บท 29: One Billion Is Not Enough
After the dinner ended, Lilia went home first with her parents.
Jean accompanied James and Irene to wait for their pickup in the lobby of the Italian restaurant. Suddenly James said, "Jean, I think I know why you are attracted to that woman now. She really is different from other women!"
James never imagined that there would be a woman who could marry into a prestigious family like the Widjaya family but did not actually want a wedding. Instead, Lilia acted like she didn't want to marry Jean if given that choice.
Jean glanced at his eldest brother. They were almost the same height, so their gazes were level, "If you already know that, a billion dollars is not enough."
James's gaze turned irritated. What amount of dowry did she have to give until Jean was satisfied? Before James' anger could explode, Irene immediately patted James on the back to calm him down, "I like Lilia too, but I'm sure increasing her dowry won't make her happy."
"Jean, if you feel like that amount is still lacking, you can give Lilia whatever you want after you two get married." Irene suggested with a gentle smile.
Irene's proposal worked to ease James's annoyance and satisfied Jean's wishes.
"Thank you for your advice, Sis Irene." Jean nodded.
At that moment, the car they were waiting for finally arrived.
"Then, we'll go back to the mansion first. Jean, don't forget to stop by often, okay? After all, it's your home too." Irene said goodbye.
"Of course. Be careful on the road, sister." Jean immediately opened the car door for Irene. "... You too, brother." He added when James got into the car.
James shot his brother a hurtful look. Why would Jean act as if Irene was his real sister?
*****
All the way back from the restaurant, there was only silence between the three Pangestu Family members.
Lilia ignored her parents and continued to stare out the car window. The view of the city flashed before her eyes, but she could only see her mother's calculating smile and her angry gaze as Lilia refused to hold a wedding.
The only thing that comforted Lilia during the dinner last night was the warmth of Jean's hands. The man refused to let go of her hand until the dinner was over, as if he wanted to show that he was on her side.
Lilia kept thinking about that guy until she got home. As she followed her parents into the living room, Sylvia suddenly turned around and slapped Lilia with all her might.
Lilia's body staggered against the chair before falling to the floor. She could feel the sting of pain on her cheek and on the shoulder that hit the chair.
"Insolent child! How dare you embarrass me like that?!" Sylvia shouted loudly.
"Sylvia! What are you doing?!" Robert immediately stood in front of Lilia, protecting her from Sylvia's anger.
Sylvia pointed a finger at Lilia in a voice trembling with anger, "Robert, why are you siding with that ungrateful kid? Look what your daughter has done! And you! How dare you speak like that in front of the Widjaya Family!" Sylvia had completely lost control and made all the maids tremble in fear in the corner.
Robert sighed and put his arm around Lilia's shoulders. He carefully helped her daughter up, "Sylvia, no matter what, Lilia is still your daughter. She has agreed to marry for the sake of this family, so don't cause trouble again. Why don't you let her do what she wants?" Robert's voice sounded tired.
Sylvia slammed her handbag onto the table, "Oh, so now I'm the one causing trouble ?!" She shouted hysterically, "Let me tell you what's the problem here! The problem was that this ungrateful child intended to tarnish the reputation of the Pangestu Family! Hey, you son of a bitch! Look at me when I talk to you!"
Sylvia's gaze turned to Lilia. Her eyes were filled with deep hatred.
"Do you want everyone to know that you married into the Widjaya Family without a proper wedding party?! You're only satisfied when everyone is laughing at this family, huh?!"
Lilia stared at Sylvia's hysterical figure without saying a word. Her cheeks looked red and swollen, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.
She never expected that Sylvia would raise her hand on her.
No matter how cold Sylvia had treated her all this time, Lilia thought that she was still her mother. She thought that at least Sylvia still had some affection for her.
Today, Lilia realized that she was wrong.
Sylvia only saw her as a property that needed to be maintained in order to be sold at a high price. During this time, Sylvia had never seen Lilia as her daughter.
Lilia's throat caught and she pushed her father away before rushing out of the house. She could hear Sylvia screaming behind her, telling her to stop but Lilia ignored her. She kept running and running without looking back.
Hot tears fell down her cheeks and wet her dress. Lilia continued to rub her eyes in annoyance, but her tears refused to stop.
After running for a while, Lilia got tired and started to slow down. When she looked around, Lilia found herself in a city park that she used to visit as a child. As it was already late at night, she saw nobody around. In her black dress, Lilia's figure seemed to melt into the darkness of the park.
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