After the women left the house, the silence felt heavier than usual. Ezra stood near the doorway, staring out at the now-empty yard. His face showed a confusion he couldn’t quite hide.
“Mom,” he finally said hesitantly, “why does it feel like people in this village don’t like you?”
Nila, who was tidying up the glasses, only glanced at him briefly. Her expression remained calm, as if the question wasn’t new to her.
“There’s no need to dwell on it,” she answered softly. “People are often afraid of what they don’t understand.”
Ezra frowned. “But earlier… it felt strange. They looked nice, but their words were sharp.” He paused, then added, “One of them, Mom—the one sitting near the door. I think she owns that little shop I told you about. She once gave me groceries for free. She was kind to me that day… even if she seemed a little odd.”
Nila stopped moving for a moment. A faint, unreadable smile touched her lips.
“I see,” she murmured shortly.
She offered no further explanation. Instead, she lightly patted his shoulder.
“Go take a shower. We’ll have dinner soon. Don’t carry adult problems in your head. If anything happens, tell me right away. Don’t keep it to yourself.”
Ezra obeyed, though his heart was still filled with questions. Ever since moving to this village, he had felt something strange in the way the locals treated him—and his mother. Whether it was directed at him or at her, most of their behavior disturbed the sense of comfort he used to have in his life.
***
That afternoon, Mrs. Juleha walked to Mrs. Carter’s house carrying a box of leftover pastries from the prayer gathering. Her original intention was simple, but as always, the urge to share stories was stronger.
Mrs. Carter welcomed her with a slightly stiff smile. They sat in the living room, and Mrs. Juleha began recounting everything that had happened at Nila’s house—how calmly Nila had responded, how the gossip had flipped direction, how the atmosphere had shifted into something uncomfortable.
Mrs. Carter’s face gradually tightened.
“She… said that?” she asked quietly.
A sudden unease rose in her chest. She masked it with a short laugh.
“Oh, just ignore her. I don’t care. Women like that are usually good with words. They know how to twist things around.”
Mrs. Juleha nodded eagerly, growing more animated. She added more assumptions, more suspicions, more prejudice—as if the fire needed extra fuel. Creating increasingly absurd stories simply to keep the conversation alive.
Before she could finish, Mrs. Carter’s phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number. She opened it—and her chest immediately tightened.
The message was from Nila.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. I just received your number. Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about what happened at the market yesterday. I really appreciate it. I hope more people become aware of harassment cases like that—especially among women.”
Another message followed.
“By the way, the photo you took looked a little blurry. So I’m sending you an edited version where it’s clearer. Thanks again. Consider this my friendly gesture as the new neighbor.”
The phone suddenly felt heavy in Mrs. Carter’s hand. Her breathing quickened. Cold sweat gathered at her temples. She didn’t know why her heart was pounding so wildly—after all, she believed she had done nothing wrong.
Mrs. Juleha noticed the change.
“Mrs. Carter? You look pale.”
Mrs. Carter flinched and quickly put her phone away.
“It’s nothing. Just tired. Not feeling well,” she said shortly. “I think I need to rest. Sorry, Mrs. Juleha. Maybe you should head home.” Her smile looked strange.
“Oh… alright then. I’ll get going,” Mrs. Juleha replied, nodding, though suspicion crept into her thoughts. Something was clearly off—but she chose to leave without pressing further.
***
In Ani’s bedroom, the curtains were tightly shut. The door was locked.
Dim light illuminated her body, wrapped in extremely revealing clothes—a thin white shirt that showed the black lingerie underneath, and a skirt just as short. Her body moved to the rhythm of music playing from her phone screen. Her face was covered by a tiger-pattern mask. She was livestreaming—doing what had long become her source of fast money.
Donation after donation came in.
The name Tajul appeared again—her loyal silent viewer. Ani responded as she usually did, without much thought. This routine had become second nature to her whenever she needed quick cash.
But that night was different.
A new account sent a donation of ten million rupiah.
Ani froze. Her heart pounded. It was the largest amount she had ever received.
“Impossible… what kind of crazy person would spend that much money?” she muttered in disbelief.
Another message followed—requesting more, promising even greater payment.
Ani hesitated… but only for a moment. The offer was too tempting. Without thinking further, she removed her white shirt, leaving only her lingerie, then lifted her skirt as high as she could.
Unbeknownst to her, behind the screen, someone was recording everything. Saving it carefully. Quietly.
***
The next day, Ezra came home early because his teacher had a meeting. He planned to use the extra time for a study session. His thoughts drifted to Mia—his classmate known for being smart and diligent.
When he invited her, Mia hesitated.
“I’m afraid of becoming gossip,” she admitted honestly. “We’re opposite genders. You know how people are in this village. It’s not like where you used to live. I’m scared they’ll misunderstand if they see me at your house.”
Ezra was surprised by her explanation. Thinking about it, she was right. Living in a village was different from the city. But from the bottom of his heart, he simply wanted to study together.
“It’s okay. My mom will be home,” he quickly explained. “I just want to study. I admire how serious you are about school, Mia. Besides… I have that book you’ve been looking for.”
Mia finally nodded, agreeing. She trusted Ezra—she could see he was a good person, someone who seemed to share a quiet similarity with her.
But from a distance, Parmin was watching. Dislike crept into his eyes. When Ezra walked past him, Parmin deliberately bumped his shoulder.
Ezra chose to stay silent. But Mia didn’t.
“Leave Ezra alone,” she said firmly.
Those words were like a spark to dry tinder. Parmin hissed under his breath.
“Watch yourself.”
Mia grabbed Ezra’s hand and pulled him away without another word.
***
At three in the afternoon, Mia arrived at Ezra’s house.
Nila welcomed her warmly. A kind smile. Polite greetings. Nothing like the rumors that had been spreading.
But the calm shattered when someone appeared in the yard.
Parmin.
A machete gripped tightly in his hand.