C3 She Agreed

A woman in her 60's seemed to enter a luxurious residence whose front yard was surrounded by various plants and neatly spread green grass.

That woman was Amalia, Rifki's biological mother.

It had been two weeks since her daughter-in-law left, Amalia regularly came every morning to deliver special breakfasts for her son and her grandchildren. Amalia stepped into the living room and took out a paper bag containing some healthy food. Amalia arranged it on the table neatly while waiting for Rifki to come down for breakfast.

Usually her second son would come down at exactly seven o'clock. From the stairs, Resha walked closer to the dining room. Instantly the scents of cooking wafted into the senses of smell. She approached Amalia with a feeling of laziness.

"Since when Mama arrived?" She asked bluntly. Resha pulled a chair and sat there. Amalia glanced over. The relationship between the two was not good because Resha's attitude was always cold to her mother-in-law, even though Amalia's attitude was inversely proportional to her.

"Since you left without news, mama has always been here to prepare breakfast for my son and grandchildren," Amalia replied flatly without looking at her daughter-in-law.

"Oh," Resha replied curtly.

"But, it seems that Mama doesn't need to come anymore, because now I have come and I am here. There are also servants who can prepare breakfast for our family, so Mama doesn't have to bother with our family matters. Rifki isn't at home anyways," Resha said annoyingly.

Amalia who could not stand it finally glared. "Where did Rifki go? Did you two fight again?" Amalia asked curiously. Rifki never went anywhere, until he did not come home. Amalia felt something strange happened.

"Don't interfere in our business, shouldn't there be other son that Mama should pay more attention to," Resha saidagain.

Amalia was silent then she took a deep breath. "If you mean Budi, he and his wife are independent, doing things on their own, without the help of others. Unlike Rifki, if his wife leaves, he will be crushed to death."

Resha stomped the table then glared with disapproval. "Is Mama being sarcastic on purpose?" she asked coldly.

"Mama doesn't need to insinuate anyone, on the contrary, you are an adult, you should be able to be kind to your children and husband, don't always go out with your socialite friends who don't have much benefit," Amalia said at length made Resha angry.

"Mama has no right to interfere in my business and Rifki." Resha squeaked disapprovingly.

"If only you would take good care of your family, mama wouldn't have bothered to come here and intervene. Got it?" Amalia glared sharply.

"So you're blaming me alone? Isn't that Mama's son also doesn't have time for us?" Resha said not accepting being cornered just like that. From the direction of the stairs, a teenage girl and her sister who were still in blue and white uniforms came down with their faces bent. Early in the morning they had to witness the quarrel between his mother and grandmother.

"Can you guys not fight this early in the morning, it just spoils my mood," she said with pouting lips. Her name Nadia, a second year high school student.

"Yeah, Grandma and Mama always don't get along," her brother said, Arka. The two women from different generations then immediately fell silent and stared at each other, without another word. "Come on, you guys have breakfast first," Amalia said, welcoming the two warmly.

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On the way back to his house, Rifki still remembered the words he said to Mesya some time ago. Rifki smiled, feeling that his behavior was beyond his senses. How could he asked the girl he had just met to be his wife. Really ridiculous thoughts and words according to him. Because in fact, polygamy was not in the dictionary of his life. But if fate wanted so, then he would follow his heart. Especially considering Resha's recent attitude which had been too outrageous to ignore him. Not once or twice did he asked for an explanation by speaking from heart to heart, but it was as if Resha's heart and mind refused to really talk to him.

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The sound of the engine roared from the yard, followed by the owner who went straight to his house. Rifki saw his family sitting at the dining table with a face that was difficult to interpret.

"Hey you guys, ready to go to school." Rifki kissed the foreheads of his two children. "but hey, why is your face bent like that?" Rifki asked surprisedly.

"That's because Grandma and Mama had a fight this morning, Pa," Arka argued to his father.

