Trapped

Renessa got up from the bed and moved to the bathroom. She needed to freshen up before engaging in other activities. After taking a shower, Renessa was fresh again and decided to go around. Her well-trained physique at the boarding school made her not tired easily.

She walked around the house and familiarized herself with her surroundings. Many things had changed. Reminding her that a lot of time had passed since her departure. Renessa walked for some time until she stopped in front of a door.

This should be father's office, Renessa thought as she looked at the door in front of her. Her hand was itching to open the door and get inside. She had a lot of questions and she was sure that she could find the answer inside this room.

Renessa took a deep breath to calm herself and opened the door calmly. She walked inside and looked around at the foreign scenery in front of her. She had never stepped inside this room when she was a child. She was even afraid to walk near this room.

Renessa walked steadily toward the big desk as her eyes traveled around the room. Her eyes could see a small camera that was located right behind the desk. She raised her eyebrows. She wondered what made her father decide to place a camera there.

Did he do other shady things? She wondered but kept walking toward the desk and sat on the chair there. Her eyes quickly scanned the desk. Nothing was out of place. Everything was placed perfectly. Her hand reached for a stack of documents in the desk and took the document on the top.

She opened it and found a brown envelope. Her name clearly stated as the receiver of the letter, but it seemed that her father 'forgot' to send it to her. Of course, she was just a kid who knew nothing about things like this.

Renessa took the brown envelope and opened it. Her eyes twitched a bit when she found something and it quickly turned into a scowl. 

So, it turned out, her father has been receiving most of the money the bank has sent me all these years, Renessa chuckled with disbelief. She was suddenly so angry that she rarely got that money and had to suffer all these years.

If Uncle Jeff did not tell me all of this, I might be still trapped in the dark. I was glad I had already processed with the bank before coming back. He would not be enjoying my mother's money for long, Renessa sighed as she placed the document back in the original place.

She wanted to check all documents on the desk, but after looking at some of the content and realizing that it contained Rudy's business document, she stopped.

I still have many times to check this place. Moreover, Uncle Jeff had also told me that he had started to work on this, Renessa thought as she looked at the desk and left them like how they looked before. After making sure that nothing was suspicious, she stood from the chair and left the room. Maybe the letter from the bank just upset her that she felt like she just wants to sleep to ease the emotion.

Although, she decided not to do that when she thought that she would miss her father and his new happy family's reaction on her arrival.

Renessa then decided to sit in the living room after taking several books and magazines from the library. After waiting for some time, Renessa started to get bored. She just flipped the pages and rethought her decision to surprise her father when the noise of a car arrived.

"Thank God, they came just in time. It's funny that they appear when I want to give up," Renessa said as she tidied up her appearance. She must appear relaxed, happy, and calm. 

Renessa crossed her legs and opened the magazine in her hand when the voice of several people talking was heard from the front door.

"You made me so proud, dear. The Santoso family will be very happy to hear of your accomplishments," Rudi's booming voice froze Renessa's body. The man sounded so happy as he said those words. She could imagine the big happy smile on the man's face. He should look like the picture she found in Mary's room.

It was definitely her father's voice, but she found it very strange since she only heard him talking with her with his stern and cold voice. He had never talked with this kind of tone even when he talked to his wife. Renessa did not really hear what her father said but he sounded so proud of his daughter, her half-sister.

Renessa's lips thinned into a straight line as the jealousy speeded in terrifying speed. She had been jealous of this little sister of hers the moment she heard about her, and now the feeling intensified when she witnessed how great her father treated her. She really wanted to know the reason for the different treatment. What was so good about her step sister that she did not have?

Moreover, she is her father's biological daughter. She should be the one who gets that kind of treatment. Not the new girl that was brought by his new wife. She was not even related to the girl.

Did he pretend to love the girl to get the mother? The thought immediately disgusted Renessa. She quickly threw away the picture from her head before she puked her inside out. 

"Good evening, Father," Renessa greeted her father loudly when she finally saw the man's figure and two other people leisurely passed the living room. She was glad that her voice sounded calm and strong even though her heart was beating crazily right now.

The smile on Rudi's face disappeared instantly. He blinked before turning to where Renessa sat. He took a deep breath as his eyes became wider the moment he spotted the girl. The surprise in his eyes quickly turned into rage as the realization came to him.

"What are you doing here?" Rudi's sharp voice was heard as he walked to the living room.

Renessa tried hard not to frown when she noticed how his father's gesture showed how much he hated her. His hands were in a tight fist, his face was red, and she could be totally dead if his eyes could kill. If she was just a kid, she might start to cry when her father acted like this, but she had grown up. She wasn't the terrified little girl anymore.

Renessa shook her head in disbelief. Even after all the years, the hatred in the man's eyes did not lessen even a bit.

"I'm back of course. I thought Sinta had told you about my return." Renessa sounded surprised as she smiled with an innocent face.

Rudi was stunned and lost for words as he looked at Renessa with surprise, disbelief, and hatred.

"Back? This place is not a home for a cursed brat like you! And never ever call me father! My only daughter is Marry! Get out!" Rudi growled and swore harshly making Renessa's brows furrow slightly. Although she smiled cheerfully afterward, hiding her disappointment tightly.

Up until now, she really did not understand what she had done that earned her that name and harsh treatment from his father.

Rudi got even angrier when he saw Renessa's face which didn't look sad or offended at his words, "Get out of my house now! I will never have a daughter like you!"

Rudi's anger always raised another new question in Renessa's mind. She didn't do anything at all and just smiled and greeted the man. Why did her father act as if she was a criminal who threatened his safety?

Renessa then caught two female figures standing behind her father. They were looking at her with disapproval and surprise.

She recognized them instantly, she saw the happy family photos in several corners of the house. The girl in the white dress must be her half-sister named Maryana Santoso and the woman beside the girl was her father's new wife, Laura Lestari.

No, that woman was an old wife that she had just known for a year ago. The woman looked a little arrogant and she met Renessa's gaze with a triumphant grin on her face.

Unfortunately, Renessa didn't care at all about the woman's victorious smile because she was trying to hold back her amazement when she saw Laura's beauty. The woman still looked like a twenty-year-old girl. Her body was still slender and curvaceous which made her look more like Mary's older sister than her mother. No wonder his father was crazy about her. She really wonders whether uncle Jeff is trying to lie and says that the woman Rudi married was his friend and they are the same age. 

Her mother's money must be the secret behind the ageless beauty, Renessa smiled sarcastically.