The Midnight Shuttle

Chapter 16 : Marni 2

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Marni and Pak Lurah grew closer than either of them had ever expected. At first, Pak Lurah had never intended to let his feelings become involved. Everything had begun as nothing more than an agreement—a sacrifice, a desperate attempt to fulfill the promise he had made to his wife. But Marni was unlike any woman he had ever met. She was intelligent, beautiful, and charming; every smile, every glance, every word she spoke seemed capable of capturing a man's heart. Little by little, Pak Lurah found himself falling in love.

Marni knew exactly what was happening, and she didn't stop it. Instead, she encouraged it. She deliberately drew closer to him, making sure he would never be able to forget her. Before long, the two of them were secretly meeting behind Mrs. Mirasih's back. Every stolen conversation, every lingering glance, only deepened the feelings growing between them. For Marni, this was no longer about becoming the mother of Pak Lurah's child. She wanted far more than that. She wanted him entirely.

One afternoon, while they met in a secluded corner of the estate garden, Marni gently slipped her hand into his. "When are we going to get married?" Pak Lurah looked at her with surprise. "I thought we'd agreed to wait." Marni lowered her gaze, her voice soft enough to stir his heart. "I don't want to wait anymore." She looked back at him. "I want to be with you as soon as possible."

The original plan had been to hold the marriage ceremony six months later. That would allow enough time to prepare the necessary documents and arrange a house in another city, where Marni would live after the wedding until she gave birth. Everything had been carefully planned from the beginning. But Marni no longer wanted to wait. She wanted the wedding brought forward. She wanted Pak Lurah to choose her completely.

Pak Lurah remained silent for a long moment. Then he slowly nodded. "I'll speak to my wife. I'll ask if we can move the date forward." A smile spread across Marni's face. She stepped closer and gently rested her head against his shoulder.

Neither of them realized that someone had already begun noticing the changes in Pak Lurah—and she was far too intelligent to ignore them.

Mrs. Mirasih noticed the change almost immediately. She knew her husband too well; for years, she had stood faithfully beside him, and a single glance was enough for her to sense when something was wrong. Recently, Pak Lurah had been smiling more often. He left the house earlier than usual, sometimes returning later than expected, and even when they were together, his thoughts seemed to be somewhere else. At first, she tried to dismiss it, wanting to believe she was simply overthinking, but the feeling refused to disappear.

One afternoon, after Pak Lurah left for the village office, Mrs. Mirasih quietly called Moko into the living room.

"Moko."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I need you to do something for me."

Moko lowered his head respectfully. "Anything."

Mrs. Mirasih hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I want you to find out where my husband has been going these past few weeks."

Moko looked slightly surprised. "But... Sir has been very busy lately."

"I know," she replied calmly. "That's exactly why I want to know."

She wasn't an impulsive woman. She never believed rumors without proof. If something was truly happening, she wanted to see it with her own eyes.

Several days later, Moko returned, his face unusually tense. Mrs. Mirasih immediately realized he had discovered something.

"What is it?"

Moko lowered his gaze. "I followed Sir as you instructed."

"And?"

He drew a slow breath. "He wasn't alone."

Mrs. Mirasih felt her heart tighten. "...Who was with him?"

Moko hesitated, then, almost reluctantly, answered, "Marni."

Silence filled the room. Mrs. Mirasih closed her eyes, saying nothing for a brief moment. She had prepared herself for many possibilities, yet hearing the truth still hurt far more than she had expected. She slowly opened her eyes again. There were no tears—only disappointment, only regret.

In the end, the greatest mistake had been her own. She was the one who had brought Marni into her husband's life.

Mrs. Mirasih didn't confront her husband, nor did she accuse Marni. Instead, she chose to think carefully. She understood better than anyone that her husband wasn't entirely to blame. After all, she had been the one who introduced Marni to him, the one who proposed the arrangement. If everything had gone wrong, then she, too, had to bear responsibility. That evening, she quietly summoned Moko once again.

"Moko."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I need you to bring Marni here tomorrow afternoon," Mrs. Mirasih said.

Moko looked puzzled. "Should I tell Sir?"

Mrs. Mirasih slowly shook her head. "No. I want to speak with her alone."

Moko lowered his head. "As you wish, Ma'am."

The following afternoon, Marni arrived at the mansion. Unlike her first visit, she walked through the front gate with quiet confidence. She already knew every corner of the estate—every hallway, every garden path. This place no longer felt unfamiliar.

Moko led her into the living room before quietly excusing himself. Mrs. Mirasih was already waiting, seated gracefully on the sofa, her expression calm as always.

"Please, have a seat."

Marni obeyed.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. The silence felt strangely heavy.

Then Mrs. Mirasih looked directly into Marni's eyes. "Marni. I know you've been meeting my husband behind my back."

Marni remained silent. There wasn't the slightest trace of guilt on her face. Instead, a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

In that instant, Mrs. Mirasih understood.

Long before death could ever turn Marni into a demon, f*******n love already had.

Mrs. Mirasih took a slow breath, her voice remaining calm—there was no anger, no shouting, no tears.

Instead, she spoke with the composure of someone who had already accepted the truth.

