Chapter 3 Save Her: Their First Intention

"Mr. Bram, are you done?"

While walking, the man with the name Bram gasped and immediately turned his eyes towards his secretary. Bram was a bit stunned for a moment, then he laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm done with my business. Did you wait long for me?" Bram asked.

The man in front of Bram nodded his head.

"I've finished monitoring the results of the survey of public interest in our magazine," said Yoshua, Bram's secretary.

Bram looked at Yoshua curiously. Although part of him was still thinking about the situation of the woman who had fought over her lover's infidelity earlier.

"So, what did you find?" asked Bram.

Yoshua showed his tablet which contained data on consumer interest for Bram's fashion company magazine. For a few moments, Yoshua briefly explained the results Bram needed.

Bram just nodded his head repeatedly as he listened to Yoshua's explanation.

"...so maybe we can extend the production of magazines like this. Because it seems, consumers are more interested in this magazine model," Yoshua ended his explanation.

"Do you know who writes this magazine?" asked Bram.

"In this magazine, the writer uses a pseudonym. But I'll try to find out who this pseudonym belongs to at the AlbayFashion company," Yoshua replied later.

Bram nodded in agreement as he tapped Yoshua briefly on the shoulder.

"Good job. I'll be waiting for your next report," Bram replied.

"All right, Mr. Bram. But... what were you doing earlier? You seem to be thinking about something right now," Yoshua said as he watched Bram's face.

Bram was instantly a bit embarrassed after Yoshua apparently noticed his agitation.

"Ah, this... I was actually thinking about..." Bram stopped talking, he didn't know what alibi to give.

Bram could not understand the affair he had witnessed earlier. He had never seen such an incident in a place like the Book Festival.

Besides, since when did someone have an affair at the Book Festival?

"Let's talk somewhere else, Yoshua," Bram replied later.

Joshua agreed with Bram before they walked to one of the restaurants. Bram chose an outdoor seat with a view of the entire outlet building, while Yoshua chose to order food.

After Yoshua said goodbye to walk to order food, Bram occasionally looked around. At that moment, Bram actually remembered the affair he witnessed a few minutes ago. He did not expect that he would witness such an incident.

"Who would expect to witness their lover having an affair at a book festival?" muttered Bram who couldn't help but smile.

Even so, Bram also thought about how the woman felt-who, unfortunately, Bram forgot to ask what her name was.

"What are you thinking about, Mr. Bram?"

Bram's gaze shifted to Yoshua who had just arrived with two drinks. Bram instantly came to his senses and changed his sitting position to look like he wasn't thinking about something.

"No, I'm not. I was just... thinking about how to strategize selling the magazine," Bram replied briefly and lied.

Joshua frowned. "Why are you thinking about that? Our magazine is already getting a lot of enthusiasm, but... it's not much more than the magazine from the fashion company I told you about earlier."

Bram immediately let out a long sigh. "Ah... right. I was just wondering who wrote that magazine until it got its third reprint," he replied with a thoughtful expression.

Bram wasn't entirely lying. Besides thinking about the woman who had been cheated on at the festival, he was also very curious about the magazine Yoshua had told him about.

As the CEO of a well-known fashion company, Bram really wanted his company's magazine sales to increase rapidly. That was why Bram was thinking about who wrote the magazine for the AlbyFashion company.

"Do you want me to contact the editorial department of AlbyFashion now?" Yoshua asked.

"No, you don't have to call right now," Bram replied quickly. "I just feel very curious."

Yoshua then replied, "You seem very curious. I can find out who the author of the magazine is right away."

"If you insist, then go ahead and do it," Bram finally replied.

Yoshua immediately nodded his head and picked up his cell phone. At that moment Yoshua seemed to be fiddling with his cell phone to find the phone contact of the editor-in-chief of the AlbyFashion company.

Yoshua waited for a few seconds, before finally picking up the phone and saying, "Hello, Mr. Petra. I am very interested in the new magazine you have published. Can I find out who the author is? This is Mr. Bram's request."

For a few seconds Joshua seemed to be listening seriously, he looked directly at Bram. Gradually his enthusiastic smile broadened.

"Ah, all right. I will be very happy if you do that, thank you," Yoshua replied.

