Stealing The Wife's First Kiss

"Um… Aruna, what should I do?" He holds a ladle filled with water awkwardly, trying to wash his pants.

"Eh, you shouldn't do it like that!" Watching him cluelessly trying to wash his pants forces Aruna to enter the toilet and grabs the ladle.

"You are something else." Aruna looks at him weirdly, just knowing that she has made a mistake asking the young master from the Wenceslas family to wash his own pants. He doesn't know how to do it.

The woman pours water on her hands and tries to wash Hendra's pants with water and tissue.

"Can you find somewhere else to do 'it'?" A lady is looking at them sternly.

"I need to go to the toilet!" 

"What are you doing in the women's toilet?" She looks at Hendra pointedly.

"You guys are scumbag!" She grumbles while looking at them concernedly.

"Oh my God! ARUNA!!"

"Aaargh!" He glares at the lady with his deep blue eyes, trying to hold back his anger. Once again, Aruna manages to wound his pride.

"You are so careless!" He looks away angrily, just as Aruna does when she isn't in a good mood.

"I'm sorry… Don't be mad at me."

"Don't go near me, I'm sick of your face." The woman has the audacity to look so angelic, the face that persuades him to enter the public toilet.

"Eem… would you like to go to my house?"

"No!"

"My house is not too far from here. You can borrow my father or brother's clothes!" 

"Please, Hendra…"

The CEO taps his cheek, asking for something.

Aruna immediately moves away from him. She begins to feel sick. Men are all the same, they are shameless. Especially the man beside her.

Hendra turns to observe Aruna who is looking at the street, ignoring him. The man feels helpless.

"Umm… Aruna?"

The girl keeps her silence since the last time they talked.

_Did I force her?_

_Shouldn't I be angry? Why do I feel guilty now?"

The CEO of Wenceslas Group feels guilty and doesn't know what to do to ease the tension between them.

.

.

"Drop me here! I just need to book an OkJek (bike hailing app) from this intersection to reach my house."

"No, I will send you home. No more going home alone!"

Aruna turns to him with a glare as a sign that she doesn't want to compromise.

"Let's not end our meeting with a fight. Remember, we still have our pre-wedding shoot tomorrow."

_Ah, he is so wise_ But Aruna still doesn't want to talk to him.

.

.

The woman finally gets out of the car and runs to the gate of her house without even saying goodbye to Hendra.

"Why do you think she is angry?" Hendra is hopeless.

"Maybe she is having PMS, sir?" His staff offers some answers without knowing what exactly happens in the backseat.

"What is that?" Well, it's a hard question to be asked to a man.

What is PMS? Why is it dangerous? Men don't understand it but often use it as a reason.

"Maybe you should ask a woman about it because we also don't know. But, what we know is that when women get angry without a reason, usually it's caused by PMS." The answer is not as helpful as Hendra wants.

"Interesting, I will try to find out." The blue-eyed man ponders over it innocently.

***

Today is 9 days before the wedding will be held. But Aruna realizes that the family just acts as usual. Maybe because they don't want to cause any additional burden to the youngest daughter of the Lesmana family.

Both Aruna and her family don't want this wedding. They just prepare their youngest daughter for the wedding ceremony and party that the groom has planned.

These are the quiet days, not only for Aruna but also for the whole family. Her father can't even seem to look her in the eyes. And her mom hugs her more than ever and sometimes can't bear to be in the same room with her. Both of them feel guilty for their daughter.

"When both of you get married, don't force my daughter to do what she doesn't want to do." Her father continuously reminds Hendra.

Hendra is consistent with his answer, that he will take care of her well and won't do anything that she doesn't want to do. He knows that Lesmana is worried about his daughter.

"Now I am still tied to the agreement. But, after that, I will keep an eye on you." He threatens Hendra. And Hendra understands his concern. He tries to understand from Lesmana's point of view and he is now more patient.

***

On the pre-wedding photoshoot day, Aruna is surprised by what she saw. They are using the main house of Wenceslas as the venue for the photoshoot, specifically the garden that she has seen from behind the window in the living room.

