Love Redux: Fated to the Handsome Doctor

“Lara! Yes! It’s me!”

Mahya immediately ran towards Lara and tried to release her from behind the bars with all his might. “Damn!” he muttered when the iron door turned out to be tightly locked.

“Wait, Lara!”

Mahya ran back to his original place. He headed to the car, unpacking the toolbox in his trunk. The sound of clinking metal tools began to be heard. Mahya returned to Lara carrying a crowbar to break the padlock that locked the door hinges.

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With all his might, Mahya finally managed to open the bars that were imprisoning Lara.

“Lara!” Mahya immediately hugged his friend who was lying weakly on the floor. He cried and regretted this kidnapping incident. Why did such a good girl like Lara have to experience it?

“Mahya, where am I?” Lara asked with a trembling voice. She was truly scared. Lara had almost lost her life due to dehydration and bleeding.

The smell of blood mixed with sweat drenched her. Lara felt like a slaughtered cow.

Mahya took a deep breath before giving an explanation.

“Lara… we’re in a secluded building. I don’t know how you ended up here, but I just realized that there’s something strange in this warehouse.”

Lara stared at Mahya with questioning eyes. “How do you know this place, Mahya?”

Lara didn’t even feel any signs of life in the surrounding area. And Mahya? Wasn’t she supposed to be far away from the city? At least, that’s what Lara knew from her university alumni group page.

“I…” Mahya swallowed. She didn’t know what to answer.

“Tell me!” Lara rose from her lying position, albeit with difficulty. This time, she really wanted to know what secret was being kept from her. All this time, Lara felt like a fool who knew nothing. Lara was going to change her ways.

“Lara…” Mahya only spoke weakly. She seemed unable to speak. Mahya felt sorry for Lara. “I-I was tailing your husband.”

“W-what? Why were you tailing my husband?”

“Something strange happened. And your husband is the target of my investigative report.”

Lara widened her eyes. She didn’t expect that Seno would be labeled as a bad person by her own friend. “How dare you suspect my husband!” Lara was angry.

Mahya was surprised. “Lara? Why are you defending your scoundrel husband?!”

“W-what? How dare you call my husband like that! Watch your words, Mahya!”

“Lara! Your husband is the one who chained you like this! What are you doing? Why are you defending him?”

“W-what?”

“And your baby! Where is he? Nowhere, right? Your husband took him!”

Tears welled up in Lara’s eyes. Mahya’s words cut deep. “I-Is that true?”

“Why would I lie, Lara?! Seno is indeed a criminal. You have to believe me!”

Lara cried bitterly. She never thought that… the perpetrator of all her suffering was… her own husband!

“What are you going to do now?”

Lara shook her head softly. She didn’t know what to do. Her melancholic eyes looked towards Mahya. Her friend only responded with a similar gaze.

“Listen, Lara. We have to do something to expose your husband’s crimes. Understand?” Mahya helped Lara sit up properly. She held Lara’s arm tightly as a form of encouragement.

“How, Mahya? I don’t know anything,” Lara said weakly. The pain in her heart and body hadn’t subsided. The fact that her husband had treated her like this truly shattered her world.

Lara had no one.

“I’ll help you. You have to trust me, understand?!”

Mahya’s words and her gaze remained unchanged. Synchronous. The same. Mahya always had her own way of achieving her goals. One of them: ensuring that there was an ally who could help her plan.

“I understand. Now, show me how, Mahya! I’ll make my husband pay for his actions!” Lara exclaimed with determination. Whatever possessed Seno. How could he be so cruel to hurt her like this? His love and words of affection during their marriage were nothing but big lies to Lara!

Truly! In her entire life, she would never forgive her husband!

“Great! Lara! This is the spirit I need!”

Mahya’s frequency resonated with Lara’s radar. This time, Seno wouldn’t escape from her grasp.

***

Initially, Mahya accidentally stumbled upon this small warehouse alone, some time ago.

An anonymous informant contacted her and said that Seno had a warehouse used as a secret base. If Mahya managed to find that warehouse, she would be able to find Seno’s hidden laboratory far from human civilization.

And, this was the result. When Mahya returned to the warehouse to find out Seno’s secret laboratory, she instead found Lara being ruthlessly held captive.

“I got demoted because of this case, but… I won’t give up, Lara! I believe that your husband is involved in some shady business.”

Lara swallowed, her heart felt shattered, and her tears burst again. Lara never thought that Seno’s wealth was unnatural and full of suspicious things. Dealing with her husband’s infidelity alone had already made her tired and anxious, let alone dealing with corruption scandals? How could Lara handle it alone?

“I’m always here for you, Lara. Trust me,” Mahya hugged Lara again.

The two friends were now back together, even though they had previously been infected with suspicion.

“I’m sorry for pretending not to know you. I had to keep my distance from both of you. But… my calculation was wrong! I was really foolish, Lara! Forgive me,” Mahya regretted all the consequences of her selfishness.

If only she had approached Lara sooner, this terrible incident could have been avoided. Mahya would never let Lara suffer because of Seno’s inhumane actions.

“It’s okay, my friend. I’m the foolish one for not heeding your warnings before. Forgive me,” Lara hugged Mahya with a melancholic aura. They both cried together but… felt relieved.

These tough times didn’t feel so exhausting when they had each other’s shoulders to lean on. Lara truly didn’t expect it. There was a lesson in the tragedy she was going through.

***

With great difficulty, Mahya brought Lara to her area of authority. Lara received intensive care at a clinic not far from Mahya’s house. After some time, Lara was finally declared cured and could resume her activities as usual.

Mahya accommodated Lara in her house. There, they began to exchange stories about Seno and all his activities.

“Do you know that Seno’s wealth is unnatural?” Mahya asked while tidying up her books. She looked towards Lara lying on the spare bed. The woman seemed to be reminiscing about something, but she eventually shook her head softly.

“No.”

“You should know that Seno has unnatural wealth, Lara. I investigated his financial reports and found something suspicious.”

Lara sat up from the bed. She truly couldn’t believe that Mahya could get Seno’s financial reports, which should be confidential. “How did you get his financial reports?” Lara inquired.

Mahya just shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Lara raised her eyebrows.

“You have to be open with me so I can help you.”

Mahya laughed. “I hacked into their system there. It was a success. After that, their security was tightened. I couldn’t do anything.”

Lara nodded. Now she understood how Mahya could become an investigative reporter. “You should be arrested by the police,” Lara joked.

Mahya’s face turned pale. She shouldn’t have told Lara the origin of the financial report. “Promise me you’ll keep it a secret, Lara!”

Lara laughed back. Apparently, Mahya could also be scared. “Okay… okay!”

For the first time, Lara’s heart felt light and she could laugh. Previously, she had suffered greatly and was traumatized. With Mahya, Lara was confident that she could find her baby and also bring Seno down to his lowest point.

Lara just had to be patient for a little while.

***

“The game will begin soon, Lara. Get ready!”