Bram then looked at Yoshua who had finished the call.

"How did it go?" Bram asked.

Yoshua said, "They will send me who wrote the magazine."

Bram cracked a smile. "Thank goodness. Send me who wrote it, I just want the magazine writers in our company to learn from it."

"Very well, Mr. Bram," Joshua replied. "But, are you sure you don't have anything else in mind?"

Bram's long murmur rang out. There was no more sound. Because Bram was focused on thinking, Yoshua frowned because he felt something was off about Bram's gesture. After a few seconds, Bram leaned back and folded his hands before turning his gaze to Yoshua.

Bram looked unsure as he said to Yoshua, "Have you ever come across any instances of infidelity, Yoshua?"

Suddenly Yoshua coughed after hearing Bram's question. He was surprised that Bram would suddenly ask that.

Then, after the choking cough had subsided slowly, Yoshua's panicked expression appeared.

"Did you just get cheated on, Mr. Bram?" Yoshua asked.

Bram chuckled. "How can I be cheated on if I don't have a girlfriend?"

"But why are you asking that?"

Although Bram was stricken with embarrassment at having to ask something that confused him, he replied, "Actually, I witnessed an incident of infidelity a few hours ago."

Joshua raised an eyebrow, looked at Bram with an astonished look, after which he almost smiled with laughter. He casually took a sip of his drink first before finally giving Bram a curious look.

"Where did that happen?"

"Here, someone I know-no, I don't really know him. Just had some accidental experiences," Bram explained.

"I never witnessed that. Who was cheated on? The woman or the man-"

"The woman."

Instantly Yoshua gave Bram a teasing smile.

"Wow, did you just get acquainted with a woman, Mr. Bram?"

Bram turned his gaze sharply to Yoshua. He had expected Yoshua's reaction to be like this. Therefore, he had been hesitant to ask about the affair he had witnessed. However, if he didn't ask, Bram's curiosity would have been agonizing.

Bram finally sighed. "Not acquainted in the context of romance, Yoshua Only accidentally met, but I witnessed his girlfriend having an affair here."

"Here?" asked Yoshua, then sighed heavily. "Ah, that poor woman. She must not be feeling very well."

"That's why I'm asking you. Does it hurt a lot to watch your lover cheat on you?"

"Of course," Joshua replied quickly. "Oh my. You've never been in a relationship, Mr. Bram."

Bram rubbed the back of his neck. "That's right, I've never been in a relationship. I don't know how people feel."

"So, what do you want to do? Do you want to do something nice for her?"

"Why would I do that? I'm just curious how he feels."

Yoshua smiled meaningfully. "Oh my. You're so caring, but so prestigious. You should have done something if you asked her how she felt."

This time, Bram did not want to fall for Yoshua's persuasion when he said that. It seemed impossible for Bram to do something to comfort someone he had just met, right?

How strange.

"No way," Bram refused. "He'll think all sorts of weird things if I do that. After all, she must have her own way of healing her feelings."

"Ah, you're so cruel and heartless," Joshua commented.

Bram frowned while glaring disapprovingly. "I'm not like that. At least I questioned how she felt. I didn't want to do more because we just met."

Yoshua just shook his head when Bram said that. It wasn't long before Yoshua saw a notification pop up on his cell phone. He then took the phone and saw who sent the message.

After finding out that it was Mr. Petra, the editor-in-chief of the AlbyFashion company, Yoshua enthusiastically showed it to Bram.

"Mr. Bram, take a look!" Yoshua said as he held up the screen of his phone. "Mr. Petra sent who wrote... wait, a woman?"

Bram frowned. After a few seconds of Yoshua sending what he had received from Mr. Petra, he looked at his phone.

Bram was wide-eyed.

"The writer of the magazine at that company is the woman I witnessed her boyfriend cheating on her with?"

***

FIREWORKS DISPLAY

(Take your seats and watch!)

[The splendor of fireworks

takes place at the Book Festival

tonight!"]

Now Bram and Yoshua's attention was fully focused on the contents of the flyer. When the cashier told him the total price of the book, instead of answering, Bram asked the cashier a question in return.

"Is this event here?" Bram asked without averting his gaze.

