Nilam became furious at Amelia's question. She could not believe Amelia dared to speak like that. She fell silent for a moment, trying to find an answer.
"You really are a disobedient child! You always cause trouble in this house! You always disappoint me!" Nilam shouted, blaming Amelia.
"If I am disobedient, where is the proof? All of my salary money has already been given to you. I can't even hold a little money for myself," Amelia said honestly.
"You only give us a few million! And you dare talk back like this?" Nilam refused to accept Amelia's honesty.
The more honest Amelia was, the more cornered she became. She did not understand what they were really arguing about. She felt confused—deeply confused. Why did this always happen in her life?
"You never give Mama happiness! You always hurt Mama! You always argue against Mama!" Nilam shouted angrily and slammed her bag onto the table.
Amelia was too tired to argue. She deliberately turned her body around and decided to leave. She walked toward the back of the house.
"You ungrateful child! When your mistakes are exposed, you just walk away!" Nilam shouted again.
Amelia stopped and smiled bitterly. It felt as if she was laughing at her own life. She knew problems like this did not need to be made bigger. All she wanted was a peaceful life at home.
Amelia chose to leave Nilam behind. She did not want to make the problem worse. She knew her life was already full of pressure. So, she decided not to escalate it.
Amelia accidentally saw Santi lying down comfortably. She looked like someone with no burden in life. She was laughing while doing a video call with someone outside. Amelia could only let out a long sigh.
"How long are you going to live like this? Being oppressed and humiliated by them. Not to mention Dina, who has disappeared until now," Amelia heard a voice inside her head.
Amelia walked away from the main house. She stopped for a moment and turned on the garden lights. She saw several roses blooming beautifully.
"Do these roses live a happy life?" Amelia whispered as she picked one rose stem.
She walked toward a small cottage. The cottage had been deliberately built by Nilam. The purpose was to separate Amelia's room from theirs. If she thought about it carefully, this was clearly a social gap.
Amelia, who supported their lives, was treated as if she was worthless. She had to live separately. She had never felt true happiness in her own family.
Amelia opened the door to her room. This room was actually intended for a housemaid. Honestly, Nilam never wanted outsiders to live in the house. She only calculated Amelia's working hours like an office employee.
"Is my life really this sad? Even someone named Amat lives freely without burden. But me? I carry so many burdens," Amelia laughed silently.
She decided to clean herself. She poured water over her body while closing her eyes. Somehow, she felt as if she received a strange and ridiculous message.
"It seems like they are not your real family," Amelia heard the whisper again.
After finishing her shower, Amelia immediately grabbed her phone. She saw a message from Bima. She shook her head slightly. Late at night, Bima was asking her to buy a set of sleepwear. Her eyes widened, but she smiled. Amelia felt a sense of real freedom.
She chose simple clothes. Just a shirt and long pants. Amelia quickly left her room. She looked around, searching for Nilam's presence.
She was lucky Nilam was not there. Amelia walked slowly, pretending everything was normal. She managed to leave the house and head toward the bus stop. But then she felt confused—how would she go home later? Would she have to stay overnight at the office?
"Do I have to stay at the office?" Amelia shook her head softly.
She decided she would still return home later. She would face the problem calmly. Before buying the clothes, Amelia decided to stop by the office first. The journey did not feel like an obstacle. She watched the city lights of Jakarta glowing brightly.
Amelia deliberately got off in front of the office building. She walked inside. She saw several men wearing all-black outfits. Their bodies were muscular and firm. Amelia sensed something was not right.
She headed toward the elevator. The corridor was quiet. At this hour, no one was really working in the office. Honestly, Amelia felt comfortable in this place. Even though it looked scary, she did not care at all.
"Should I stay here tonight?" Amelia asked herself again.
The answer confused her. If she faced them, it would turn into a big drama. Deep down, she was still afraid.
Finally, Amelia arrived in front of Bima's room. She hesitated to knock. But Bima, who was relaxing inside, already knew she was there.
"Come in!" Bima shouted while drinking beer.
Amelia opened the door. She saw Bima relaxing on the sofa. She felt confused by his condition.
"Sir, are you okay?" Amelia still cared about others. But in reality, she herself was already emotionally broken.
"No." Bima took his wallet and pulled out a platinum card.
"Seriously?" Amelia stared at Bima's face. He clearly did not look fine.
"Seriously. What's wrong with you, Mel?" Bima looked at Amelia closely. He felt something strange about her, something he could not explain.
Bima handed the platinum card to Amelia. She took it and put it inside her bag. Before she left, Bima sent her a message listing the items she had to buy.
"Find them no matter what!" Bima said sharply.
"Wait, Sir. Why are there several men wearing black outside?" Amelia asked seriously.
"They are my bodyguards. Let them guard the place. I told the office security to go home," Bima explained.
"Alright," Amelia replied.
Suddenly, Bima changed his mind. He stood up and took his jacket. He put it on while walking closer to Amelia.
"It's better if we go shopping together," Bima said.
This was the moment Amelia's mental strength was being tested by Bima. She was not afraid to walk with her boss. But she was fully aware that Bima was a married man. He should be going with his wife, not her.
"Aren't you with Mrs. Martha tonight?" Amelia asked honestly.
"Why are you asking about Martha? Don't you like going out with me tonight?" Bima challenged her.
Bima's personality was very hard. He was the type of boss no one could argue with. Whatever he wanted had to be done his way.
Amelia chose to give in. She did not want to create a debate. She simply nodded and followed his decision. She decided to keep her distance to avoid bigger problems.
That night, they left the office together. Bima looked at his bodyguards and gave them a signal. They nodded in understanding. Amelia noticed it but did not pay much attention.
"Can you spend one billion rupiah tonight?" Bima asked while opening the car door.
"That's ridiculous. How could I spend that much money?" Amelia shook her head.
"Get in and sit next to me!" Bima ordered.
Amelia got into the car and sat beside Bima. She felt confused by his request but decided not to think too much about it.
"Can you spend one billion rupiah?" Bima repeated the same question.