There are a beautiful lake and magnificent trees. Some places are getting decorated. Hendra said that they will hold the wedding here. An outdoor ceremony attended only with family and close friends.

"How many people would you like to invite to our wedding?"

Aruna thinks over it for quite a long time, because honestly she never thinks about it.

"I don't know… Just ask Dad." She replies curtly because she doesn't know what to say.

"Your father's guest list has been added. We are waiting for you!" Hendra slightly frowns at her.

"I will invite my colleagues in Surat Ajaib, only 6 people."

"Sorry, I mean 5 people."

Damar wouldn't be able to come. Aruna has ignored his calls and Whatsapp messages. She is also suffering, but for now, it's best for both of them.

.

.

"Please smile, Miss." The photographer instructs, trying hard to take a photo of a smiling Aruna.

Aruna is in the middle of a lake on a raft boat filled with white flowers. She is wearing a wide, light flared red dress and looks like a newly bloomed flower. Beautiful, like a fairy who had just emerged from a flower or an angel, sent down from the sky.

Hendra's taste is always the best. But unfortunately, the sad protagonist ruins it all.

"Pull the raft, let me talk to her," Hendra instructs after seeing the failed pictures.

"Look at me! Why? Just tell me what's wrong."

"If you don't like it, we can change the concept." Hendra tries to persuade her.

"Huuh.." The girl just sighs. She dislikes everything because she doesn't want this marriage. But the blue-eyed man doesn't realize it at all.

"I want to drink."

"Grab her some water!"

When she gets the water, she drinks it slowly, as if trying to drown the misery she is feeling.

"Isn't it the consequences I have to bear? I will give my best." She asks to restart the photo session and does her best to smile. But everyone could see that she is forcing the smile.

"Sir, the result isn't as bad as before. Although it's not the best, it's the best that we can do for now."

_Ah, she has stressed out again_ Hendra just realizes that this wedding causes her burden as he looks at the result taken on the camera.

Hendra approaches the girl who is sitting on the portable chair under the tree.

"What are you thinking about?" 

"Are you afraid of me or this wedding?" The man asks the hard question directly.

Aruna keeps on silent.

"You can answer me. We rarely have the chance to speak our minds, right?"

Aruna looks at him.

"Both." She answers with a small voice.

"I thought so. Sorry, I have made so many mistakes. I will try to be better after this."

"What are you afraid of?" He asks curiously.

"Everything."

Her answer makes him smile bitterly.

"I think you think so lowly of me. You can mention what you dislike about me." The man cleverly looks at every nook and cranny to find the details that Aruna hides from him. Just as the way he interrogates his subordinates.

"Can I be honest?"

"Of course!" The blue-eyed man rests his elbow on the chair handles to support his head. He directs the gaze and his handsome face to Aruna.

Aruna is hesitant, she glances at him to build her courage.

"You are rude, grumpy, do everything just as you want, we.." The red lips are tempting him.

And before Aruna completes the sentence, the man forces his way to get what he wants and loses his cool.

"Uh, Hen…" Aruna tries to grab his head, pull his hair, and hit him. But the man doesn't budge. He pulls Aruna in his arms, making everyone stuns at their little antics.

"Haah.. haah…" Aruna's face is getting red with anger.

"Plak!" Aruna uses all her strength to slap Hendra.

And Hendra can't even get mad at her, because he knows he deserves it.

"I hate you! I really really hate you!" She can't tolerate this crazy CEO. She pushes him away, asking him to leave her alone.

"What if I told you that you stole my heart from the first time we met and made me crazy about you?"

"You are crazy!" Aruna pushes his chest. She is angry and determined not to hear any bullshit from him.

"Go away!" Aruna hits his chest.

"Can you give me a chance?" He is too focused to get what he wants.

"Go away from me! I don't want to see you!" Aruna hits him even harder.

She is uncontrollable, sobbing, and tries to hit him harder. She is too tired to see the blue-eyed man who has robbed her of her youth. Three months ago he came to bring the contract of the arranged marriage and now he is spitting bullshit and forcing her to do what she doesn't want.