"Oh, right, sir. There's a fireworks display at twelve o'clock in the evening," the female cashier explained. "During the Book Festival, it's rare to include a fireworks display."

Bram nodded in understanding at the cashier's explanation. After paying and smiling briefly as a gesture of thanks, Bram looked at the clock on his wrist.

There's still fifteen minutes left, he said to himself.

There was curiosity sparked in his chest at the thought of what the fireworks display would be like.

"Would you like to watch this, Mr. Bram?" asked Joshua.

Bram nodded. "Maybe we should watch this before we go home. It's exhausting to go home and see work again."

Yoshua just nodded in compliance with Bram's request. After that they had only taken three steps away from the tented bookstore, but something stopped them. Bram's pair of irises accidentally caught sight of a woman he knew very well.

That's the woman whose boyfriend was cheating on her and a magazine writer at fashion company AlbyFashion!

"Yoshua, I'm going to someone, you can wait somewhere else," Bram said to Yoshua.

Yoshua didn't have time to answer when Bram took one of the drinks that was still sealed in his hand. Then Bram gave him some money.

"Buy it.

Bram looked at the milky coffee drink in his hand, then looked at the person there. A woman who seemed to be stepping rather clumsily while occasionally tightening the straps of her backpack. As if she was wary of being stalked by who knows what. She didn't realize Bram was here. And Bram didn't expect that either.

Turning away from that thought, Bram sighed and resumed his delayed steps. Bram decided to make a detour to one of the confectionery food courts. No matter what, if there was candy, Bram would hunt it down!

***

In front of a fairly large building, Patricia was stunned. It had been three minutes since she had filled in the visitor's list for the poetry theater performance, and her body only froze at the size of the building and the excitement of the visitors moving towards the entrance. A sign was displayed on a medium-sized board: Welcome to the Night of Silence.

Patricia shuddered slightly. Actually, she didn't know what kind of performance the poetry and theater communities would be putting on.

But from the outside, she could see a bit of the inside of the building, dark without any lights. Patricia immediately thought of horror movies. Unfortunately, it was impossible because this was not a movie theater. Or do the performances inside include elements of horror?

Patricia sighed. Not wanting to guess too much, she finally moved her feet towards the door of the building. The distance between the queue to fill in the visitor list and the entrance was quite far. The courtyard was filled with several teenagers who were busy taking pictures, who knows what for, and Patricia didn't care.

Her eyes were only on the building as she walked. As if mesmerized by the thoughts of what would be found inside. She shuddered a little, but on the other hand, her curiosity had peaked.

When they arrived at the entrance, the darkness of the building became clearer. Patricia gawked a little inside. She was even more stunned to find that there were two paths that seemed to be quite long-as long as there was no visible light at the end, Patricia believed that the dark path must be long.

A rough sigh could be heard again.

"Well, this isn't even more horrifying than watching John have an affair in this place. But why do I feel horrible?" muttered Patricia.

There was a split second for Patricia to consider whether to go inside or would it be better to abort?

Unfortunately, this kind of performance is rare.

Especially since the Book Festival is only held once a year.

More and more people went inside. Patricia's body moved out of the way to avoid being knocked over. She could have followed the visitors. But all the visitors went through both lanes - surprisingly, there were so many visitors who exited the building through both lanes, making the incoming and outgoing visitors mixed. While busy gawking inside, considering the darkness, Patricia felt like retreating!

"Are you happy being in the middle and blocking someone?"

Someone's voice jolted Patricia into consciousness. Immediately turning her head, Patricia was stunned for a moment to see a familiar man standing behind her. No expression gave Patricia goosebumps. The slight frown on Patricia's face indicated awkwardness. She hurriedly stepped aside to make way with her gaze already diverted.

Meanwhile, the man moved forward without looking at Patricia. But already embarrassed, Patricia moved her face in the opposite direction of the man, intending to cover her embarrassment. But unfortunately, the man stopped after realizing that she was still where she stood. He turned around to face Patricia, looking at her in surprise for a few seconds.

"Until when?"

Patricia looked up, seeing the man in front of her giving her a straight, piercing stare.

"Huh? What... do you mean?" asked Patricia. "Hey, why are you here too? Are you following me?"

Bram couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not following you. What for?"