very much. However, if my relationship with Keenan was unhealthy, would it be better to give him up and end it all?

"I need an explanation, Auntie. Why do you ask me to leave Keenan?" I asked softly, making sure that the middle-aged woman's words were not true.

"Do you know? All this time, my late husband had arranged Keenan's marriage with Marissa. But suddenly you appeared out of nowhere and stole Keenan. Aren't you ashamed? Do you want my husband to be restless in the afterlife?" the woman explained firmly.

Yes, I knew that all this time, Keenan had been engaged to Marissa, and we were also very close to each other. I once wanted to separate from Keenan when I found out about it. However, Keenan insisted that he loved me, and Aunt Belinda also gave her approval for our relationship.

But, after five years had passed, why did Aunt Belinda suddenly speak like this? If she didn't like me because I was a poor woman, why didn't she express her disagreement from the beginning?

Those questions kept swirling around my head. I felt confused because, for years, I had felt that Aunt Belinda had accepted me as part of her family. However, now she said that Keenan should be with Marissa, and it seemed like I had taken Keenan away from her.

I was very sad because I loved Keenan very much, but on the other hand, I also felt guilty. It might not be fair to Marissa if Keenan stayed with me. I finally decided to better understand this situation and speak candidly with Aunt Belinda.

"I'm sorry, Auntie. I didn't mean to steal Keenan from Marissa. I love him with all my heart and I hope I can be with him. However, if this is wrong to Marissa, I'd better go and give Keenan a chance to go back to the path that has been set since long ago." I dared to say those words, even though it hurt me so much.

"Well, it's good that you realize it. Now write down any amount you want, and after that, leave my son's life!" The middle-aged woman looked at me coldly, making my heart feel painful and sad.

I loved Keenan so much, and I didn't want to leave him. However, I also needed money to pay for my father's liver cancer treatment. Our family was in a very bad financial situation, and my parents' house had even been repossessed by the bank because we had not paid our hospital bills.

I only worked as a sales promotion with a meager salary, which made me confused about paying for my father's medical expenses. Moreover, I was reluctant to tell Keenan about my father's illness because I didn't want to burden him.

"Why are you silent? Quickly write down any amount you want. I don't have much time!" she commanded again.

I was silent, feeling like my heart was shattered into pieces. Our relationship had been going on for five years, but now it was broken by this hard decision. Aunt asked me to leave her son's life, and in return, I could determine the price I would receive. Can love be measured by how thick the money is? Is my dignity worth less than a family gathering?

"Alright, aunt. I will write what I want," I said with a trembling voice. My heart felt broken and my body was so tired.

I accepted her offer and wrote what I wanted in the check. Taking a deep breath, I reached for the pen on the table and began writing. My trembling hand made the writing on the paper unsteady.

Aunt Belinda smiled happily when she saw me writing. She was a wealthy woman who always held the reins of her family's business, Wardhana Group. I felt very humble in front of her because I was just a sales promotion with a small salary.

However, Aunt Belinda's smile stopped when she read what I had written on the check. The room became awkward and silent as Aunt Belinda looked at me with a sneering gaze.

"20 percent of Wardhana Group's shares. Are you crazy?!" she said in a loud voice.

I felt like a wounded person and lost everything. I understood that the amount I wrote was too big and impossible to fulfill. But my family's condition, needing medical expenses made me have to do this.

"I'm sorry, Aunt. I know that amount is very big and impossible to fulfill. But my family's condition is very difficult at the moment and I need money to pay for my father's medical expenses," I said with a trembling voice.

"A woman really has no shame! So all this time it's true, you only approached my son wanting his money!" The middle-aged woman shouted at me with a loud voice.

Honestly, I felt offended by Aunt Belinda's words. I am not a woman who only wants wealth or money. I love Keenan with all my heart and promised to stay with him no matter what. But now, Aunt Belinda offered me a hard decision, making me a dilemma with the decision I had to make.

I smiled while looking at Aunt Belinda firmly. "It's up to Aunt to say, if Aunt doesn't want to, it's okay, I won't leave Keenan. And maybe I can take over all the Wardhana Group's wealth if I marry him," I said with emphasis.

Aunt Belinda became angrier with me when she heard the words I said. Her gaze was sharp and her two fists were clenched tightly.

"Low-class woman! Fortunately, I know that you only want to take money from my son. At least I can see your wickedness!" she said in a sharp tone.

Always felt hurt by her words. I knew my financial situation was not good, but I never once took money from Keenan. I truly loved him and struggled to make our relationship work.

I didn't care if Aunt Belinda thought I was a money-hungry woman or whatever she thought. I did it for my father. I didn't want my father to suffer constantly because of his illness, even though my heart would hurt if I had to lose a man I loved so much, like Keenan.

"What's going on here?"

The familiar baritone voice stopped our argument. I looked towards the door and saw Keenan standing there. I was surprised, and I could see Aunt Belinda was equally surprised.