"I'll still give you the scholarship. You won't have to marry my husband. I'll pay for your education abroad, and I'll make sure your parents are taken care of as well."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"In return... I only ask one thing."

Marni remained silent.

"Stay away from my husband. Don't contact him. Don't meet him again."

The room fell quiet.

Mrs. Mirasih waited patiently for an answer.

Finally...

Marni smiled.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. We love each other."

Mrs. Mirasih lowered her gaze for a brief moment.

When she looked up again, her eyes were filled not with hatred...

But with pity.

"I know you're still young. I know your feelings are overwhelming. But believe me... in a year, those feelings will fade. That's why I'm offering you this chance. Leave for another country within the next month. Start a new life."

Marni slowly shook her head.

"I don't want anything else. I want your husband."

The smile on her face widened ever so slightly.

Mrs. Mirasih finally realized...

The innocent, brilliant girl she had once admired...

Had disappeared.

Standing before her now...

Was someone willing to risk everything for a f*******n love.

Mrs. Mirasih's expression finally hardened. "If you insist, I'll revoke the scholarship you won from the academic competition."

Marni's smile faltered for the first time.

Mrs. Mirasih continued calmly, "It hasn't been disbursed yet, has it? I can stop it. My father is a high-ranking government official. I can make your life very difficult, Marni. I can make sure you and your parents struggle. So think carefully. You have nothing to lose by accepting my offer."

Marni met her gaze without hesitation. "No. You were the one who made us fall in love."

Mrs. Mirasih let out a bitter laugh. "No. It wasn't me. It was the devil."

She slowly rose to her feet. "Leave my husband. You are not worthy of him. The only thing you have is a beautiful face... and I could take even that away in an instant. You're only a high school graduate. My husband will never choose a girl with so little education over his future. And don't dream about earning another scholarship. I'll make sure every door closes before you can reach it."

She stepped closer. "I am the only opportunity you have. Now... and in the future."

Marni clenched her fists. "I have Mas Miftah. He'll always stay with me. He'll always protect me."

Mrs. Mirasih looked at her with quiet certainty. "No. He won't. The moment I tell him to leave you... he will."

Silence settled between them once again.

For the first time since the conversation began, the tension between the two women became impossible to hide.

"I'll give him a child," Marni said, lifting her chin defiantly. "Unlike you."

It was the desperate protest of an eighteen-year-old girl who believed love alone could conquer everything.

Mrs. Mirasih suddenly laughed—not a gentle laugh, but one filled with quiet amusement.

"Marni... would you like to hear a wonderful secret?"

She stepped closer until only a few inches separated them, then leaned in and whispered, "I'm pregnant."

For a moment, Marni felt as if lightning had struck her. The color drained from her face, and her lips trembled.

"N... no..."

It couldn't be.

She knew Mrs. Mirasih had undergone countless fertility treatments. Marni had been certain none of them would ever succeed. That certainty was what had given her the courage to pursue Pak Lurah.

But now...

Everything had changed.

The treatment had worked.

Just as she and Pak Lurah had fallen deeply in love, Mrs. Mirasih had conceived.

The future Marni had imagined shattered before her eyes.

Mrs. Mirasih watched the disbelief on her face without saying another word. For the first time since they met that afternoon, Marni looked completely defeated.

But only for a moment.

She slowly raised her head again.

"I don't care."

Her voice was trembling, yet resolute.

"I'll stay by his side no matter what."

Mrs. Mirasih let out a quiet sigh. She had hoped Marni would come to her senses. Instead, the young woman standing before her chose love over everything else—even when that love no longer had a future.

Mrs. Mirasih looked at Marni for a long moment, then with an almost imperceptible smile said, "You know... all this time, you've only seen my kind side. You've never seen the other side of me. Would you like to?"

Before Marni could respond, Mrs. Mirasih strode toward the front door and pulled it open. "Get out."

Marni frowned. "Ma'am—"

"I said... get out."

There was no trace of warmth left in Mrs. Mirasih's voice—only authority, only cold resolve. For the first time since they had met, Marni saw the woman standing before her not as a gentle, compassionate wife, but as someone born into power, someone who had never lost a battle.

Mrs. Mirasih pointed toward the gate. "Leave. And don't ever come back."

A security aide quietly stepped aside, making no attempt to escort Marni home as he always had before.

Marni walked out of the mansion alone. She had no money, no transportation, no way to contact Pak Lurah. In those days, mobile phones were still a luxury few people could afford.

The long walk home felt endless, every step heavier than the last. Marni, the beautiful and brilliant young woman who had once dreamed of a bright future, was drowning in despair.

The whirlwind romance that had consumed her heart had begun to crumble after only three months. She had given Pak Lurah everything—her trust, her love, her future. She had believed she would become his second wife, the biological mother of his child, and one day replace Mrs. Mirasih entirely.

Instead, she was the one who had been cast aside.

Only now did she truly understand the woman she had challenged. Mrs. Mirasih wasn't simply the wife of a village head. She came from an influential and wealthy family. She had financed her husband's political career and helped build the businesses that made his success possible.

She was a formidable woman—one Marni could never hope to defeat.