Chapter 18
1403 Words
Sonny sat on a teak chair on the back porch of the house with his face down. Cold sweat was running down his temples, even though the afternoon wind was blowing softly.
His brain felt tired, and his thoughts were chaotic. It was as if all of life's problems were piling up at one time, the company's debts that were increasingly ensnaring, his mother's fear of being chased by debt collectors, and his household relationship that was almost broken up again.
Sonny took a deep breath, as if hoping that the burden of his life would be lifted.
He still didn't understand why all of these troublesome matters could come one after another at one time, even though previously life had felt very calm and pleasant.
In a flash, there was a thought, that all of this was like a curse and it happened after Wilona returned.
They shouldn't have met again at that time, right, so maybe his life would still be calm without waves like this.
But, that was a ridiculous thought. Who was Wilona, who could make his life this complicated. In fact, in reality, the woman herself looked shocked when they met again. She probably didn't expect to meet Sonny again either.
Fortunately, there was one thing he managed to accomplish, which was persuading Elsa to come back home. Although it wasn't as easy as turning the palm of his hand.
At least, he wouldn't have to bother paying for two houses if Elsa and her daughter returned home, compared to if they lived separately and he had to cover their living expenses as well as his own. That would definitely be very wasteful.
Elsa did return, but not with a warm smile like before. Her eyes still held doubts. Now she was quieter, her movements were stiff, and every answer she gave Sonny always sounded cold.
The warmth of their household had not recovered. Sonny knew that Elsa still harbored feelings of suspicion. For Elsa, Wilona's shadow still hung like a gray curtain in their household.
"If I come back, it doesn't mean I trust you one hundred percent, Sonny," Elsa said at that time, when she returned carrying her small suitcase. "I just feel sorry for our daughter. She still needs a complete parental figure."
Sonny swallowed, not wanting to argue and make Elsa cancel her return. Elsa could be stubborn when she was angry and Sonny was lazy to deal with it, to keep persuading her.
Besides, he knew that Elsa was right. Their little daughter did not deserve to be in the middle of arguments and uncertainty. Sonny did not want to repeat the same mistake that had happened to his other daughter who had passed away.
"I know, baby," Sonny said. "I promise I will change my attitude that makes you uncomfortable."
Sonny hugged Elsa, even though it was only for a moment and his wife also returned his hug for a moment, before then moving away and walking to the room without saying much.
Since then, Sonny thought that he had to be able to rebuild Elsa's trust, so that he would not be bothered again with unimportant coaxing matters.
He even tried to involve Elsa in the problems he was facing, sitting with her at night, and trying to explain their financial crisis.
"The important thing is that we survive first, baby. I just need you to believe in me. I will not go back to Wilona. She is just the past and with all the bad things that happened between us, especially because of Maya's death, I am sure we will not even be together in the same room. I choose you. But you also have to understand, my situation right now is not easy," Sonny said slowly.
At that time Elsa only nodded slightly. But her eyes did not show satisfaction. This was an unexpected situation for her and the feeling of worry that her life would change due to unstable financial conditions made her actually restless.
On the other hand, Sonny was also annoyed with his mother. Ariel called Sonny almost every day, using different phone numbers, begging for help to get out of his gambling debt problem at the casino. She was continuously terrorized by debt collectors and was very scared every day.
Sonny couldn't stand it anymore. He finally made a tough decision, selling Ariel's house, Sonny's father's inheritance, to pay off her debt.
"B-but, that's your father's inheritance, Sonny, I don't want to lose that house," Ariel said while crying.
"You should have thought about that before spending money at that damn casino, mom!" Sonny snapped, which made Ariel speechless and finally agreed to sell the house.
Luckily, one of his clients at the company was looking for a house for his newlywed son. Sonny offered his mother's house at a price below market price, and the transaction went quickly.
Ariel cried when Sonny said that her house had been sold and her debt had been paid off.
She felt conflicted, sad because she lost her husband's house for something silly, but also relieved because at least she was free from the burden of debt.
She knew that Sonny had made the right decision. But losing her house made her feel like she had lost her self-esteem. She could no longer face her friends who lived glamorously, because she was confused about where to live.
Sonny finally decided to invite Ariel to live in their house temporarily. And that's where the new problems began.
Elsa received the news with a dark face.
"I didn't refuse, Sonny. But don't blame me if I can't last long. I'm already stressed taking care of the house, the children, now plus my in-laws who always think I'm stupid and like a servant!"
Ariel had never gotten along with Elsa. She often made sharp sarcasm, calling Elsa just a former nanny, not a proper wife.
She also often insinuated that Elsa was responsible for the death of Maya, her granddaughter from Wilona and that Elsa was a cheap woman who trapped Sonny.
"If Wilona were still your wife now, your life would be better, Sonny. She has a career, she has money. Not like this Elsa. What does she have? What?"
That sentence made Elsa furious at Sonny and threatened to leave the house again. Sonny coaxed Elsa again and scolded Ariel.
"Mom, if you still want to live here, please watch what you say. Elsa is my wife now, that's a fact. And Maya... She died in an accident. It wasn't anyone's fault."
Ariel pouted, but kept quiet. For now.
Sonny then saved the rest of the money from the sale of Ariel's house in his personal account, keeping the exact amount a secret even from his mother. He felt the need to be on guard.
"Don't use all the money. I have a feeling, Mom might cause trouble again someday," Sonny said to Elsa.
Elsa nodded, but then said, "Honey, why don't you find a small apartment for Mom? Let her live alone. I... I can't live with her for long."
Sonny was pensive. He understood what his wife meant. "I'll think about it, okay. But wait until the situation is a bit more stable."
A few days later, Sonny went to the property agent's office to look for an apartment for Ariel.
It seemed like what Elsa said was true. Ariel couldn't stay in her house, it would make the atmosphere chaotic.
While he was waiting for the real estate agent to serve him, he saw a familiar figure, Josh, the man he had seen with Wilona in their two meetings.
Josh was walking while talking on his cellphone, unaware that Sonny was sitting not far from there.
"Oh come on, my love, don't be mad. I'm fine here," Josh said with a laugh. "I'll come home when everything is stable here. I miss you too, my love."
Sonny choked. He almost got up from his chair because of the shock. Josh... cheating on Wilona?
He immediately turned to Josh who had moved away while laughing softly on the other end of the phone.
A small smile appeared on Sonny's lips. For the first time in weeks, he felt like he had found a way.
Josh's affair could be an opportunity and a chance for him to approach Wilona again.
He forgot his promise to Elsa.
- Writer
