That afternoon, Lilia was called by Harold Satria, her manager. Harold asked her to come to the agency's office to discuss a few things.
Lilia immediately changed into a white cotton shirt with a pastel linen skirt that reached her knees. She completed her look with a wide-brimmed hat that matched her skirt.
When Lilia arrived at the agency office, she ran into Rina. The woman glared at Lilia as she walked away. Her angry expression looked scary, but she didn't say anything to Lilia. In an instant, the woman with a bright red face got into a white Jaguar and sped away.
Lilia guessed that Harold also called Rina to the office regarding their fight last night. The commotion made them a viral topic on the internet, especially because the name of a famous actor William Anggara was mentioned.
When Lilia entered her manager's office, the man wearing the checkered shirt immediately put out his cigarette. He stood and opened the window for the fresh breeze to blow away the suffocating smoke.
"I ran into Rina and she looked angry." Lilia opened the conversation while sitting in front of Harold, "Did you just reprimand her?"
Harold sneered. "Because of her, last night's fight made the entertainment world noisy. Punishing her with reprimands was too light. So I also stopped two endorsement programs and canceled a supporting role contract on a television series that she got."
Lilia was shocked at the sanction, "Isn't that too heavy?" Not that she wanted to defend Rina, but she felt that such punishment was a bit harsh.
Harold shrugged, "Since a long time ago, the agency has forbidden anyone to talk about your past with William. But Rina broke those rules and even humiliated you in public! Who did she think she was? Of course, she must be prepared to accept the consequences of her actions!"
Lilia was secretly satisfied with Harold's explanation. Rina was the one looking for trouble with her, but she was hit by the same stone she first threw at her.
After Harold finished nagging about Rina, he finally remembered his reason for calling Lilia, "This is your flight ticket to Italy next month. Until Milan Fashion Week is over, I won't give you any work. Just focus on preparing. The agency will take care of your clothes, so you don't have to worry."
*****
Lilia left Harold's office feeling disappointed that she couldn't work to distract herself from this contract marriage. She turned down Harold's invitation to have dinner together, but now she didn't know where she was going.
Lilia thought about going home, but she was reluctant to face Sylvia's cold attitude at home.
Finally, she hailed a taxi and went to the nearest mall.
The shopping center looked quieter than usual, maybe because today was a weekday. Lilia headed to the biggest fashion shop in the mall. She planned to improve her mood by shopping.
Apart from that, Sylvia also told her to find new, nice clothes for their meeting with the Widjaya Family in three days. No matter how much Lilia hated this marriage, she couldn't cancel it. That was why she could only follow the wishes of her parents.
As Lilia walked in, it happened that the shop manager saw her. She immediately walked over to Lilia.
"Miss Lilia Pangestu! Welcome to our store!" The woman smiled broadly, "What clothes are you looking for today?"
When a famous model like Lilia bought her clothes here, the shop would reap huge profits from its popularity. The manager was determined to make a good impression on Lilia.
"Please show me your latest outfits!" Lilia instructed.
The shop's clerks immediately moved while the manager ushered Lilia into the changing room. After the clerks brought out a wide selection of clothes, Lilia picked a few to try on and entered one of the empty changing rooms.
While Lilia was trying on her first dress, she heard a woman's voice outside her dressing room.
"Will, do these clothes look good?"
Lilia held her breath as she recognized the voice.
There was only one person apart from Lilia who dared to use the nickname William Anggara so intimately–Sara Hartanto.
Lilia still remembered when William and Sara left Indonesia for a career in Hollywood. The two of them announced that they would not return until they became successful. Now that Lilia met them again in this shop, she cursed her entire plan to boost her mood earlier.
As Lilia froze in her dressing room, she heard William's voice.
"This dress suits you, Sara. You look beautiful in it." His voice was heavier and more mature than it was three years ago.
Lilia didn't know what to do. She was conflicted between sneaking out or waiting until Sara and William left the store.
She was so troubled that she did not realize how long she'd stayed there when she heard the store manager called, "Miss Lilia, is there anything I can help you with? Are you okay?" Asked the manager in a worried tone.
As soon as Sara heard Lilia's name, the smile on her face disappeared. She returned the shirt she had just tried. Her gaze moved to the closed changing room, then shifted to William.
In an instant, Sara smiled again, "Will, let's go to another shop. I don't like the clothes here!" She pampered as she took William's arm.
"Okay, let's go." William said while nodding casually.
Seeing William's calm reaction, Sara returned to a sigh of relief. The two of them left the shop without a word.
Meanwhile, Lilia remained silent in the dressing room until the sound of the two's footsteps faded. After making sure they were gone, Lilia finally came out of the changing room.
"Miss Lilia, are you alright?" The manager immediately approached Lilia and handed her a bottle of water. He was regretful of his carelessness.
The manager was aware of the rumors circulating about Lilia and William's breakup three years ago. He also heard the news that William Anggara had just returned to Indonesia. However, he never expected that the two of them would meet at his shop. Even worse, William was with his new lover.
Lilia just smiled at the manager and accepted the water bottle. She looked down at the clothes she was trying on.
"I want these clothes and the clothes I have chosen. Please send everything to my address."
The manager let out a sigh of relief that Lilia didn't blame him, "Fine, just leave it to us!"
*****
It was getting late when Lilia left the mall.
The full moon was hidden behind the clouds, but the light of the stars in the sky gave a peaceful feeling. Unfortunately, Lilia could not enjoy the night sky. She put on her sunglasses and walked quickly toward the highway. The woman just wanted to go home without seeing anyone again.
Sadly, her hopes were dashed when a tall man got in his way. The man's appearance was hidden by the darkness of the night, causing Lilia to take a hesitant step back.
"Lili." There was only one person who called him by that nickname. The man's deep voice sounded familiar to her ears.
The man came closer and Lilia could see William's figure more clearly. His athletic body was clad in a dark blue shirt. His black hair was neatly combed, flashing his smoothly crafted jaw. His gentle and romantic gaze always melted Lilia's heart back when they were still together.
However, that was no longer the case.
Lilia took a deep breath and straightened her back, "Long time no see, William." Lilia said in a flat, emotionless voice.
Lately, Lilia often imagined how she would react when she met William again. Would she be able to hold her anger toward William? Or would she just cry in his arms and forgive him?
Now that she faced her former lover, William's presence no longer evoked any feelings in Lilia's heart. Whatever feeling she had toward him that might have remained before had evaporated, vanishing with her tears last night.
William frowned at Lilia's cold attitude. He put on a sad face while trying to speak as softly as possible, "Earlier in the changing room, why didn't you come out and greet us?"
Lilia just smiled sarcastically, "Why do you want me to greet you? So you can introduce me to Sara?"
"Lili, it's not what you think. At first Sara and I ... "
"Enough!" Lilia immediately interrupted William's words, "I'm not interested in anything that happened between you and Sara. I have other things to do. So go ahead and leave me alone!"
Lilia walked past William without even glancing at him. Ever since that man betrayed her sincere feelings of love, Lilia vowed she would never trust William again.
William, on the other side, hadn't given up and grabbed Lilia's arm, "Lili. Please listen to me." He said pitifully as he pulled the woman closer.
Lilia lost her balance and hit William's broad chest. She could smell the fresh fruity scent–his signature scent–and also the strange perfume scent from his body.
Lilia glared at him and tried to push William away, but the man didn't budge.
"William Anggara, what exactly do you want from me ?!" She asked coldly.
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