Chapter 8 : The Trap Backfires
1974 Words
After Raka was officially demoted at the company, his life quickly spiraled out of control. The man who once flaunted his position with arrogance now struggled to even lift his head in front of colleagues. The whispers about his affair with Livia had reached the higher-ups, staining his reputation beyond repair.
At home, things were even worse. His family, who had long relied on Aruna as their “source of fortune,” finally tasted what it felt like to lose everything.
Anisa, Raka’s younger sister, was the one who suffered the most. She had always lived in luxury—latest phone, branded bags, hanging out at fancy cafés. All of it, directly or indirectly, came from Aruna’s money.
Now, her tuition was stuck. Raka could no longer pay her semester fees, and even the rent for her small apartment near campus was piling up.
At first, Anisa tried to pressure Raka.
“Mas, I don’t care how you do it. I need my tuition money! Do you want me to look like a fool at campus?!” she snapped one night.
Raka just sat there, face tired, gulping down his liquor.
“I can’t even survive myself, Nisa. Don’t expect anything from me anymore. Deal with your own life,” he barked back.
That night broke their bond. Anisa, who had always gotten what she wanted, suddenly felt like the world was crumbling. But instead of adjusting, she refused to lower her lifestyle. She still wanted the luxury, the status, the spotlight.
And that was the start of her downfall.
Anisa got close to a wealthy older man known as “Uncle Herman,” a property businessman who collected young women like trophies. At first, it was just allowances, expensive handbags, and tuition fees. But slowly, she gave in, becoming his mistress just to keep her glamorous lifestyle.
On campus, she barely showed up anymore. People started whispering when she arrived in different luxury cars, from sports cars to a brand-new apartment she suddenly moved into.
Even her relatives couldn’t stay quiet. Their mother cried when she heard the gossip.
“Raka, you’ve ruined this family. If only Aruna was still here, your sister wouldn’t end up like this. She’s not a bad girl, but because of you, she’s lost her way!” her mother yelled one night.
Raka stayed silent. Deep inside, shame was eating him alive. He knew too well—if only he hadn’t betrayed Aruna, none of this would have happened. Now, not only was he destroyed, but his whole family was falling apart with him.
Meanwhile, the rumors about Anisa being Uncle Herman’s mistress eventually reached Aruna. She didn’t gloat, but she couldn’t hide the bitter irony.
“What a pity… but this is what happens when greed controls your life,” Aruna muttered as she scrolled through her phone, seeing gossip articles about Anisa.
For Aruna, it wasn’t about revenge anymore. She was already moving forward, rebuilding her life with dignity and hard work. While Raka’s family kept falling, she was rising higher.
Aruna’s name was shining in the interior design world. Her old clients kept recommending her, praising her professionalism and creativity. New companies even lined up for big projects.
But Aruna’s success became poison to Livia.
“No! She can’t outshine me! I should be the one in the spotlight, not her!” Livia hissed at her reflection while fixing her makeup.
Soon after, an anonymous article spread online, accusing Aruna’s design studio of being a scam, claiming she stole credit and delivered poor results.
Livia smirked as she watched the comments. “Yes… fall, Aruna. People will believe this.”
But her hopes were crushed in just hours.
One by one, Aruna’s loyal clients defended her in the comments.
> “Nonsense! I worked with Aruna, and the results were perfect.”
“Totally false. Her team works with heart and details.”
“If she was that bad, why would I sign a long-term contract with her?”
The so-called smear campaign backfired. Netizens started mocking the article.
“Smells like jealousy.”
“Such a cheap trick.”
“This must be someone close, too bitter to move on.”
Livia clenched her jaw in rage. “Why does it always fail?!”
Fueled by anger, she called Raka.
“Come to my apartment. Now.” Her voice trembled with rage and obsession.
Half drunk, Raka staggered his way to her place. The moment he saw Livia in her thin silk dress, desire overtook him.
He pulled her into his arms, devouring her lips like a starving beast. Clothes were tossed aside, and soon, the room was filled with ragged breaths, skin against skin, a mix of anger, lust, and desperation.
By the time the night ended, Livia lay exhausted in Raka’s embrace, but her mind was still burning. She wasn’t done.
The next day, she made her move.
---
Bandung’s traffic was heavy as people rushed home from work. In the northern part of the city, Aruna’s new modern minimalist house stood proudly. She had left the cramped apartment behind, choosing this place closer to her parents.
Life was finally stable. After all the heartbreak, she found peace again—working hard, and spending weekends with her two loyal friends, Cika and Tania.
But somewhere else, Livia’s jealousy festered like poison.
“She doesn’t deserve this! She needs to fall—harder than I ever did!”
Livia picked up her phone and called a tattooed thug.
“I’ve got a job for you. Easy money. Make a little ‘accident’ for a woman named Aruna. White car. Make it look like a robbery. Scare her. She needs to learn a lesson.”
The men grinned, taking the cash. But they didn’t know—they were walking into a trap of their own.
