My Cinderella Man

CHAPTER TWO

The days passed quickly since Raven arrived in Veniece’s life in the province. The once quiet, dark, and sad apartment slowly filled with life and laughter — even though Raven's natural clumsiness never really went away. For Veniece, the man's presence was a huge relief, especially now that she was in the sixth month of pregnancy. Her body felt heavy, she often vomited in the morning due to severe pregnancy cravings, and her legs frequently shook from swelling. But every time she woke up, Raven's face, filled with deep worry, was the first thing she would see.

One morning, Veniece woke up with a severe pain in her back. As she sat up on the thin foam mattress on the floor, Raven immediately came to her side, straight from the kitchen. He brought a glass of cold water and a bowl of hot rice porridge with a little ginger — a simple recipe he learned before from his late adoptive mother, Eloisa.

"Please be careful. Your back might get strained," Raven said worriedly while placing a pillow behind the woman's back to make her comfortable. "I made rice porridge. Our neighbor said last night that ginger is good for pregnant women like you."

Veniece looked at the rice porridge. Some parts of the rice were a bit burnt on the side of the bowl, but she saw the man's effort to serve her well. She took the spoon and ate a little bit. To her big surprise, the taste was just right this time — no MSG replaced the salt.

"In fairness, Raven, this is delicious," Veniece said with a smile, though there was a hint of teasing in her tone. "It looks like you have learned from your mistakes at the mansion. This does not taste like a bathroom cleaner anymore."

Raven scratched his head and smiled shyly.

"Of course, Veniece. I cannot be stupid forever. Especially now, we have a baby. I need to learn to be a good father and husband to you. That is why whatever household chore it is, I’ll learn it."

While Veniece was eating, Raven carefully sat beside her and gently held her swollen feet. Using his large but gentle hands, he began to massage his wife's legs. Veniece could feel the warmth of love from Raven's every touch. She looked at him — the man she used to look down on with a sassy attitude from her expensive car was now the one patiently taking care of her in a corner of a poor community.

"Thank you, Raven," Veniece whispered softly, while watching the serious face of the man focused on massaging her. "You know, sometimes, I wonder if it was right that I left everything. The wealth, the luxury, my position in the company. But every time I see you here, I realize that our life now has more value than that mansion full of fake people and selfish interests."

Raven stopped massaging for a moment and looked straight into Veniece's eyes.

"I should be the one to say thank you, Veniece. A beggar like me, you allowed me to be with you. The people at the mansion looked down on me. But now, no matter where we are, I feel like I am the richest man in the world because you are here by my side."

Those words from Raven brought a special touch to Veniece's heart. The man's innocent and pure heart became her strongest shield against fear and anxiety. In the past two months since they stayed together in that apartment, they slowly fixed their relationship.

This was no longer the relationship of a boss and her helper; this was now the foundation of a family ready to fight the waves of life.

After their breakfast, Raven decided to clean the whole apartment. He took the old broom and started removing cobwebs from the ceiling. Because of his height and strength, he finished the heavy chores quickly. However, his clumsiness would still show up at times. While he was wiping the top of an old cabinet, he accidentally bumped a plastic cup filled with coins, causing them to scatter all over the floor.

"Oh, cow!" Raven shouted in surprise as he quickly knelt down to pick up the coins.

Veniece laughed out loud while sitting on the sofa.

"Raven! You are really so clumsy, no matter when! Be careful, you might trip over your own feet!"

"Sorry! My hands are just too restless," Raven answered with a laugh while putting the coins back into the cup.

Despite those simple, playful moments, Veniece knew they faced a big challenge — finances. Her remaining money from her personal savings was slowly running out because of expenses for check-ups, milk for pregnant women, and the monthly rent for the apartment. She knew they could not just rely on what they had right now, especially since she was going to give birth in just two months.

"Raven," Veniece called seriously, causing the man to stop what he was doing. "We need to talk about our money. I am giving birth soon. The baby's things, the hospital payment, and the money to buy medicines, the cost of those is no joke. We need to find a way to earn money."

The smile disappeared from Raven's face and was replaced with determination. He walked close to Veniece and sat beside her.

"Don’t worry. I thought about that last night too while I could not sleep. First thing tomorrow, I will go out to look for a job. I saw a sign near the market last night, they are looking for laborers to carry sacks of rice in a big warehouse. My body is strong, I can do that."

Veniece wrinkled her forehead in worry.

"Are you serious, Raven? That job is hard. It is hot, heavy, and the bosses there might just abuse you because they know you did not finish school."

"Whatever it is, Veniece, I will take it," Raven answered firmly while holding his wife's two hands. "For you and our baby, I am ready to tire myself out. I am ready to bear the heat and the weight, as long as I know you are safe and have food to eat every day. Trust me this time, my wife."

The words "my wife" coming from Raven's mouth melted Veniece's remaining doubts. She nodded in agreement and leaned on the man's shoulder. At that moment, they felt the weight of responsibility, but their unity gave them the strength to keep going.

Raven prepared a simple dinner consisting of fried dried fish and boiled eggplant. While they were happily eating at the small wooden table, they talked about their dreams for their unborn child. Raven wanted the child to finish school so it would not experience the looking down he received from other people. While Veniece, on the other hand, promised to teach Raven how to read and write properly every night so he would have better self-confidence.

After dinner, Raven forced Veniece to rest on the foam mattress while he washed the dishes. When all the chores were done, Raven turned off the kitchen light and lay down beside Veniece. He carefully hugged his wife from behind, avoiding putting weight on her big stomach.

"Good night, Veniece. I love you and our baby so much," Raven whispered in the woman's ear.

"Good night too, Raven," Veniece answered before completely closing her eyes.

The first few hours of the night were peaceful. The sound of crickets outside was the only thing heard in the surroundings. The two were sleeping soundly, seemingly forgetting temporarily the threats of the past and the hardships of the future.

But that peace was suddenly broken in the middle of the night.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A series of loud and heavy knocks suddenly echoed on the old wooden door of their apartment.

Veniece quickly opened her eyes, her heart suddenly beating very fast because of fear and nervousness. Raven woke up immediately too, quickly stood up from the foam mattress, and blocked the front of Veniece to protect her. The knocking did not stop — it became even louder and seemed to have a sense of urgency, which caused extreme tension inside the dark room.

Who would knock on their door at this time of the night?

Have they been tracked down by the Chairman's men?