DRIVING ME CRAZY (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 5 : Guardians

"Wow, it hasn't been 24 hours since I hired that girl, you guys are already here. You have pretty good informants." Darren said as he opened the door to his office after a meeting with one of his business partners.

Daffa and Rendy, who had been sitting on Darren's sofa, were suddenly standing as they watched Darren enter the room and casually sitting on his oversized chair.

"What do you want to drink?" Darren asked.

"What are you doing Darren?" Daffa protested.

"I was supposed to ask both of you, what are you doing here?"

Rendy sighed towards Darren. "What do you mean?"

"What?"

"You hired Mikaela as your secretary."

"Come on Rendy, I just gave her a job, is that wrong?"

"But why does it have to be her?"

"I don't know, maybe we are fated to see each other." Darren shrugged his shoulders while smirking through the documents that had been piled on his desk since yesterday. "Don't you miss her? It's been seven years since you haven't seen her?"

"What is your true purpose, Darren?" Asked Daffa who finally approached Darren.

"You are overthink of me, Daff, aren't we twins? You know? It's not good to suspect your own brother."

"Precisely because I'm your brother."

Darren didn't care what Daffa said, he preferred to get up from his chair and approach the large cupboard next to him to get some of the documents he needed.

"After all, you are a newlywed, you should go on your honeymoon with your wife instead of going here and asking small things that are not important. Or do you miss her?"

"Where is Mikaela?"

"I will send two plane tickets for you on your honeymoon to Thailand,feel free to use my villa there, I hope you have fun and give me a niece."

"Where is she Darren?"

"That funny one."

Darren sat back in his chair.

Suddenly, the door to Darren's room opened. "Good afternoon sir, I brought her here."

Darren glanced at the door. There his secretary, Lina was already standing staring at him with a girl who had been quarreling about by the two men in his room.

"You forgot the rules in this office Lina, you forgot to knock on the door, this is your last warning," growled Darren. He looked at Mikaela whose face looked shocked seeing Daffa and Rendy were in the room.

"I'm sorry sir, earlier ..."

"Get out now."

Lina hurried out of the room. Feeling his boss was angry even though with a very calm tone drove her out, it was precisely because of the calmness of his boss that made Lina' trembled, that was a frightening thing from Darren.

Mikaela followed Lina to get out of the room before Darren's voice stopped her.

"You stay here."

The girl frozen in place, she saw Lina's clenched fist encouraging her then closed the door very slowly.

Mikaela turned around again while continuing to look down, not daring to look at Daffa, Rendy or Darren. She was confused because she had not told Daffa or Rendy at all that she had worked, yet it is in the Darren’s company.

"Mikaela." Call Daffa softly. "Why--"

"You two come out." Darren ordered suddenly.

Rendy looked at Darren to protest. Those who stared only saw the watch in his hand.

"It's working hours, she has to work, because I pay her not for nostalgia, if you want a reunion, you should wait until she finishes working."

Both of them only sighed when Darren walked to open the door to drive them smoothly. Daffa knew, indeed, it was now working hours, rather than arguing with the stubborn Darren, Daffa chose to pat Rendy's shoulder and affirm what Darren had said.

"I can't believe you did this to me." said Rendy resignedly passing Darren to get out of the room.

"And the owner of half of this company." said Daffa behind Rendy.

Darren just smiled responding to the words of both of them.

"Rendy and I will wait for you downstairs." said Daffa before Darren actually closed the door.

Mikaela did not say a word. She could only bow while linking his two index fingers when she heard the sound of the door closing again.

In this room, it is just the two of them. She is with Darren. Just thinking about it makes her nervous.

"Come here." Darren called Mikaela to come closer to him who was already sitting on the sofa while sipping his champagne while Mikaela was lost in thought.

Mikaela hesitantly approached Darren. "Wh ... what's up sir?" she asked awkwardly. The first sentence as well as the first question posed by Mikaela after all this time. Mikaela should have hugged him while saying if Mikaela missed Darren.

"You always have a lot of heroes. It makes me sick." Darren shook his glass while looking up at Mikaela.

Mikaela was silent, still without staring at Darren who had risen and walked towards her. Darren stopped right in front of her.

"What is your name?"

"Mika..ela."

"Ah, yes, my mouth is unable to say that name again."

Mikaela's chest was crowded with Darren.

"You look so dirty, tell me what happened, why did you get to be in Paris huh?" Darren walked away from Mikaela, approaching the glass window that showed a view of the super busy city.

Mikaela still held her position, hearing the word 'dirty' has really shaken her.

"I heard your father went bankrupt. Where did you get the money to go and continue your studies in Paris?"

"......"

"Are you selling yourself?"

"......"

Darren laughed, then sucked his champagne again.

"I'm very sure you sell yourself. What is your price?"

"....."

"I'll pay double to sleep with you." Darren approaches Mikaela again, he puts her hand in his pants pocket. The other hand still holds the glass.

Mikaela's chest rumbled, how could Darren say such a cruel thing to her. Her hands clenched and seemed to cry, but she held it hard and did not want to cry in front of Darren..

"But I think your price is surely cheap? Because ... well ... you look ..." Darren watched Mikaela from bottom to top. "Very neglected."

"....."

"I understand, after your father left you and became poor, surely you cannot pay for your treatment."

"....."

