Chapter 89 - The Backbiters Neighbor

"Hanin, let's go home." Rere grabbed Hanin's arm when she saw the girl playing in the park with the triplets. The four children were having a picnic. Incidentally, the housing complex provides a green garden for residents to relax from their busy routine. 

Rere didn't want to be lectured by Ainil, so she decided to drag Hanin home. She couldn't be gentle and kept her voice low anymore.

"I don't want to go home with auntie."

"Let's go home." Rere gripped her stepdaughter's hand.

"Take your hands off. I want to play."

"Hanin, can you hear mommy? Be an obedient girl."

"I learned everything from you."

"What have you learned? I never taught you to be a bad kid."

"You teach me to be like this." Hanin is firm in her stance.

"Don't make mommy angry, girl. Can you be a good girl?"

"You're no different than me," Hanin retorted as she took a toy cooking utensil and poured sand inside, and gave it to Salsa.

"Thank you." Salsa smiled sweetly.

"Hanin, listen to mommy. Let's go home now since It's late, plus you should take a bath."

"I will take a bath at Mom Dila's place."

"I am your mother, not Dila."

"Not. My mother is mom Ananya, not you."

"I know that I can't replace Mom Ananya's position but you need to remember that I am your mother now. I just want to take care of you like Leon."

"Just take care of Leon. I'm not your daughter!"

"Hanin," Rere's emotion was provoked as she decided to drag Hanin home.

"Rere, what are you doing?" Dila gets annoyed seeing Rere drag Hanin. 

"This is my business. Do not interfere."

"It's my business because you hurt Hanin."

The girl ran and hid behind Dila's back as soon as Rere let go of her hand.

"Mom, I'm scared. She is like a witch," Hanin said sarcastically at Rere.

The triplets were busy playing with the sand, so they weren't affected by Rere and Hanin's fight.

"Re, you can't force Hanin to go with you," Dila slowly explained.

"You spoil her too much," Rere retorted.

Dila was shocked and shuddered because it was the first time Rere spoke rudely to her.

"I spoiled her?" Dila did not accept what Rere said as she approached Rere.

"Why are you angry, sis? It is true that Hanin's spoiled."

"How can Hanin obey you if you don't treat her nicely. You promised to love her as you love Leon, but in fact, you only care about Leon and ignored her. I have been silent all this time because I still believe that you will be mature and wise."

"Don't interfere. It's a mother-daughter affair."

"It's my business since Dino has entrusted Hanin to me. No wonder Hanin doesn't want to live with you and Dino leaves his daughter to me. Turns out you were really that bad."

"Don't talk nonsense, sis." Rere cannot accept what Dila said as her emotions exploded.

The debate between Dila and Rere attracted the attention of the women in the complex as they gathered to watch the drama.

"Isn't that Mr. Bara's wife and sister?"

"You are right."

"Looks like they had a fight."

"Yes. They're fighting over Hanin."

"Rere is the girl who is pregnant out of wedlock, right?" An old woman who still looks so young glanced at her friends.

"Huss! Don't talk out loud. They'll hear you."

A mother took a cell phone and recorded Dila and Rere's fight.

"She is now married to Leon's biological father."

"Why did they just get married now?"

"People said that Leon's father used to have a wife. Rere is a homewrecker in that marriage, that's why they don't get married sooner and just do it after the man's wife's death."

"Rere is a lowly woman. Even though she is rich, she wants to be the mistress of a married man. She really has no shame. What is she looking for? Since she has been rich since birth, it is not like she is after his wealth."

"Rere reminds me of Da Kyung in a Korean drama. She is rich but wants to snatch away another woman's husband. Creepy."

"The woman is so annoying. She has no respect for her parent. It's only natural that her stepdaughter doesn't like her."

"Hanin, mommy told you once again. You need to go home, take a shower, and then do your homework." Rere forced Hanin to go home.

"Come on, Re. Don't force Hanin." 

