From Betrayal to Sacred Promise

Dayana's POV

I was contacted by the traffic police. They asked me to pick up Delon, my boyfriend, who had just been arrested for drunk driving.

When I arrived at the scene, I saw Delon with Lauren, his best friend's younger sister. Both looked semiconscious. I squinted, disgusted. I could clearly see the kiss marks on their necks and the messiness of her clothes.

"Lauren is heartbroken; her boyfriend left her. That's why I came to keep her company and comfort her.” Delon explained in a tone that showed no remorse.

I ignored his confession. Immediately, I arranged for their release through the authorities.

"I found your contact on their cell phone, so I contacted you," the police officer said after I finished signing the paperwork.

"Hmm..." I just nodded with a bitter smile.

"Are they your family?"

"No. We just happen to know each other," I replied nonchalantly, then lifted Lauren's body and carried her into the car. However, the woman pushed me to the ground.

"I don't want you to touch me! You're bad! Brother Delon, help me," she whimpered with a limp body, clinging to Delon. In a spoiled manner, she hugged him. I groaned in annoyance, wanting to slap her to wake her up. However, I restrained myself. I didn't want to be a jealous lover. Especially when Delon easily hugged Lauren, as if to protect me from touching her.

The traffic cop, who had noticed my agitation, helped me to get the two drunk people into the car. They sat in the back seat, while I was in the driver's seat. My eyes burned as I watched the two of them clinging to each other. Delon hugged Lauren tightly and continued to calm her down. Lauren kept saying that she didn't want to be alone and begged Delon not to leave her.

"No, I won't leave you. I'll always be with you, I promise," Delon said, his voice like an arrow of fire burning into my heart. Along the way, I had to watch the two of them embrace. Unconsciously, I was driving at high speed.

"Brother, is he going to kill us? This makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a storm," Lauren complained in a frightened voice, hugging Delon.

"Hey! Slow down the car! You're scaring Lauren!" Delon snapped with a sharp gaze that reflected in the rearview mirror.

If I didn't have a conscience, maybe I really would have killed them.

I was forced to bring them to my house. After opening the door, I headed back to the car. Delon had already gotten out of the car. He was carrying Lauren with her remaining consciousness. My heart felt numb, and my body stiffened at the sight. All I could do was hold back the flames of jealousy that were slowly burning through my body.

"Out of the way!" Delon bumped my shoulder mercilessly, making me stagger and almost fall. Without caring about me, he entered the house and took Lauren to his room.

I had hoped that, after laying Lauren down, Delon would go to another room. Instead, he pushed me out.

"Go away! Leave us alone!" he snapped, pushing me out of the room.

In that room, they slept together—in my bed, on my roof. What a betrayal.

My body collapsed onto the sofa, and I took a sip of water to calm myself down. At the same time, my cell phone rang. My mother was calling.

"Dayana, Mr. Cendrik's son, he asked you to be his wife. Do you want to?"

The offer had come repeatedly, and I had always turned it down. Back then, I felt like I owned Delon, so there was no reason to accept the proposal. But now, in front of my eyes, my lover, whom I trusted, was sleeping with another woman. How foolish of me to keep hoping for him.

"Yes... I accept, ma'am. Give me time to pack; I'll be home soon," I replied confidently.

I heard my mom’s sigh of relief. I imagined the satisfied smile on her face. "Good. I will inform Mr. Cendrik of your reply immediately. They will be delighted. I am also very happy, Dayana, that you have finally chosen the right man."

"Hmmm... I won't waste my life anymore, Mom."

The call cut off. I looked at the calendar on the table, tore off one date sheet, crumpled it, and threw it in the trash. After today, there would be no more feeling of love for Delon. Five years with him, accompanying him through thick and thin. Bringing him from being a nobody to becoming a director of a wellknown company. But all of that still wasn't enough to make him loyal.

The morning after they woke up, I asked them to come out of my room. Delon looked awkward and regretful, while Lauren continued to hug him tightly, looking scared and full of dependence.

"Dayana, I know I've made a mistake. Please, forgive me," Delon pleaded in a tone full of remorse.

I smiled a little. "I have forgiven you. Now, please leave my house. I have a lot of business to attend to."

"Dayana... Please, listen to my explanation first," Delon said, coming closer. However, I shied away. His touch only made me feel disgusted.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I went to the door and opened it. Before me stood two men.

"We've come to collect your belongings, Miss."

Before I could react, Delon interrupted first, "Take things? What for?"

Dayana's POV

"I want to clean up the house. There's a lot of stuff I want to get rid of," I replied flatly, trying to hide my groaning feelings. Without waiting for a response, I opened the door to the house wide and signaled for the officers to enter. I no longer cared about Delon and Lauren's presence. I immediately pointed out the items I wanted to move.

