Chapter 3

The smile on Rianti’s face instantly disappeared.

She stared at her father in disbelief.

“Are you kicking me out, Papa?”

“No!” Bagas replied firmly. “Isn't this what you wanted? You wanted to be free from all the rules I've made. So now, I've set you free. You can go wherever you want. I won't interfere in your life anymore. You won't have to sneak out of the house like you've been doing all this time, either.”

Bagas spoke calmly. There wasn't the slightest hint of regret on his face.

Rianti stared at her father, her heart filled with disappointment.

She couldn't believe that Bagas would go this far and do something like this to her. Her disappointment only deepened when she saw not even a trace of hesitation on his face.

“Fine. I'll leave this house.”

With tears welling up in her eyes, Rianti turned around and headed toward the second floor.

She entered the gray-themed bedroom where she had spent so much of her time over the years. The luxurious room had witnessed her loneliness for as long as she could remember.

Rianti stopped in the middle of the room and looked around. Her eyes lingered on every detail, and her heart ached with sadness.

She was definitely going to miss this room.

After all, this place held so many memories of her life. Almost everything she did took place in this very room. Whenever she felt lonely, this was where she would hide from the outside world.

Rianti let out a heavy sigh before walking toward the walk-in closet.

She took out a suitcase and began packing the clothes she thought she would need. She didn't bring everything because having too many belongings would only make things more difficult for her later.

Besides, she planned to stay temporarily at Hendra's apartment, which wasn't particularly spacious. There simply wouldn't be enough room for all her belongings if she brought everything with her.

Therefore, Rianti decided to take only her clothes and a few essential items.

Once she had finished packing everything she wanted to bring, Rianti left the bedroom, dragging her suitcase behind her.

However, she stopped at the doorway.

She turned around once more and looked at her bedroom for a few moments. The sadness on her face was still painfully obvious.

No matter how much Rianti hated the strict rules her father had imposed on her, she had never once imagined that she would actually leave this house.

Nor had she ever imagined that her own father would tell her to leave and forbid her from taking any of the family's wealth, apart from her clothes and personal belongings.

Now, countless questions began flooding her mind.

What was she supposed to do after leaving this house?

What about her college education?

Who would pay her tuition fees from now on?

Rianti didn't even know what kind of job she could do. She had always lived a comfortable life and had never really thought about how to earn money on her own.

She also felt that she didn't have any particular skills she could rely on to make a living.

She couldn't possibly depend on Hendra all the time, either.

“Rianti, it's already late, sweetheart. Where are you going?”

When she reached the living room, Rianti encountered her parents once again.

Eva immediately approached her daughter, her face already wet with tears. Meanwhile, Bagas showed no reaction whatsoever. He remained seated on the sofa without even turning around to look at Rianti, who was now staring at his back with a mixture of sadness and disappointment.

“I have to leave, Mom. I can't possibly stay here when Papa has already kicked me out.”

Rianti raised her hand and gently wiped the tears streaming down her mother's cheeks.

“Please don't be sad, Mom. I can take good care of myself,” Rianti said, trying to smile even though her own eyes were beginning to fill with tears. “I'm leaving now, Mom.”

Rianti resumed dragging her suitcase.

Every step felt unbearably heavy. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and wrap her arms tightly around her mother.

Rianti couldn't bear to hear Eva crying and begging her to stay. However, she was afraid that if she turned back now, it would become even harder for her to leave the house.

“Rianti, don't go, sweetheart! We can still talk things through!” Eva cried out, tears streaming down her face even more heavily.

But Rianti kept walking.

Unable to bear watching her daughter leave, Eva hurried over to her husband.

“Darling, don't let Rianti leave this house!” she pleaded, grabbing Bagas by the arm. “I'm afraid something might happen to her. It's already late at night!”

Eva's mind was filled with worry.

Where would her daughter stay tonight?

What if something happened to her on the way?

Rianti was their only daughter. As a mother, Eva naturally couldn't bear the thought of anything bad happening to her.

“Please, darling! Do something! Don't let Rianti leave!” Eva pleaded, shaking her husband's arm.

However, Bagas didn't move an inch.

“Let her go,” Bagas replied calmly. “When she realizes she can't handle life out there, she'll come back on her own. Trust me.”

Bagas tried to reassure his wife so she wouldn't worry too much.

He was confident that Rianti would be fine out there. After all, he still had faith in his daughter. He believed Rianti was capable of taking care of herself.

“But, darling, it's already late. Where is Rianti supposed to stay?” Eva asked, still unable to hide her concern.

After all, Rianti was their only daughter. Eva didn't even want to see a single scratch on her daughter's body, let alone allow her to go out alone at such a late hour.

“Don't worry, sweetheart.” Bagas gently stroked his wife's arm. “She'll probably go to Hendra's apartment or stay at one of her friends' houses. Don't worry yourself too much about it.”

Bagas briefly glanced toward the door through which his daughter had just left.

“I'm sure she'll come back to this house sooner or later. She won't be able to stand living out there for long.”

Bagas turned his attention back to his wife.

“Trust me.”

---

If you'd like, I can also help you translate the next chapters into natural, novel-style English while keeping the characters' emotions, dialogue, and storytelling consistent.