Part 06 # Somebody from the Past

In the aftermath of a lengthy surgery, the boundary between reality and fantasy blurred for Lara. Encountering Olivia again reignited a deep-seated hatred, prompting a journey back to her college days.

Nearly a dozen years prior, Lara's relocation to Triguna Campus in Jakarta marked a significant shift after living with her aunt in Surabaya. Orphaned at a young age, Lara struggled to adapt, her unique appearance drawing both praise and bullying.

Despite being labeled beautiful, Lara saw herself as average, her mixed heritage making her an outsider. The bullying intensified, leading to a traumatic incident that resulted in her uncle transferring her to a new school.

***

"Lara, please join the Campus Queen contest, will you?" the class representative invited Lara at that time.

"Campus Queen?" Lara asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, beautiful girls like you will be competing to become the most beautiful student on campus," the representative explained.

"Um, no thanks. I'm not interested," Lara politely declined.

"Come on, you're the most beautiful student here. Our department has to win. This is part of the success program of the Language and Literature Student Union, please!" the representative persisted.

Lara felt conflicted. Should she agree or continue to refuse? Her past experiences, nearly becoming a victim of rape, made her hesitant. To her, beauty was just a superficial aspect, and she saw nothing special about herself.

"Hey! Yesterday you said I should join, why are you changing your mind now?" a woman in a yellow shirt and a denim mini skirt suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Oh! Olivia!" exclaimed the class representative awkwardly, realizing the interruption.

"You're so disloyal! I already registered earlier!" Olivia accused.

"Well, it's okay, isn't it? Whoever wins from among you will bring honor to the entire department!" the representative tried to mediate.

"Sorry, I just won't participate," Lara decided, but the class representative insisted.

"I promise to help you with the Indonesian literature assignment, really! You know, that subject is difficult? Especially for you, who was born and raised in Canada. You sure you don't need it?" the representative offered.

Lara hesitated, acknowledging the difficulty of the subject. She wanted help but hadn't found anyone to turn to yet.

"You promise?"

"I promise!"

"Okay. Fine."

Reluctantly, Lara agreed to the invitation, marking the beginning of her tumultuous relationship with Olivia.

***

After being chosen as Campus Queen, Lara's relationship with Olivia became more like hills and valleys. According to rumors, Lara stole her position as the winner of the 'Campus Queen'. She was also accused of winning the hearts of the coolest guys Olivia was interested in.

Of course, that guy wasn't Seno. That guy was a senior Lara rejected. She didn't like dating during college. Of course, before Seno came into her life, that is.

"Hey, look... your rival!"

Their enmity became a legend in the 2008 literature department. Since Lara became the winner of Campus Queen, Olivia became obsessed with competing with her in everything, especially in appearance. Olivia wasn't as smart as

Lara. Her GPA was always just 2.5. But Olivia was good at making friends and influencing them. Lara, on the other hand, was ostracized.

***

"Lara..."

She began to open her eyes after being unconscious for some time. Slowly, she heard someone calling her.

That voice. Her husband's voice. Lara just blinked, ignoring Seno's call. She really wanted to avoid him.

"Lara... forgive me," Seno said, kissing the back of her hand. Lara could feel his lips touching her, and she felt disgusted.

"Lara..." He called her again. She heard his voice trembling. Could it be that he finally regretted his actions?

"Uh..."

She just grumbled. It felt like her voice was hard to come out. Seno then smiled and moved closer to her face.

"Darling," he called again, this time his voice sounding close to her ear. She shivered.

"You must be in shock, huh? I'll make sure Olivia never comes to our house again, okay?" Seno kept babbling and bringing up the name of the woman Lara didn't want to hear about.

"Olivia is—"

"Stop."

Finally, Lara could speak. "Don't talk about her anymore. I'm disgusted!"

"I'm sorry..."

Seno began to stroke her head again, although Lara didn't want to. But she couldn't resist because she was still too weak.

Tubes and cables were still connected to her body. The sound of monitors and the special care from the doctor's team accompanied her healing process. She felt like a prisoner who couldn't go anywhere.

"What day is it?" Lara asked, trying to count how long she had been unconscious.

"It's Friday, darling. Why?"

"Where's Bi Yani?"

"Bi Yani... Uh..."

"Don't tell me you fired her!"

Lara tried to sit up with the anger she held back. If only Seno dared to fire her favorite maid. Then, she would make calculations with him.

"Bi Yani is resting. She's at home. Don't worry. Okay?" he said.

"You're lying!"

"I swear! I'm not lying. Be patient... we can check when we get home, okay?"

Lara tried to read Seno's expression, which seemed unchanged or nervous. It seemed he was speaking the truth.

"Fine..." She trusted him. She also didn't want to waste energy arguing with her husband.

"I'm sorry, darling. I made a mistake. This won't happen again," Seno said, referring to his cheating incident.

Of course, this apology was the umpteenth time, but this time it was different. Lara no longer suspected. She saw with her own eyes that he had an intimate relationship with his mistress. What wife wouldn't be hurt by that?

"It's okay, Seno. I don't care."

She turned away. She even felt disgusted when she saw her husband's face. She could remember how Seno and Olivia looked when they were in the peak of pleasure together, without caring about their location.

The boss and his promiscuous secretary didn't care at all about rumors or possible eyewitnesses who might see their intercourse.

Seno and Olivia weren't even shy about showing affection in the workplace, which should be full of formality and professionalism, not just lust.

Lara really couldn't understand. But, she didn't want to bother anymore. For her, Seno was just like a thorn, so tiny but hurt.