"Dayana, I can help you pack," Delon said as he approached. His face looked hopeful, as if his intention to help could ease my burden. I signaled no to him and continued talking to the officers without even looking at him.

"There's so much you want to get rid of. Aren't these things still nice and decent?" Delon raised his voice again, sounding so obviously worried. He didn't realize that I didn't just want to get rid of these things—I wanted to get rid of everything, including the memories in this house.

"I don't just want to throw things away; I want to replace everything. I'm so bored with everything in this house," I replied firmly, even though my heart felt so heavy.

"Oh... Well, whatever you do, just do it. Besides, it's a good idea to replace everything in this house. How about we turn this house into our bridal home?" Delon suggested with a hopeful face, as if that would change everything. The only thing I felt at that moment was emptiness. His words, his offer, they no longer had any meaning. If this had happened before I made the big decision, perhaps I would have felt happy. But now, all I could see was emptiness.

"Oh… my head and stomach hurt," Lauren's moan suddenly distracted me. Her face had paled as she held her stomach with a painful expression. I paused, looked away, and took a deep breath. Again, she provoked attention with her dramatic actions.

"Take me to the hospital. It looks like I have a recurrence of my stomach disease," Lauren said as she embraced Delon in a very spoiled manner. I was too tired to care, too fed up with their manipulations.

Delon seemed to hesitate, looking at me expectantly, as if asking for permission—or rather, understanding.

"Go away!" I replied coldly, turning away without looking at them again.

"I'll be right back after taking care of Lauren," he said, and they briskly left in my car. I could only stare at their departure with resentment.

Half of my things had already been delivered. I felt a little relieved—one step had been completed. Now, the next task: submitting the resignation letter. My mind was made up. If I stayed in the same office as Delon, the problems would only get more complicated. My boss asked me to reconsider, but I could no longer back out. My decision was final.

I walked out of the office and looked at my car. I walked toward the car, hoping I could take it with me. However, my steps suddenly slowed down when I saw my sealed car wobbling. My chest was suddenly racing, and my body got goosebumps. I swallowed, trying to muster the courage to knock on the windshield. I stared at the glass blankly, my body shaking violently.

"Get out..." The first sound that escaped my lips was almost inaudible. However, there was no response. The person in the car remained silent. My anger was growing, and I could no longer contain it. With all my might, I raised my voice sharply, "Get out!" I shouted, aiming at whoever was in the car.

The car door slowly opened. Delon appeared with a red face, hurriedly closing the door behind him, as if covering everything inside.

"Honey... Are you here?" His voice sounded so calm, trying to calm the already tense situation.

"Ask her to get out of my car!" I pointed at the car with a trembling hand, no longer able to contain the anger that I had been harboring for so long.

"Shhh... Don't make a scene!" Delon grabbed my shoulder hard, his eyes glancing around anxiously, afraid that someone might see this. However, I didn't care. Even if the whole world knew that I had been cheated on, I didn't care anymore!

"You've had enough of playing around. Now, tell her to get out, or I'll do it!" I shied away from Delon's touch, my breath quickening, my blood boiling.

"Dayana... Calm down. It's not what you think. Lauren is sick. You know that," Delon tried to soothe me, his soft voice trying to calm my emotions.

"I'm... not a child you can fool, Delon!" I replied firmly, the pain and resentment starting to build up.

"Okay! You're not a child. Then, where's your maturity? You're accusing me baselessly, like catching me having an affair!" He shouted, getting louder.

"I'm not accusing you of having an affair!" I retorted, this time without hesitation.

"You misunderstand me! Lauren is just my best friend's younger sister. We've had a long relationship, you should know that! Don't be a blind jealous person who can't see what's right!" Delon shouted, trying to defend himself. However, the more he tried to explain, the more I felt lost.

"Yes, you're right. I am a jealous woman," I smiled bitterly, "and from now on, I won't do that anymore. I'll let you do whatever you want. I pray that you and Lauren become a happy couple." I turned around, walking away without looking back. Delon tried to grab my wrist, but his steps were halted when Lauren's voice called out to him.

"Brother Delon, help me... I'm bleeding."

My steps were halted. I turned around to see Delon running toward Lauren, who was now standing limply against the car, fresh blood running down her leg. My body cringed. What was this all about? Lauren was pregnant?

Dayana's POV

I stepped into the airport, my suitcase dragging behind me. There was no more time to delay this departure. Since the incident in front of the office, Delon and I hadn't contacted each other at all. I forced myself not to care, suppressing the curiosity gnawing at my soul. Was Laurent really pregnant? Or was it an act? Finding out would only trigger deeper heartache.

The plane I was traveling on was about to depart. I dragged my suitcase with firm steps, but as I headed for the checkpoint, my vision suddenly became blurry. I tried my best to endure the pain that pierced my head, but my body was helpless. I fainted.

