Taming The Cold-Hearted Man

Chapter 1

Larisa grew up well in the luxurious home of the Prasetyo Pamungkas family. All her needs were perfectly met. Nothing was lacking, neither materially nor emotionally. Pras and Tamara, her in-laws, treated Larisa like their own daughter. However, behind all of this, there was always a feeling that lingered in Larisa's heart. Even though she lived in comfort, she felt like an outsider in that house. All the kindness shown by Pras and Tamara couldn’t erase the feeling of alienation, especially when she faced Revan Pamungkas, her husband, who remained cold and indifferent her.

It had been a year since they married, but there was no change in Revan’s attitude. One could say that Revan seemed to harbor deep resentment, a grudge whose cause was unknown. Despite being legally married, Revan still didn’t show any warmth or even attention that should exist in a marriage.

Larisa stood by the pool, lost in thought, gazing at the calm water, but her heart was in turmoil. Tamara, her mother-in-law, approached her and gently tapped her shoulder.

"Revan again?" Tamara asked softly, her eyes full of concern.

"Em... Mom, I’m just surprised," Larisa answered, slightly startled.

She walked over to the table nearby and set down the glass with half a drink, then sat down. Tamara followed and sat beside her, looking at Larisa with affection.

"Did Revan hurt you again?" Tamara asked softly.

Larisa gave a faint smile, trying to mask her true feelings. "No, Mom. I’m just missing Mama and Papa," she said in a quiet voice.

Tamara could see the dishonesty in Larisa's eyes. While it was true that Larisa missed her parents, the real feeling in her heart was about Revan. Last night, Tamara had overheard a fierce argument between Larisa and Revan in their room.

"My dear..." Tamara reached for Larisa's hand and held it tightly, looking at her with understanding. "I know you must be tired of Revan’s behavior. But I hope you can continue to be patient."

Larisa lowered her head, her eyes staring at her two feet touching each other, overwhelmed with deep fatigue. It seemed impossible to conquer Revan, who was so cold and indifferent. Revan not only closed his heart but his emotions often erupted without warning. Once he felt disturbed, he wouldn’t hesitate to shout or even hurt Larisa’s feelings.

"Why did you marry me off to Revan?" Larisa asked after a long silence, her voice soft but full of doubt. "He already has a girlfriend, right, Mom?"

Tamara tightened her grip on Larisa’s hand. "I don’t like that woman, my dear. She’s not the right type for Revan."

"But they like each other, Mom. Isn’t it too much to force me like this?"

"You’ve been married for over a year now. It’s not excessive. It’s time for Revan to open his heart and eyes to you," Tamara replied confidently, though her own heart could not help but feel anxious seeing how the relationship had not improved.

On one hand, Larisa often felt confused. How could she have ended up trapped in this marriage? Even the reasons her mother gave weren’t satisfactory. "Because they didn’t approve of Revan’s relationship with his girlfriend," was the reason Tamara often repeated. Beyond that, this family seemed fine, but sometimes it felt like there were things that were kept from each other.

At the bakery where she worked, Larisa hung her bag on the wall hook and let out a long sigh. She wore an apron with a birthday cake print, the usual attire when serving customers.

"Still daydreaming?" Roy’s voice came from beside her.

"Hey, Roy. Just got here?" Larisa ignored Roy’s question and instead greeted him with another remark.

"Traffic," Roy replied, glancing at Larisa. "Have you had lunch?" he asked next.

Larisa nodded without saying much and walked toward the front area, where many customers were still busy despite the day nearing its end.

From where he stood, Roy observed Larisa’s back as she served the customers, his mind still filled with confusion. "I still don’t understand why you would marry that guy. He clearly already has a girlfriend," he said, his voice filled with curiosity.

"I’ll help," Roy came closer, grabbing a tray with pieces of chocolate cake topped with cheese and handed it to Larisa.

Larisa gave a faint smile. "This is for table number ten," she said as she took the tray from Roy.

This past year, Larisa often felt like she spent more time at the bakery than at home. Sometimes, she felt more comfortable here. Even though there was no soft bed like at home, she felt freer from the feeling of alienation. However, Larisa still had to go home to serve her husband, even though she knew it would never make her feel appreciated.

Suddenly, a woman bent down in front of the display case and asked Larisa to wrap a pandan cake.

Larisa quickly took the requested cake and placed it on the counter to wrap it. But when she looked up, her eyes met the gaze of a beautiful woman she didn’t know, but whose face looked very familiar.

"Oh, you?" the woman said, a bit mocking, looking at Larisa with a strange expression. "You work here?" The woman laughed softly, in a very rude manner.

Larisa tried to remain professional. "What would you like to order next, Miss?" she asked patiently as she put the cake into a plastic bag.

The woman clicked her tongue, the corners of her lips lifting in a cynical smile. "Must be that Revan doesn’t want to support you, huh?"

Larisa was taken aback but tried to remain calm. "Sorry, Miss. If there’s nothing else to buy, please leave. There are still customers waiting," Larisa responded in a soft tone.

The woman glared at her, then threw money on the counter harshly before leaving the store.

"She’s Julia, right?" Roy asked, standing beside Larisa.

Larisa nodded without turning. "Yes."

"Why would Revan date someone like that? Arrogant and impolite," Roy said with annoyance.

Larisa took a deep breath and quickly replied, "Don’t talk about other people, Roy. Just deal with those customers!"

As Julia left the store, she immediately got into the car with an angry expression, throwing the plastic bag with the cake into the backseat. Revan, sitting in the front, raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with you?" Revan asked, feeling a bit confused.

"Why didn’t you tell me your wife works there?" Julia started venting her frustration, her eyes glaring at Revan.

Revan casually answered, "You mean Larisa?"

Julia scoffed. "Oh, or did you plan to bring me to that shop because your wife works there?"

The argument continued, prompting Revan to decide to change direction and leave the place.

"Why didn’t you answer? So it’s true, you did it on purpose?" Julia kept complaining.

"Enough. We’ve been arguing about nothing every day. Soon, I won’t want to meet you anymore," Revan said flatly.

Julia fell silent for a moment, glaring at him. "What did you say? You don’t want to see me? Hey! I’m your girlfriend, can’t you pay attention to me?"

However, Revan kept his focus on the steering wheel, ignoring Julia’s words.