Chapter 3.

Hana arrived at Cafe Noe before three. She didn’t want to be late and have Ibra show up first. That would have been impolite—she was the one who had asked him to meet.

She chose a seat in the corner of the room. Through the window, she could see the parking area clearly, so she would know the moment Ibra arrived.

A white sports utility vehicle pulled up not far from the window where Hana sat waiting. Ibra stepped out. He was a striking man—tall, handsome, dressed in a formal light blue shirt paired with navy trousers. His appearance was impeccable, made even more so by his finely sculpted face.

A man like that, and you still betrayed him, Ranti. What were you looking for in Prane? Do you really believe the grass is always greener on the other side?

Hana watched him enter the cafe and waved. Ibra spotted her and walked over. He sat down across from her.

“I’m going to guess what you’re drinking. Fresh juice, no ice, no sugar?”

Ibra smiled and nodded. He had ordered that drink once, at a gathering they had both attended. Hana remembered.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“Only about ten minutes.”

He nodded again.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your time, Ibra. I couldn’t put this off until tomorrow. I was worried that if we met later, you might think I was presenting fabricated evidence.”

Hana got straight to the point.

“What’s this about?”

His forehead creased with curiosity.

“Before I explain, I need to ask you something personal.”

“How personal?” His tone was measured. “If it’s too personal, I have the right not to answer.”

“How are things between you and Ranti? Are you two… doing well?”

“Why are you asking about my marriage? Is that what you wanted to know?” His face hardened. “My relationship with my wife is none of anyone’s business. Not even yours, and you’re her cousin.”

Hana was taken aback. This wasn’t the warm, friendly Ibra she thought she knew. Something was off. Was there trouble in his marriage already?

“You said you wanted to talk about you, me, Ranti, and your husband. What exactly is going on?”

His voice had an edge now, and Hana felt her confidence waver.

“Well… have you noticed anything suspicious about Ranti lately?”

Ibra’s frown deepened.

“What are you trying to say, Hana? Just say it. Stop going in circles. If you called me here to talk about something vague like this, we’re just wasting time.”

He stood up, ready to leave. Hana quickly stopped him.

“Wait. I’m not done. Please, sit down for a moment.”

He let out a rough sigh but sat back down.

“Fine. Say what you need to say. I don’t have much time. I want to go home and rest.”

Hana swallowed hard. His attitude had shifted dramatically from the earlier warmth.

“Here’s the thing. This morning, Ranti came to my house. She said she wanted to ride with Prane to work. She claimed her car was out of gas. That struck me as odd, Ibra. Ranti isn’t new to driving. She would have noticed her fuel running low.”

Ibra’s expression soured. Her implication had clearly offended him.

“You’re blowing this out of proportion just because she asked for a ride? You dragged me here to tell me that? Honestly, Hana… she’s your cousin.”

“It’s not about the ride. I suspect something is going on between Ranti and Prane.”

“You’re accusing your own husband and your cousin of having an affair? Hana, you’re tormenting yourself with these negative thoughts. She just needed a ride, and you’re making a huge deal out of it.”

He shook his head dismissively.

Hana began to wonder. Did Ibra already know and was pretending not to? Or was he having an affair himself, so he didn’t care what Ranti did?

“Is that all you wanted to say?” His tone was sarcastic.

“I’m not just making accusations. What I suspected turned out to be true. They are involved.”

“Don’t slander my wife by claiming she’s having an affair with your husband. That’s a cruel accusation.”

“It’s not slander. I have proof. That’s why I contacted you and asked to meet.”

“Show me the proof. Don’t throw accusations without evidence. Without proof, it’s defamation. Even if you are Ranti’s cousin, I won’t tolerate it if you’re disturbing my peace and my wife’s.”

Hana was irritated by his stubbornness. He was defending his wife even after she had been unfaithful? Did he really believe Ranti was innocent?

“I’m not making this up, Ibra. See for yourself.”

She slid her phone across the table, showing him the recording she had taken at Prane’s office—the intimate moment between Prane and Ranti.

Ibra’s face flushed red with anger. His jaw tightened. His hand clenched around the phone. If it had been made of glass, it would have shattered.

“How dare they. I won’t stand for this. I’ll make them both pay, especially Prane. How dare he seduce my wife.”

His pride as a husband felt trampled after watching that video.

“Calm down. Getting angry and confronting Prane won’t help. Your reputation could suffer. Do you want to end up at the police station on assault charges? You don’t want to destroy your own career, do you? Besides, it wasn’t my husband who seduced Ranti.”

Ibra shot her a sharp look.

“Ranti isn’t some naive girl who can be easily seduced. She asked to ride with Prane this morning. So who seduced who? No one. They both betrayed us. And they were doing it in Prane’s office.”

She had a point.

Ibra downed his juice in one go, no straw, as if trying to cool the rage boiling inside him.

“What do you plan to do, Hana?” His voice was steadier now.

“How about we pretend we don’t know anything for now? Gather more evidence. I’ll definitely file for divorce. What about you? Do you still want to stay with Ranti after what she did?”

Ibra was silent. Hana frowned.

“Are you hesitating to divorce her?”

“Not at all. I feel disgusted just looking at her now. I never thought Ranti would go this far.”

“There’s probably more we don’t know. Who knows how long this has been going on?”

“You’re right. But—”

“But what?”

“If we both just divorce them, it’s too easy. After we separate, they could just get together. That would be convenient for both of them.”

Ibra raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”

“I have a proposal. I think if you’re on board, they’ll be the ones who end up hurt. I think it’s the perfect revenge.”

“What kind of proposal?”

“Once we’re divorced and my waiting period is over, you marry me.”

Ibra stared at her, mouth slightly open.

“Marry you?”

He coughed, choking on air. Hana quickly handed him a bottle of water, already opened.

“Are you serious, Hana? Do you realize what you just said?”

His coughing subsided enough for him to speak.

She nodded. “This is why I wanted to meet. It’s not just to show you the evidence and file for divorce. I could handle that on my own. Your marriage is your business. But if I only divorce Prane and you only divorce Ranti, they’ll laugh and dance on the wounds they left us. No. I’m not that generous. I hold grudges.”

Ibra laughed, though it was unclear what he found amusing. Perhaps he was laughing at himself—at how foolish he felt for being betrayed.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“Completely. We’ll get married legally, under the law. That way, Prane and Ranti will know it’s a real marriage.”

“A fake marriage for revenge?”

“Not exactly fake. We marry, but without physical involvement. We stay as husband and wife on paper until one of us finds the right person. Then we divorce.”

He shook his head. “That’s playing with marriage, Hana. I don’t agree with that.”

Disappointment flickered across her face, but she didn’t push.

“Fine. I’ll think about your proposal. If I agree, I’ll contact you.”

Ibra said this as they both headed toward their cars.

Hana’s weary expression brightened slightly at the possibility that he might consider it.

Everything is about to begin...

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