"Your blood pressure is high. Do not travel for the time being," the doctor said after I regained consciousness.

I had been moved, lying weakly on the hospital bed. Apparently, I was rushed to the hospital immediately after experiencing shortness of breath and fainting.

The problems with Delon had taken a toll on my mind. I lost my appetite and forgot to take care of my health.

After receiving some treatment, I was allowed to go home. Unexpectedly, in the hospital hallway, I bumped into Delon and Lauren. Inevitably, I had to face them again.

"What are you doing here? Are you sick?" asked Delon with an intimidating face, as if my presence was ruining his mood.

"Just hypertension," I replied as I showed him my medicine bag.

"That's because you've been overthinking lately. Go home; I'll ask someone to call a therapist for you."

"Hmm..." I replied briefly, then resumed my steps.

"Wait, Dayana..." Lauren's voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned back towards them.

"Brother Delon, I've recovered. You go home with Dayana," Lauren said gently to Delon. She was sitting in a wheelchair, and I still didn't know what illness she had. Is she really pregnant?

"No, I'll take you home first. You're not fully recovered, Lauren," Delon refused, looking worried.

"But I feel bad for Dayana. I'm afraid she'll misunderstand me and hate me."

I paused, wringing my fingers. Lauren was a drama queen.

"What right does she have to be jealous? She should have apologized to you. Because of her, you almost had a hemorrhage."

"Me?" I pointed at myself.

"Yes, because of that time you delayed us going to the hospital, Lauren almost died. She had menorrhagia, Dayana. And that, that is very dangerous!"

I didn't move. For a moment I felt guilty and sorry for myself.

"Don't blame Dayana. She doesn't know anything." Lauren got up from her wheelchair. She walked towards me with a smile that I couldn't decipher. She held my hand, and suddenly, she pulled my hand very strongly. It was as if I was pushing her body.

"Dayana! What are you doing?! You've really turned into a monster woman now!" Evil words suddenly came out of Delon's mouth. I froze, still not understanding the current situation. It happened so fast that I had a hard time explaining what happened. I didn't even touch Lauren's body, but she seemed to be pushed by a strong wind, causing her body to fall down in pain.

Lauren whimpered in pain, saying that she just wanted to explain a misunderstanding. But I, accused of pushing her roughly.

"Go away, Dayana, and never come near Lauren again! You're a woman without a conscience!"

I walked backward. My tears were unstoppable. In front of me, for the umpteenth time, the man who was still my lover was helping another woman and trusting her more without even asking, was it true that I was violent?

Delon took Lauren into his arms, picked her up, and led her in the opposite direction. Very clearly, my eyes saw Lauren's face show a devious smile. That woman, she deliberately made me feel guilty in front of Delon. She really is cunning!

The people around me started whispering abuse at me, saying that I'm a relationship destroyer and even that I'm a woman with no feelings.

I wanted to scream out loud, saying that Lauren was the relationship destroyer! I was the victim! However, my strength was gone. I couldn't even bring myself to say no.

Sluggishly, I walked towards the exit. I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Dayana...." With my body limping and my eyes wide, I couldn't resist as someone pulled me to follow his lead.

Dayana's POV

"Eat it while it's warm," Delon said as he served me the almond porridge.

He was the one who dragged me all the way home. After cursing and insulting me to no end, he showed me some concern again—a concern that felt hollow.

I looked down, pushing the bowl of almond porridge away from me. Delon let out a long sigh, his expression annoyed. Perhaps he thought I was refusing his help.

"Eat it! Do you want to stay sick and die like that?" His voice rose, harsh, and he pushed the bowl back at me forcefully. I held back the tears that began to spill. I could no longer resist his words; my heart was breaking, but I couldn't say anything. Slowly, I shoveled the porridge into my mouth. It tasted sweet for a moment, but then my body burned slowly—a heat I couldn't stand.

"What if I suddenly die?" My voice was hoarse, enduring pain that was not only physical but also mental.

"How could you? It's a highly nutritious food. Good for your hypertension," he replied in a flat tone, his eyes still fixed on his phone screen. His body was here, but his mind was never really with me. From my position, I could see the chats between him and Lauren, every sweet word they sent, the affectionate calls that tore at my heart.

I could no longer continue eating. Slowly, I pushed the bowl away, and my actions only made Delon angrier.

"You really don't know yourself! I worked so hard to make that for you, and you just threw it away!" he shouted, his voice booming. My breathing was labored. I could no longer catch his words clearly. The world seemed to be spinning rapidly around me. My body felt weaker and weaker, and I almost lost consciousness. But Delon kept shouting, berating me, comparing me to Lauren—who always appreciated his efforts.

