Coffee, Lies and My Student's Dad

Chapter 3: The Gilded Leash

Elara Dwijaya

The engine died. Silence rushed into the cabin, punctuated only by the rhythmic tick-tick-tick of the cooling metal beneath the hood.

My hands remained fused to the steering wheel. Gravity felt twice as heavy today, pulling at my spine, dragging my shoulders toward the floor mats.

The driveway of the Brawijaya house was hauntingly quiet. My father’s parking slot was empty—a common sight. He usually crawled home long after the rest of the world had surrendered to sleep.

Forcing my legs to move, I stepped out into the humid evening air. The wind caught my hair, tangling the strands I had spent all morning smoothing down. I reached the porch, but my feet stalled.

Perched on the side table was a bouquet of roses—yellow, white, and a sickeningly sweet shade of pink. It was large, expensive, and utterly arrogant. A wave of nausea rolled through my stomach.

I plucked the small card tucked between the petals.

“For Elara. Hope your day is as bright as you are. – Rei.”

There was no flutter in my chest. No blush. Just a long, jagged exhale that felt like sandpaper in my throat.

Click.

The front door swung open. My mother stood there, draped in a silk blouse, her hair pinned into a flawless chignon. The sharp, cloying scent of jasmine perfume hit me like a physical barrier.

"Ah, you’re back," she said, her voice smooth and devoid of warmth.

"The flowers are from Rei. Aren't they lovely?"

"I saw them," I replied, keeping my tone clipped.

Mother crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes, sharp as a hawk's, scanned me from head to toe, lingering on my wrinkled work skirt. Her expression hardened.

"We’re having dinner with the Darvians tonight. There are important matters to discuss. You’re coming."

My eyebrows shot up. My shoulders locked instinctively, as if bracing for a blow.

"Tonight? I’m exhausted, Mother. Can’t I... sit this one out?"

She clicked her tongue, a sound of pure disappointment.

"This is a crucial business partnership, Elara. The least you could do is be useful to this family for once. Unlike your sister who ran away."

Thwack.

The words didn't touch me physically, but the sting was real. My jaw tightened. Aluna’s name was always the ultimate weapon in her arsenal.

"If this turns into a conversation about an engagement, I’m leaving," I said, my voice vibrating with a sudden, cold defiance.

"I’m not a line item on a balance sheet."

Mother stared at me for a long time. I could see the explosion simmering behind her eyes, but she knew I wasn't bluffing.

"No one is discussing that tonight," her voice dropping into a faux-sweetness.

"Just show up, sit straight, and smile. Have some manners, Elara."

I looked down at the tips of my dusty work shoes.

"Fine. Just this once."

I grabbed the bouquet, not out of affection, but because it was blocking the doorway. I caught the faint, victorious curve of her lips as I brushed past her. I didn't say another word as I climbed the stairs, the flowers feeling like a ticking time bomb in my arms.

• • •

Blam.

The bedroom door shut, muffling the suffocating atmosphere of the hallway. I tossed the bouquet onto the vanity and collapsed onto the bed, still in my uniform.

The ivory ceiling stared back at me, indifferent. My thoughts were a tangled mess of lesson plans and debt collectors. I felt like a passenger on a train where someone else controlled the switches—forbidden from jumping off, forbidden from choosing the destination.

Aluna’s face flashed in my mind. My sister had nerves of steel. She had the courage to slam the door, choose the man she loved, and live a life that was 'dead' to our parents but vibrantly alive to her.

I was jealous.

"If only I had half her spine," I whispered into the silence of the room.

I squeezed my pillow tight, trying to hoard enough sanity to survive the next three hours.

• • •

Eight o'clock. Gunawarman district.

The restaurant screamed wealth. Polished black marble, a crystal chandelier that looked like a frozen explosion, and servers who bowed so low it felt performative.

I stepped out of the car, smoothing the ivory silk dress Mother had picked for me. The fabric was soft, yet it felt like a straitjacket.

"The Darvian family is waiting in the VIP suite, sir," the host said with a practiced smile.

My father nodded stiffly. We were led into a private room where the script was already written on the walls. Two separate tables. One large round table for the 'adults' and their business talk, and one small, intimate table for two.

Rei was already there.

My footsteps faltered. The separation was deliberate. Rei stood up, his dark blazer and white shirt crisp enough to cut paper. He flashed a wide smile—the kind that knew exactly how handsome it was.

"Good evening, Elara."

"Go on," Father said, patting Rei’s shoulder with forced camaraderie.

"Let us old men talk about boring business."

Mother shot me a look—a silent warning to behave.