Darren drank his champagne again until he finished, then placed the glass he was holding onto the table and looked back at Mikaela, putting both of his hands in his pants pocket. It was a habit that Darren could not break long ago.

"How much money do you need, just say it."

"....."

"I will pay whatever you want to be my prostitute, before marriage I feel like I want to play around with a cheap girl a little."

Mikaela swallowed hard, before opening her eyes and staring at Darren in her eyes.

"Sorry sir, this is work hours. I have to work, because you pay me not for nostalgia, if you want a reunion about my past, you should wait until I finish working."

After saying that, without waiting for a reply from Darren, Mikaela left the room. Her heart could not hear the humiliation that Darren said to her.

Mikaela wiped her tears when she got to the toilet. Sick. That's all she could feel now. She took as much toilet paper as she could to clean the remaining drops of running water in her cheek. She did not want anyone to see her cry except for two women who had just entered the toilet. Looking at her with a curious look. She will return to Lina to learn what she must do later if Lina has left this company.

Mikaela could not meet Tiwi, because Tiwi worked on different floors with different divisions. Even though Mikaela really wanted to go see and tell her what had happened. And another one that gives her a headache. She owes an explanation to Daffa and Rendy about how she could work in the Darren’s  company.

***

Break time has arrived. Mikaela decided to go see Tiwi before going to the canteen for lunch. Tiwi invited her to eat at the small cafe where they met yesterday.

Mikaela's cellphone rang, the call came in from Rendy. She forgot that Daffa and Rendy were waiting for her , because Mikaela was very busy working on her first report, which she really wanted to do perfectly.

After speaking a bit to Rendy, Mikaela closed her cellphone again.

"Who is that?" Tiwi asked curiously hearing Mikaela's conversation.

"Rendy."

"What is wrong?"

"He is waiting for me here."

"What? Is he here?"

"Yes, he is with Daffa."

"You're really lucky, Mikaela, you have two angels who will solve your problems."

Mikaela rolled her eyes lazily. "They are my problem now."

"Didn't you tell them you were here."

"I haven't told them at all."

"So who did that?"

"Maybe Aunt Salma."

Mikaela and Tiwi walked a little fast towards the lobby of the building, Daffa and Rendy were waiting for Mikaela there.

"Hi Daffa, Rendy, are you all well?" Greet Tiwi when she saw the figure of Daffa and Rendy who were standing with their backs to them.

Hearing the little familiar shrill voice made both of them turn around.

"Hey Tiwi, I'm fine, how are you?" Daffa answered and returned to asking the same question.

"How about we talk somewhere else. I can't wait to hear someone's reasons." Rendy teased.

"The food at the cafe next to the office is quite tasty, even though the place is simple, but I'm sure you won't get stomachaches or poisoning if you eat it." invited Tiwi.

Daffa agreed with a smile, followed by Rendy. They ddin’t need a vehicle to get to the cafe.

They chose to sit in a slightly hidden inner seat, because they wanted to get privacy.

"Not bad either." Rendy commented on the interior of the cafe, which was filled with people from Darren's office.

Waiters came to them to take orders. Daffa and Rendy only ordered black coffee and some cakes offered by the waiter, while Mikaela and Tiwi ordered the office employees' mainstay of juice and lunchboxes.

After gettng the order, the smiling lady waitress finally left before them.

"So, explain to me. And what did he say to you inside?" demanded Rendy afterwards.

"It's a long story. He only tells me what my job is." lied Mikaela.

"I have plenty of time to listen to Mikaela." Daffa put his hand on the table and looked at Mikaela closely.

Mikaela was getting more awkward when the two men in front of her looked at her with the view that they were ready to explode.

"Don't be mad at me, I don't know why I can work with him, because I thought at first I worked and applied for Mr. Leo's company, but apparently he brought me here, I didn't know that I had to work at Darren's company." Mikaela said that with one breath.

"Mr. Leo?" Rendy made sure.

"Do you know him?" asked Daffa.

"Of course, I've met him twice." Rendy answered. "He delivered you?"

Mikaela nodded. She decided to tell Rendy and Daffa everything.

After hearing that, Rendy seemed to think. Likewise Daffa.

"Get out of there." Daffa murmured blankly at the mineral water on the table. "I will pay compensation for your contract."

"No." Mikaela shook her head. "I already said I don't want to accept anything from you."

Mikaela then turned her gaze to Rendy. "And also from you."

"But, you work with Darren, Mikaela, this is Darren." Daffa remained determined to force Mikaela.

"He'll pay me twice as much."

"Work in my company, I'll pay you five times more." said Rendy.

"I'll do it then." Tiwi said quickly.

Rendy glared at him, giving the code to keep Tiwi quiet because they were talking about something important. Tiwi can only poke.

"I'll deal with it, you guys don't overdo it as if he would kill me, after all we were close friends at first. I'm sure I'll be fine." said Mikaela, smiling.

"You will be fine, Mikaela, but your heart? Are you sure you will be okay?"

"Daffa, you know not that I'm not a weak girl? I once fell into a very deep hole, and I can deal with it. Now I have you, I feel better, I must be fine."

"Okay, but if something happens to you, I won't stay still." said Rendy.

"You really are a good brother. But don't think bout bad things, I'm just working. And I'm hungry, let's eat." Invite Mikaela to see the food that has been served on the table.

"I have a bad feeling ..." murmured Daffa who could only be heard by Rendy because Mikaela was having chat with Tiwi.