Rifki then glanced at his wife and his biological mother, whose faces showed disapproval. Rifki himself was reluctant to ask further because he already knew that the two of them often quarreled and did not get along even over trivial things.

"Alright then Papa who takes you both to school today, okay?"

"Really, Papa?" Nadia asked who immediately smiled, as did Arka.

"I'm not lying." They both nodded happily.

"Yes...!"

"You guys wait in the car, okay, papa talk to Grandma for a while." Nadia and Arka nodded not wanting to interfere in their parents' business.

"Finish your business immediately, Mama already old, soon to die, I'm so dizzy when sees you both like this," Amalia said as she sat looking at her son and daughter-in-law.

"Okay, Ma. After dropping off kids to the their school, we would talk. And I asked Mama not to go home yet." Rifki looked at Amalia and Resha in turn. Resha herself only glanced briefly then focused on her cellphone. Even though she already had an appointment with her socialite friend, the time had to be postponed because she saw her husband's serious face.

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It only took twenty minutes back and forth to his kids's school. Finally Rifki returned to his house impatiently.

In the living room, Amalia and Resha were waiting. The two of them remained silent without speaking. Every now and then Resha smiled while texting with her friends, surely it was discussing branded bags and the latest dresses and hot gossip, whatever it was that made Amalia just shake her head at Resha's inappropriate behavior.

Rifki sat on the single sofa, looked at Resha, telling his wife to keep her cellphone for a moment. "So what do you want to talk about, Rifki" Resha opened her voice.

Amalia, who was sitting on another sofa, nodded curiously.

"Frankly, there are many things I want to ask. One of them is about our relationship which seems cold lately. If I may ask, why do you always avoid me, Ma?" Rifki looked at his wife. Resha did not expect, in front of her own mother-in-laws, Rifki asked. It was not a good thing for her because it will increase Amalia's hatred for her.

"You always avoid me when I talk to you, you neglect your duty to the children, you neglect me, you no longer care about my inner needs, you even go with your friends abroad without saying permission to me. And the peak was last night, you lowered my pride. By telling me to fuck a bitch. Why, Ma?" Rifki froze, staring intently, his jaw clenched, as the peak of his annoyance.

Right now he needed a clear answer. As a normal man, Rifki felt that his pride had been wasted by the woman he had married for 10 years. "Answer me, Ma." Rifki was annoyed, his hand brushed the hair coarsely.

Meanwhile, Resha, who was looking at him, was silent. This made Rifki's heart even more filled with deep disappointment. Amalia, who also heard it, closed her mouth in disbelief. "What do you think of my son, Resha, that you leave your obligations?" Amalia asked quietly. Why at her old age, she still had to listen to the problems of his son and daughter-in-law.

"You want to know, Rifki. I used to adore you, love you with all my heart, and try to be a good wife to you. But, you changed. You care more about your work than me and my children. You prefer to spend your time at the office than at home. I'm bored, I'm annoyed, I'm disappointed, Rifki. I need a husband but he's always a workaholic. Then now, you talk as if I was the one in the wrong. You have to think it, think." Resha said excitedly. What has been kept in his heart all this time has come out. Resha felt satisfied.

Rifki looked down. He did not dodge. That was the truth. But he also had his reasons. Job demands can not be ignored. "Then what do you want now?" Rifki asked again. He took a deep breath.

"You can remarry, or whatever it is, whatever. What is clear is that everything will no longer be the same. I also don't want to divorce considering the physical and mental health of the children," Resha replied resignedly.

"Are you sure about your words?" Rifki asked again to make sure. Resha nodded confidently, then stood up and prepared to leave.

"I'm not going to get in the way of whatever you want, Rifki. Because I know you need something that I can no longer give."

"Are you sure?" Rifki stood up, grabbed his wife's arm. Resha nodded again.

"I'm 44 years old, and I don't feel like having sex anymore. Meanwhile, you, I know you a. So it's best if you remarry."