Chapter four : About Adrian

In a cemetery, a figure of a man was seen standing at a tombstone holding a white rose beside him. His light brown eyes stared into the distance as he looked at the photo of a woman that was installed there.

Rowena Uzbeck

(1965 - 1995)

"Mom.. How are you?" He asked the mound. He smiled faintly remembering the figure who gave birth to him now lying in rest forever.

Adrian then placed the bouquet of flowers on the grave in front of him.

"I'm sorry.. I just visited you now." He said. He then crouched beside the grave and stroked the marble surface with the owner of the grave there written on it.

"You know Mom, I'm married now. Her name is Indah. She is a beautiful woman but very noisy." He said without stopping rubbing the tombstone of the owner of the grave.

"If only you were still here, maybe you would know her. She has beautiful eyes just like you. Every time I see her, it reminds me of you." He explained.

Adrian, the man continued to tell about his life. It had been more than 10 years since he had set foot on his mother's grave who was lying stiff there. The man got up and looked back at the tombstone gently.

"I'll go first. One day I will bring my wife to you. I love you, Mom." He said before finally leaving the place.

Far away, there was an invisible woman who was watching him from afar. The woman's face looked pale but the smile on her face did not make her lose her beauty. She continued to look at Adrian's back who was already moving away.

"I love you too, my son."

**

A man in a white coat was seen stomping his shoes on the hospital floor. Several nurses passed by to salute him, some even gave their best smile. But the man only replied with a half-hearted smile. There was no friendliness there.

"Adrian!"

The man in the white coat turned his body towards the voice. He saw another man dressed the same as him waving his hand at him.

"Well, Adrian... You shouldn't have to go to work. You're a newlywed. Just enjoy your romantic time." He said teasingly.

Adrian's light brown eyes narrowed in displeasure. "Do you want to die?"

"Woho.. don't worry, man! I still want to enjoy my girls first." He replied with a grimace.

"Girls?" Adrian asked with one eyebrow raised.

The man put his arm around Adrian as he walked. "You know, a Marcus can't live with just one girl."

Adrian could only shake his head at his best friend's behavior. It was common knowledge that Marcus was known as a Playboy Doctor. No wonder many female nurses had become his 'former' partners.

"What's wrong with your face? You look unhealthy this morning. Is your wife annoying?"

Adrian took a deep breath. Maybe it was already clear on his face that his mood was at its lowest level. Remembering that woman made his annoyance return. It only occurred to him now that this marriage was not as easy as he thought. He shouldn't have replaced his brother at the altar.

"I don't know. I'm confused."

"Why?"

When they arrived at the obstetrics and gynecology clinic, Adrian opened one of the doors there. He was indeed a gynecologist. The man had been involved in the medical world for a long time. Although it sounded strange to be called a male gynecologist, he didn't care. His life was too meaningful than listening to words from people who had no interest in his life at all.

"I don't know. I feel like this is wrong."

Adrian sat down on a black chair behind his desk. Marcus, who followed him, sat in front of him. On a bench that was usually occupied by pregnant patients.

"Wrong? What?" Marcus asked.

"I feel like I'm the same as Rama. We've played with his heart." He explained.

Marcus' eyebrows knitted perfectly together hearing Adrian's ambiguous words. "I don't understand."

"Ah.. That's right. You won't understand." He sighed in frustration.

"Adrian.. Did you guys... do it all night?"

Adrian turned his gaze to Marcus. He cleared his throat loudly as he straightened his body in the chair. He saw that the man seemed to be acting awkwardly when asking about what happened last night. He knew that Marcus shouldn't have asked him that. Besides because it was his personal business, last night's problem really frustrated him.

"I didn't do anything. We just kissed.. Once." When he said the last word, Adrian deliberately paused there.

Marcus chuckled at his friend's confession. He didn't think that Adrian had succeeded in suppressing his male desires.

"Really?" he screamed in disbelief.

"She kept rejecting me. What could I do? Force her? That's the same as me trying to rape her." Adrian smiled bitterly when he remembered the woman's frightened expression when he was about to do something further in the reading room.

"Adrian, there is no such thing as a rape case for a husband who asks his wife for her share. Besides, you are too innocent, how long will you be an old bachelor."

Adrian glared at his friend. Since long ago, he hated being labeled an Old Bachelor. In fact, many women had been chasing him for a long time, but none of them caught his interest. And instead, a woman he didn't know at all became his wife.

"What was your reason for marrying her yesterday if not to make her your wife? I'm sure there was another reason besides covering up your family's shame, right?"

Marcus was indeed a witness when Adrian received a message from Rama yesterday. Honestly, he thought Adrian would just let yesterday's wedding fall apart. However, in fact, the man actually proposed himself as Rama's replacement. He was sure this was not just an act to cover up the shame of the Aditama family.

Adrian took a deep breath. "I have my own reasons for marrying her besides saving my family from shame."

They were both silent for a moment. Before finally Marcus covered his mouth in surprise at what had just crossed his mind. "You got her pregnant?"

Adrian hit Marcus' head with his plank. "Are you crazy? I'm not a random guy like you"

Marcus groaned in pain while rubbing Adrian's blow earlier. "Adrian, this really hurts." He complained.

"You started it. But maybe this can ease the pain you used to experience." Marcus said. He didn't want to talk much. When it came to the man's past, he chose to remain silent. Remembering how devastated Adrian used to be. He almost recommended Adrian to go to a mental hospital, because at that time Adrian was really depressed because of the woman who had left him.

"You should know, even though she's your wife. But I'm sure that woman still has feelings for Rama. And also, she must have prepared herself to be his wife, not yours."

"I know. She told me twice last night."

Marcus got up and walked towards Adrian. He patted the man's shoulder gently. "Don't let what happened to you happen to me, Adrian. I saw you lose control like before just once. Don't risk your life just because of a woman."

After saying that, Marcus walked away from Adrian's room. He didn't want to get involved further regarding anything related to the man's past. Let Adrian become an insane man just once. He prayed that it would never happen again.