"Don't pout. Smile," she hissed under her breath before gliding toward the larger table.

I dragged my feet to the smaller table and sat across from Rei. The oxygen in the room felt dangerously thin.

"Good evening, Rei."

"I’m glad we finally get to talk privately," he said, leaning in. His voice was low, trying to manufacture an intimacy that didn't exist.

A waiter placed appetizers between us. The silver clinked against the porcelain.

"Did you get the flowers?" Rei asked.

I focused on unfolding the linen napkin in my lap.

"I did. Thank you."

"I just wanted you to know... you’ve been on my mind constantly."

I reached for my water glass, my knuckles white.

"Rei, you really don't have to go through the trouble."

He shifted closer. The scent of expensive, masculine cologne drifted across the table.

"How can I help it? It’s hard to shake the image of your face from my head."

His hand moved across the tablecloth, fingers creeping toward mine.

Ssssh.

I pulled my hand back into my lap with lightning speed. My smile remained polite, but my eyes were ice.

"Sorry."

Rei retracted his hand, unfazed. He offered a knowing smirk, as if I were merely a child playing hard to get.

"It’s okay. We can take it slow."

The dinner crawled. At the other table, our parents laughed, their wine glasses clinking in a celebration of a deal I was the collateral for. Rei spent the hour cataloging his business wins, his new car, and his European vacations. I nodded in all the right places, a high-society puppet.

Finally, the torture ended.

Rei’s father, Rafael, stood up and patted his stomach.

"Rei, drive Elara home. We’re going to stay for coffee."

Mother winked at me.

"Get home safely, darling," she said, her voice so sweet it made my teeth ache.

Rei held out his hand.

"Shall we?"

I ignored the hand and stood up on my own.

"Thank you."

• • •

Inside Rei’s car, silence was the only passenger.

The streetlights of Jakarta blurred past the windows. I stared out at the passing motorcycles, counting them to avoid conversation.

"Elara," Rei broke the quiet.

I held my breath. Please, don't.

"I want to be honest tonight." He took a breath, sounding like he was delivering a keynote speech.

"I like you."

My stomach churned. I knew this was coming, but hearing it made me want to tuck and roll out of the moving vehicle.

"Rei..."

"I’m serious, Ela. I want us to be more than just... whatever this is."

Friends? We weren't even that. We were an acquisition.

I stayed silent. I wanted to scream a refusal, but my mother’s face and the threat of being 'useless' hovered in my mind. The car turned onto Senopati Street, passing the vibrant glow of cafes and high-end bistros.

"If you aren't ready to answer... that's fine," Rei added, his tone confident.

I gave a small, non-committal nod, my eyes scanning the sidewalk.

Suddenly, my heart skipped.

There, in the outdoor seating of a warm, industrial-looking cafe, was a face I recognized.

Dio.

He was sitting in a wooden chair, wearing a simple black t-shirt and a denim jacket. On his lap, Lyra was curled up, pointing at something on a tablet screen.

They were laughing.

The scene was so simple. So warm. It was the polar opposite of the cold, sterile car I was trapped in. It looked like an oasis in the middle of a desert.

"Stop the car!" I blurted out.

Rei jumped, startled.

"What? Here?"

"Yes. Pull over. Now. Please."

Confused, Rei hit the blinker and steered the car to the curb.

Click.

The moment the wheels stopped, I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed the door handle.

"I’m getting out here."

"Wait, Ela!" Rei opened his door, panic rising in his voice.

"I’ll come with you. At least let me—"

I turned sharply, my gaze cutting through him.

"No, Rei."

"But I’m responsible for getting you home!"

"Rei!" I cut him off, my breath coming in short bursts.

"I need time to think about what you said. I need to be alone. If you can't respect a simple request for space... then forget everything."

Rei froze. His jaw tightened, his ego bruised, but he eventually gave a stiff nod.

"Fine. But text me when you get home."

"Thanks."

Blam.

I shut the door. Rei lingered for a second before his car pulled away, leaving me standing on the sidewalk.

The night air hit my face. It was humid, but for the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe. My legs were shaking, but I forced them toward the warm yellow light of the cafe. My heart was hammering—not out of fear, but out of a strange, frantic hope.

As I got closer, Lyra’s laughter became clearer. Dio was stroking his daughter’s hair, a gesture so natural and full of love it made my throat tighten.

I stopped right at the edge of the outdoor railing. I was trembling.

"Ly... Lyra..." I called out softly.

Lyra looked up, her eyes widening. Dio turned as well, a small spoon still in his hand.

"Ms. Ela?"