DRIVING ME CRAZY (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 16 : B'day Party

Darren was watching people working on the preparations for Caroline's birthday party which she was holding in the ballroom of a luxury hotel near her apartment. The party would begin around seven o'clock at night, but now it was six o'clock, so Darren had to check all the party preparations to make it look perfect.

Darren's father and mother had arrived in Singapore since this afternoon and they were having a conversation with Caroline's parents in one of the VIP rooms that Darren had specially ordered for them. Daffa and Shine had also come since yesterday.

After being satisfied with the results of the decorations and preparations for the party they were working on, Darren went to meet Caroline who was now preening in her room.

Darren opened the door to find Caroline trying on some dresses helped by stylish fashion and some of the makeup artist that Darren paid to beautify the queen. They were the same people who had handled Darren and Caroline's engagement party a few months ago.

Caroline turned her head, watching Darren walk slowly toward her, in a model-like fashion, ruffling her waist and twirling her body right and left.

"How about this?" she asked for opinions. She wore a dress that stretched to ankles with purple blink-blink, with a low collar cut, which showed a little cleavage.

"Wear the black one, it suits you better."

Darren pointed to a plain black sleeveless dress, the model of which was almost the same as the purple one.

"I don't like the dress, I don't want to wear black for my birthday party." said Caroline, returning to the mirror and giving the code so that the woman beside her helped to remove the dress that was snugly attached to her body.

"You're beautiful, whatever you wear, you're still pretty. Hurry up, I'll wait for you downstairs." said Darren before he returned to the ballroom.

Darren was ready with his party, he wore a black suit with a black bow tie and a white shirt. No need to take a lot of time for him to get ready, unlike women. They were really troublesome to just determine the color of the clothes and the color of the lipstick they would wear. At least that's Darren's opinion.

On the lower floor, it turned out that Darren's parents were already talking to several guests who had arrived, as well as Caroline's parents doing the same thing separately. Just a small talk with their acquaintance.

Darren gave a short smile to some of the guests he knew, who was also a friend of Caroline, he invited only a few of his friends, the rest might only be business partners who one day he would be needed to establish cooperation.

After Daffa and Shine had just come into the ballroom, Shine put his hand on Daffa's arm. Shine smiled at Brata and Ema, then approached them. She hugged her parents tightly, alternating with Daffa.

Darren understood that they miss each other after Daffa and Shine went away on vacation for a long time. Darren decided to join them.

"Is my niece in the process?" the first words Darren said were so close. They turned in unison towards Darren.

"What are you saying, don't you—"

"The party looks very fancy huh, more luxurious than the previous year." said Daffa interrupting Shine's sentence.

Darren watched Daffa's movements then smiled, as if he was storing something, apparently around him, everyone was watching them while whispering. Darren was sure they were talking about Shine, an orphan girl who had an abundance of wealth due to her brother's inheritance, and now Daff was managing everything because Shine was not mature enough for it.

"Where is she dear?" Ema looked around looking for Caroline.

"Dressing up, Mom." Darren replied while looking at his watch.

Ema was still very beautiful at her age, she wore a luxurious brown dress, which was very harmonious with the dark brown suit worn by Brata. Whereas Shine wore a blue dress that was only knee-length, with simple makeup, she still looked like a teenager in her teens, younger than her age, but still beautiful.

They continued the conversation until Darren's eyes caught several people who had just entered the ballroom simultaneously. They are Rendy, Mikaela and Tiwi.

Mikaela wore a black knee-length dress that showed her long legs, long natural wavy hair that she had looked shorter than before, she cut the shoulder length, looking very compatible with the man next to her who was also wearing a black suit.

Darren glared at her and when their eyes met, the girl looked away. How dare she took her eyes off Darren? Darren growled.

Rendy's hand wrapped around Mikaela's waist, demanding her in the direction where Ema and Brata were. Rendy smiled at Daffa. While Tiwi preferred to separate because she saw her acquaintance.

"Isn't she ...?"

"Mikaela, Aunty." Rendy answered Ema's surprise.

"Ah right." Ema glanced at her two children, Darren remained silent, while Daffa smiled at Mikaela. Ema knew very well what happened to them in the past.

"How are you, Aunt?" Mikaela reached out hesitantly to Ema and Brata. She felt bad for both of them.

But unexpectedly, they welcomed Mikaela's friendly hands.

"We are fine." said Ema.

Shine looked dislike towards Mikaela, she closed her arms around Daffa's arm.

"Are you well, Shine?" Rendy asked after seeing Shine's behavior.

"Of course, didn't you see it?" Shine replied curtly.