---
That night, Aruna drove home from her studio. Her white car rolled smoothly through the quiet streets. Suddenly, a motorcycle cut her off. Two men in helmets banged on her window with a metal bar.
“Get out! Hand over your stuff!” one shouted.
Her heart raced, but she kept calm. They didn’t know her car had a 360-degree dashcam linked to her studio’s server. Everything was recorded.
She pressed the SOS button on her steering wheel.
“Emergency signal active. Police are on their way,” a calm operator’s voice echoed through the speakers.
Panicked, the thugs tried pulling her door, but it was locked. Aruna blasted her horn, drawing neighbors out. Spooked, the men fled.
When she finally got home, trembling, Cika and Tania rushed to her side.
“Na, are you okay?!” Tania hugged her tight.
“I… I almost got robbed,” Aruna whispered, shaken.
Cika fumed. “Unbelievable! But thank God you’re safe.”
The next day, police came with the dashcam footage. The men’s faces were exposed. They caught one, and his phone revealed shocking evidence.
The name that kept coming up was Livia.
That night, sitting with her friends on the porch, rain falling softly, Aruna sighed.
“I never wanted this. I just wanted peace. But some people can’t stand seeing me happy.”
Cika squeezed her hand. “Na, you’re not alone. You’ve got us.”
“And remember,” Tania added, “karma always comes back.”
Aruna stared into the dark street, determination burning in her eyes. The real war had just begun.
---
Months later, police called her in.
“Ms. Aruna, we caught the men who tried to hurt you. They confessed. And the person behind it… is someone you know.”
Aruna froze, her heart skipping.
“Who?”
The officer flipped a page.
“Livia.”
It felt like a thunderbolt.
“Livia… again?”
Across town, Livia was sipping coffee at a fancy café, thinking she had won. But her phone rang with a chilling warning.
“Livia, be careful. The cops know. They have your name.”
Her face drained of color. For the first time, real fear gripped her chest.
Livia froze for a long time after ending the call. Her hands were shaking, the coffee cup nearly slipping from her grip. Her face had gone pale—nothing like the confident woman she used to be.
“No… no way they found out this fast,” she muttered, panic rising in her chest.
She grabbed her bag and rushed out of the café. Every step felt heavy, her eyes darting nervously. It felt like everyone on the street was staring at her. Every police siren that echoed from a passing motorbike made her heart jump out of her ribcage.
The second she reached her apartment, she snatched her phone and dialed the only person she thought she could rely on—Raka.
“Raka… please, help me.” Her voice trembled, almost breaking into sobs.
Raka, who had just woken up from a drunken sleep, frowned. “Livia? What’s going on?”
“The police… they know! They mentioned my name! I… I could end up in jail, Raka! Please, do something!”
Raka stayed quiet for a few seconds. He rubbed his messy face, head still pounding from last night’s drinks.
“Livia, I can’t even help myself. What the hell do you expect me to do?!” he barked, his voice hoarse.
Tears rolled down Livia’s cheeks. “Raka, if I go down, you go down too. Did you forget everything we did together? Did you forget I was the one who always picked you up when you ran away from your problems?!”
Her words hit him right in the gut. He knew she was right, but things had already spiraled too far. His reputation was ruined, his family was in pieces, and now the police could come for them at any moment.
“Then… let’s just run. We can disappear—Jakarta, Bali, or even abroad. We can start fresh somewhere else,” Livia pleaded, her eyes filled with both fear and desperate hope.
Raka let out a long, bitter sigh. “Run? With what money, Liv? I don’t even have cash to buy a damn bus ticket. You think we can make it that far? We’re cornered. Dead end.”
Livia bit her lip, thinking hard. “Om Herman… I can still ask him for help. He’s got connections. He can pull me out of this mess. But you have to stick with me, Raka. Don’t you dare leave me alone in this.”
The mention of that name made Raka’s blood boil. “Om Herman? So you’d rather go running to your sugar daddy than rely on me?!” His voice thundered.
What Livia didn’t know… was that Raka’s own sister, Anisa, had already become Om Herman’s mistress.
“Raka! This isn’t about jealousy! This is life or death!” Livia screamed, almost hysterical.
Silence followed. Only their heavy breathing filled the line.
Finally, Raka shut his eyes. “Fine. If that’s the only way, then do it. But remember this, Liv… once we step into this deeper mess, there’s no way back.”
Livia swallowed hard, staring blankly out the window. Rain was pouring down outside, as if the sky itself was warning her: the path she was about to take might lead to a dead end.
---
Meanwhile, Aruna had just received an update from the police. They already had enough evidence to arrest Livia. It was only a matter of time.
Back in her apartment, Livia packed a small suitcase with clothes and jewelry. Inside her head, a single thought echoed: I won’t lose. I won’t let Aruna win.
But what she didn’t realize… was that every single move she made was already being watched.
The escape she dreamed of… was nothing but another trap waiting for her.
- Writer