"Never mind! I'm leaving!" Delon turned around, his footsteps firm, heading for the door. I wanted to call out to him, but I was tonguetied, unable to utter a single word. Slowly, his footsteps moved away, and as the door closed, my body collapsed, falling to the floor.

I wasn't unappreciative of his efforts. I'm allergic to nuts, but he forgot that. I dragged my weak body, trying to find a drawer to search for allergy relief. I was grateful when I finally found the pills and swallowed them immediately, even though the reaction wouldn't come as quickly as I wanted. At least my life was saved.

On the cold, deserted floor, the tears continued to flow. A sudden shower of thunder fell, loud and shaking. I felt scared, my body shivering. I clung to myself, trying to calm down. In the past, at times like this, wherever Delon was, he would come, run to me, hug me, and calm my fears. But now, I was alone. I, who he had always put first, now felt so alienated.

A strong wind blew away the calendar lying on the table, and it stopped right in front of me. I stared at it, my eyes fixed on the date I marked with a red circle—our anniversary. Tomorrow. Five years ago, Delon and I made a commitment to share our lives, but now it's all come crashing down.

I remember very well how Delon declared his love for me. He invited his office friends to be witnesses, and he confidently declared his feelings. I, who had always secretly harbored love for him, unhesitatingly accepted his love. I gave my whole body and soul to him. I even left home, leaving everything behind for him. Five years of relationship, but it all ended like this—Delon cheated on me with Lauren, under the pretext of his best friend's younger sister.

"Tomorrow, I will give you a gift, Delon." I said in a flat voice, trying to contain the anger burning in my chest. "I'm sure you'll like it." I was tired of tolerating these two. Let the world know about their true relationship, how beautiful they were together.

The next second, my cell phone rang. Mama, she must be worried. I should have been at my real home, yet I was still stuck in this place. I quickly took the call.

"Dayana, where are you? Why haven't you arrived yet, child?" Mama's worried voice came from the other end.

"Sorry, Maa... I failed to go today," I answered quietly, while telling her about what had just happened.

After I finished telling the story, suddenly a man's voice was heard on the call. "I'll pick you up right now."

I paused. The voice was so soothing, so familiar, even though I didn't know who he was. "Who are you?" I asked, my heart racing.

Dayana's POV

[Throughout my life, he was the only one who truly protected and loved me. He never broke his promise not to leave me.]

To defend myself and show the truth, I decided to upload a video showing Delon and Lauren's affair. The video depicted them having sex in my car. Delon forgot that I had installed a CCTV that directly connected to my phone—a precaution he had suggested himself. The CCTV had now become my tool for revenge. I also showed the world that I was the betrayed lover.

That's the gift I promised.

After uploading the video, I turned off my phone. A private jet had been arranged to take me back home. I didn’t think much about what was happening with Delon and Lauren, but my mind was focused on one question: What will my future husband be like? Mama said she arranged the air transportation for me.

Upon arriving in my hometown, I was immediately greeted by my mother, who hugged me tightly, full of longing. Even though I had made the mistake of leaving home, Mama still loved me as she always had. I deeply regretted hurting her and choosing to live with a man who only gave me pain in the end.

"You've suffered enough, dear. From now on, I will make sure you're happy," Mama said after we hugged. I nodded, fully trusting her words. From now on, I wouldn’t argue with anything she said. More than I, Mama knew what was best for me.

"Welcome, Dayana..." A man's voice behind me startled me, and I immediately turned around. I froze, seeing him walk closer. A deep tension gripped me, making it hard to breathe.

"He is Mr. Leon, your future husband," Mama whispered, making my body go even stiffer. Who would have thought that the pilot of the plane I had just flown on was my future husband?

"Are you doing this because you want to repay me?" I asked, trying not to repeat the mistake of choosing the wrong man.

"Because I have loved you since the first time we met. Forgive me if I found it too late and let you get hurt," he answered, with a look full of warmth. For a few seconds, I stood still, mesmerized by everything he had, but I soon realized when he bent down, his eyes locked with mine, not blinking. How embarrassed I was when I was caught being mesmerized by his handsomeness.

Fortunately, that awkwardness quickly faded when someone came to inform me that it was time for the vows.

My marriage to Leon became a social media highlight after we were officially married. Guests took the opportunity to capture our happy moments and shared them on social media, showing their joy in witnessing our sacred vows.

I received many congratulations on social media.

"You got a diamond after discarding the gravel, Miss. Congratulations!" someone wrote in the comment section.

I forgot about Delon’s fate. From the comments, I knew Delon kept clarifying that he had never cheated on me.

I put down my phone, no longer caring about what was happening. I didn’t want to know more. Suddenly, a call came in from an unknown number. I answered it.

"Dayana! Where are you?" Delon's voice sounded panicked. How did he get my new number? I had blocked all means of communication between us.