Daffa still looked at Mikaela while smiling. "You cut your hair?" he asked involuntarily.

All glanced at Daffa's face that looked radiant as saying "You are beautiful with your new hair", except Brata who was not sensitive to the situation. The atmosphere turned awkward.

"Yes," Mikaela answered swallowing in the face of this unpleasant situation. There were two pairs of eyes that looked at her sharply, one from the man standing behind Ema, another from the girl who was next to Daffa.

"Oh yeah, you want to get acquainted with her right?" Daffa let go of Shine's hand.

Shine protested.

Mikaela smiled awkwardly against Shine, even though the girl was much younger than her.

"She's Shine." said Daffa, introducing Shine.

Mikaela extended her hand, just long enough for Shine to return the helping hand.

"Shine, Daffa's wife." she said arrogantly as he hurriedly embraced Daffa's arm again.

Daffa tried to release it slowly, but Shine tightened her embrace so that Daffa couldn't move. Mikaela could see that. It seemed that Shine didn't like her, she thought she could talk and made friends with Daffa's wife, but apparently the girl's attitude was beyond her expectations.

Rendy, who was able to read the situation, immediately brought Mikaela away from their family, she embraced Mikaela whose dress was very open at the back and it succeeded in making Darren really ignited by emotion.

No one knew what made him so angry, seeing Rendy as openly as showing that he and Mikaela had a very close relationship with his family. Darren could see disappointment on Daffa's face until finally the owner of the evening appeared.

His fiance looked beautiful with a white blink-blink dress that she finally chose, very luxurious and very suitable for her. From the beginning Caroline had said she wanted to wear a blink-blink dress so she looked shining, and the choice was right.

Caroline walked gracefully through the crowd of guests tonight, with a hairdo like a princess and a beautiful tiara on her head. She spread a smile to everyone who came to her birthday party. She was really beautiful, it made Darren amazed for a long time.

"Your saliva is about to fall." whispered Caroline to tease Darren.

"You are very beautiful." Darren kissed Caroline on the cheek and whispered back.

"I'm always beautiful." Caroline replied, then smiled happily.

Seeing Caroline entrance, the host immediately sought attention through the mix he was holding. All eyes looked towards the low stage which was decorated with many white and silver flowers.

Meanwhile, Mikaela stared at the intimate partner in front of her, who whispered to each other and held hands. What a happy couple, Darren and Caroline were a great couple.

Mikaela was very jealous when she entered the hotel ballroom that she was walking on right now, how could I not? The decoration was very luxurious and beautiful. Mikaela heard that Darren had designed everything, Caroline was very lucky to be loved by Darren to this extent. Had he not left Darren before, her position would had been the same as Caroline's position? Mikaela always dreamed of that.

One soft pat on Mikaela's shoulder, she looked up and found Rendy smiling, she thanked Rendy, if he was not there, she would had become a clown now, Rendy took her and Tiwi to the salon first before coming to the party, and he was the one who picked them up.

Mikaela's eyes turned to the other pair, Shine, the girl was leaning on Daffa's shoulder while watching the emcee who was busy on the stage. The girl did not let go of Daffa at all, like not wanting to lose Daffa, she was very grateful that someone loved Daffa so much. Seeing the two men from her past had a happy life was a small happiness for Mikaela, maybe.

Seeing Daffa happy, she really also felt happy, but seeing Darren happy, she should be happy too, in fact Mikaela was still trapped in the past.

Mikaela shook her head slowly, now she looked toward the stage because she heard Caroline being asked to go on stage with Darren for a cake-cutting and candle-blowing event.

The cake was very big, with lots of white and pink cream that was like a wedding cake, Mikaela hoped she would get a cake like that later, when she got married.

She could only stare at Darren, Caroline and their parents laughing while singing and cutting cakes. She really felt alone, she missed the figure of her parents.

Mikaela involuntarily shed tears by seeing that, she hurriedly wiped her tears before Rendy and Tiwi who were beside her saw that.

After the cake cutting and praying was over, guests were welcome to enjoy a meal, because the next event was a free session. Rendy had disappeared because he had met his business partner, while Mikaela was cool tasting dishes with Tiwi.

"I feel uncomfortable here." said Tiwi, drinking the juice.

"Did you just feel it? I have been."

Tiwi chuckled. "Let's give our gifts to her and go home."

"But Rendy hasn't returned yet."

"Let's just take a taxi, he must be very busy."

Mikaela seemed to think. "OK."

Tiwi took Mikaela's hand to approach Caroline who was having a cool conversation with her friend not far from them.

