REBORN RICH WITH A SYSTEM

Chapter 8

Raven continued to cradle Laila's body. He stroked the faded, healed scars, then gently kissed them.

"Forgive me. From now on, I won't let you get hurt ever again."

Finally, Laila opened her eyes. She saw Raven's eyes reddened and wet with tears. A tiny spark of trust toward Raven stirred within her.

"Raven, let me go. I can't breathe," Laila said softly.

Raven jolted. He only now realized that he had been holding Laila far too tightly, making it difficult for his wife to breathe.

"I'm sorry."

Raven lowered his gaze. He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and handed the tattered housedress back to Laila.

"Next week, I'll bring you a brand-new housedress," Raven promised.

Laila let out a heavy sigh, then sat up beside Raven.

"What kind of job are you doing anyway?"

"I don't know the exact details of my duties yet, but I've been accepted and I will definitely be working."

"Working where?"

"At the Bening Group company. If I'm not mistaken, it's a drinking water company in the district town."

"Who got you a job there?"

"I went looking for work earlier, and as it happened, they were hiring employees. I don't mind doing any kind of work. Later, once my position is secure and we have a place to stay, I'll bring you along with me."

"I can't leave Mom and the little ones," Laila replied.

"I'll support them financially. Don't worry."

"Having seven younger children is quite a lot. Mommy would be overwhelmed taking care of them all by herself."

"Alright, that's fine. Then I'll come back home once a week."

Laila didn't answer anymore. She lay back down and turned her back to Raven, facing the wall.

"Happy birthday, Laila," Raven said.

There was no answer.

Whether Laila had already fallen asleep or simply refused to answer because Raven had never once wished her a happy birthday since childhood—not even after they became husband and wife.

She felt utterly bewildered hearing birthday wishes come from Raven's lips.

The next day...

The festive atmosphere of the 2004 presidential election was palpable in every corner of the village.

Several people could be heard arguing fiercely, each fiercely championing their own candidate.

Raven woke up early in the morning and didn't find Laila beside him.

Panic immediately washed over him.

Losing Laila in the future had truly been a horrific nightmare for him. He had been granted a second chance by God to fix his past mistakes, and he refused to let that tragic fate happen again.

"Laila!" Raven called out.

He hurried out of the bedroom and ran into Mrs. Aisyah, who was on her way to wake up the younger children in another room.

"What is it, Raven?" Mrs. Aisyah asked.

"Where is Laila, Mom?"

"Laila went to Mrs. Inah's stall to buy canned milk," Mrs. Aisyah replied.

The canned milk she referred to was sweetened condensed milk. It was usually meant for toddlers under the age of five.

There were two toddlers in the orphanage who should still have been needing milk for their growth and development, but circumstances forced them to make do with diluted sweetened condensed milk, and even then, not every day. Sometimes a single can had to last a full month.

"I'm going after her," Raven said.

"Why go after her? Laila's just going to Mrs. Inah's stall, only a few houses away."

"It's fine. I'm afraid something might happen to Laila if she goes out alone."

Mrs. Aisyah furrowed her brow in confusion at Raven's words.

Raven's current behavior was truly baffling, because normally Laila did everything completely on her own while Raven couldn't care less.

Yet this time, he was even running after Laila just for a trip to the local shop.

"What's gotten into Raven?" Mrs. Aisyah wondered aloud.

Raven bolted out the front door. The outdoor atmosphere was still cloaked in dim morning shadows. The morning breeze carried the scent of dust since it was currently the dry season.

And Raven felt the breath leave his body when he saw Ratno standing right in front of Mrs. Inah's stall.

Instantly, a flash of past memories tore through his mind—memories of how Ratno had shattered Laila's life and driven her to suicide.

Raven clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned stark white.

Meanwhile, Laila was finishing up buying the milk at Mrs. Inah's stall. She was startled to see Raven running up to join her.

"What are you doing here, Raven? Are you looking to buy cigarettes?" Laila asked.

"No. I just came to follow you," Raven replied.

Ratno smiled seeing Raven's arrival. As it happened, Raven still owed him money.

"So you've really come to your senses, Raven?" Ratno asked.

"Yes," Raven answered flatly.

"Remember, the debt is due in a week. You must pay off what you owe me. Otherwise..."

Ratno left his sentence unfinished, but his eyes cast a leering glance toward Laila, making Raven's blood boil with rage.

"Next week I'll pay it off," Raven answered quickly, stepping directly behind Laila to block Ratno's gaze from his wife.

"You know what I mean, right?" Ratno asked.

Raven didn't answer. He simply fought back his surging emotions and clenched his fists tighter. He was furious with himself for having lived such a worthless life.

"Thank you," Laila said to Mrs. Inah after paying for a can of milk and making a partial payment on their tab at the shop.

"Are you done?" Raven asked his wife.

"Yes."

"Let's go home. Here, let me carry the groceries," Raven said, reaching out to take the bag from Laila's hand while using his right hand to grip hers tightly.

Laila didn't protest, nor did she utter a single sound, even though she was utterly bewildered by her husband's sudden gestures.

"Remember, Raven! I'm holding you to your promise!" Ratno shouted.

Raven ignored him. He continued walking alongside Laila back toward their home.

"Did Ratno bother you just now?" Raven asked Laila.

"No," Laila replied.

When Laila had arrived at the stall, Ratno happened to be buying cigarettes. The man hadn't harassed her or said anything to Laila, but the way he stared made Laila deeply uncomfortable.

Yet Laila had simply kept quiet.

"If I go to town later and you run into Ratno, you should leave immediately," Raven advised her.

"Okay."

Everyone in the village knew who Ratno was—the local gambling boss and an utterly shameless flirt.

Mrs. Aisyah could only stare in open-mouthed astonishment as she watched Raven holding Laila's hand on their way back from the shop.

It was a sight she had always longed to see, yet she found it hard to believe Raven's sudden, drastic transformation.

"Did you get the milk?" Mrs. Aisyah asked Laila.

"Yes, Mom. I also paid off one hundred dollars of our store debt while I was there," Laila replied.

"Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). At least our debt has decreased a little. Hopefully, all the firewood out back can be sold soon so we can pay off the rest of our tab at the shop," Mrs. Aisyah said.

"How much do we owe at the store?" Raven asked.

"Why are you asking, Raven? You surely already know how much we owe," Laila replied cynically.

"I'll pay it off later after I get my paycheck."

"The tab at Mrs. Inah's store is five hundred dollars, and at Lastri's store it's two hundred dollars," Mrs. Aisyah murmured.

"When I get paid, I'll pay it all off. I'll go speak to them myself and ask for an extension until payday."

Mrs. Aisyah and Laila didn't reply. Laila went straight to the kitchen to brew the milk she had just bought.

"While I'm working in town, I'm leaving Laila in your care, Mom. Please don't let Laila go out to look for firewood or work anywhere else. I promise I will provide for everything this household needs, Mom," Raven said, taking Mrs. Aisyah's hand in his.