"Hey, happy birthday." Greet Tiwi to her.

"Ah you guys, thank you, I'm glad you came." Caroline hugged Tiwi and Mikaela together.

Tiwi handed over her little present to Caroline, as did Mikaela.

"I hope you like it, even if it's not an expensive item."

"It's okay, Mikaela, your coming is enugh to make me happy." Caroline called one of the servants and gave the gift to the waiter for safekeeping.

Someone came over to Caroline before Mikaela and Tiwi could say goodbye. Tiwi became uncomfortable to interrupt their conversation, so they decided to wait until Caroline had finished speaking.

Suddenly someone approached Tiwi and asked her to talk, which Mikaela knew was her friend, but this time she brought a man who was later introduced to Tiwi.

Tiwi seemed to be cool with her conversation and left Mikaela alone. Caroline was also cool to serve her guests next to Mikaela. If only she knew someone here, surely Mikaela would not feel alienated.

"Hey miss, are you alone?"

Mikaela was sure, the voice was directed at her. He turned to find a man greeting him.

"Ah, I'm with a friend." Mikaela answered politely.

"Introduce me, Luis." The man held out his hand wanting to shake hands.

"Mikaela." Mikaela welcomed doubtfully.

"Are you Caroline's friend?"

"Uh, um ... yes, actually she is my boss's fiance." Mikaela found it unusual to talk to strangers.

"Darren?"

"Hm .. yes."

Luis looked at Mikaela from the ground up repeatedly, and that look made Mikaela felt uncomfortable.

"You are very beautiful." he praised.

"Thank you."

"Do you want a drink?" bargained Luis called a waiter who then approached with a tray containing several kinds of drinks.

Mikaela took a glass of orange juice, while Luis took a glass of purple water that Mikaela did not know about.

"You don't drink alcohol?"

"No, thank you." Mikaela said smoothly.

Luis shrugged his shoulders. "It is okay." He stepped closer to Mikaela.

Mikaela became alert, she did not like being close to people who were drunk, and Mikaela could smell something wrong from Luis, his eyes were red and his face blushed, too.

"You're very sexy."

Mikaela stepped back as Luis approached. Once one more step Luis approached, he held Mikaela's waist to close to his body. Reflexively, Mikaela pushed Luis, and the encouragement did not work, resulting in her being bounced back.

Prank!

Mikaela fell to the back followed by the sound of a broken glass. And what made Mikaela gape the most was that she had bumped into Caroline and that the juice had successfully wet her dress.

Mikaela stood and squatted beside Caroline who also fell. She was very afraid if the broken glass hit Caroline.

"Are you okay?" she asked frantically.

All eyes were on them and flocked to help Caroline stand up, but she prevented him.

"I'm fine. What happened?" Caroline asked, both worried.

"What's going on here?!"

Before Mikaela could answer, Darren had approached them with a voice loud enough to attract attention.

"What are you doing?!" Darren snapped sharply at Mikaela. He saw the chaos that Mikaela created. A broken glass, a dirty Caroline dress, and what made him angry the most was a red spot on Caroline's hand because she accidentally rested on the floor where the glass was broken.

Mikaela looked around for Luis to demand an explanation, but what had been searched had disappeared from there. She was anxious and scared and ashamed of this incident.

Darren grew furious because Mikaela did not answer his question.

"Tell me what are you doing?" Darren gripped Mikaela's arm strongly and looked at her like he wanted to kill her.

Mikaela was still silent, staring sadly at Darren's face.

"You ruined my party, you ruined the dress !!" He snapped harder by continuing to strengthen the grip on Mikaela's arm until the girl grimaced in pain.

Caroline who saw it holding one hand of Darren tried to calm down. "It's a pity, this is not Mikaela's fault." she whispered but Darren would not listen to Caroline.

Their parents came.

"What is this?"

"What happened?"

Mikaela could see Tiwi, who had just arrived among the crowd watching them.

Daffa walked quickly toward her, but one hand stopped him, Shine hand held Daffa, keeping Daffa from going towards Mikaela.

"Let him go Darren." Rendy's voice was heard behind Tiwi.

Darren tightened his fingers as he heard Rendy's voice. While Mikaela was still silent, she felt very ashamed to have messed up the party.

"Let her go." Rendy continued calmly with emphasis. "Don't ever touch her!." He walked toward Darren and Mikaela slowly

Once the man was at the source of the chaos, Darren looked at Rendy sharply, without intending to release his grip.

That made Rendy ignited with emotion, Rendy snatched Mikaela's arm, while staring at Darren's eyes no less sharply.

"Never touch my fiance would be!"