"Don't interfere, sis."

"The sister-in-law has no morals," said one of the complex's mothers. Judging from her style, the mother is the head of the backbiter mother in the complex.

"What business do you have to say that to me?" Rere was angry and didn't accept such a comment.

"You are really impolite. No wonder your stepdaughter doesn't want to live with you. Just after Hanin's father has returned to KL, you immediately started to abuse her. You seem like a cruel stepmother."

"Hey old woman, don't talk nonsense." Rere doesn't want to lose since she is mentally strong. Her mother's insult when she was pregnant with Leon had shaped her to be an ignorant woman.

"Hanin must only get proper treatment from her mother when she is around her father."

"Please…. ladies. It's not what you think." Dila tried to mediate.

"Don't defend her, Dila. We have heard your fight," said one of the women.

"It's not what you think. It's just a misunderstanding."

"I always seem ugly in the eyes of this backbiter." Rere approached one of the mothers. She took one of the woman's cell phones since she was recording everything. Rere quickly deleted the video. "Don't meddle in my business by recording everything."

"You need to talk politely to older people."

"You are being disrespectful. I am talking to my sister-in-law, why are you guys getting angry? Are you happy to see us fight?"

"You arrogant girl. You homewrecker!"

"What did you say? a homewrecker?" Rere was angry.

"Yes, you are a whore. You can't marry Leon's father because at that time he still had a wife, isn't it? It's useless to study abroad if you end up making babies out of wedlock."

"Karma exists, so you need to watch your mouth. You have a daughter, right? Don't go around insulting other people. Shame on you if this happened to your child!" Rere is irritated. She found the right moment to avenge the complex backbiter. Even though they are socialites, basically women like to gossip. The more they gossiped the more interesting the story. 

"You have a stinky mouth, lady. Is that a public toilet?" Another woman retorted.

Rere clenched her fists in annoyance. If she doesn't regard them as Ainil's friends at social gatherings, Rere might slap them one by one.

"It's enough." Dila tried to be the middleman. "This is our family business. Please respect our privacy since we didn't bother you."

"You are weird, Dila. She is being very rude. We're just helping you."

"Thanks, but there's no need to do that."

The backbiting gang went back to their own homes. They were disappointed because they couldn't watch a good drama.

"Next time don't speak loudly in public." Dila reminded Rere.

"You can blame Hanin for disobeying me."

"Don't be selfish, Rere."

"I'm not selfish. I'm just trying to be a mother. I don't want to be labeled a cruel stepmother."

"This is not the way to do that, Re. There's no need to be emotionally facing a child of Hanin's age. I will make her understand. You need to calm down."

"Mom, I don't want to go back to Aunt Rere's home." Hanin put her hand on her hips while giving Rere a murderous look.

*****

"Re, can we talk?" Bara approached Rere who was sitting in the pool. 

"What?" Rere glared at his stepbrother. "Do you want to defend your wife?"

"Why do you think so?" Bara was surprised to find her sister's rude attitude.

"What else do you want to talk about if it's not about the park incident."

"What happened?" Bara was confused. He didn't understand what Rere said.

"Don't be foolish. Dila must have told you that we had a fight in the park earlier. I hate your wife! She humiliated me and the backbiting mothers also insulted me."

"What do you mean?" Bara was furious and grabbed Rere's arm. He was angry because Rere had started to be disrespectful to him.

"Don't pretend that you know nothing."

"Dila didn't tell me anything!" Bara snapped at Rere. His face was sour and his gaze was sharp."

"I'm telling the truth." Bara glanced at Rere. He stared intently as if he wanted to destroy Rere. 

Dumbfounded and confused, Rere looked at Bara. The woman shuddered at Bara's expression. Rere regretted accusing his brother since the man did not seem to know anything. Did Dila did not tell her husband what happened in the park this afternoon? 

Bara sighed as he walked toward Rere. He touched Rere's shoulder and spoke softly, "What happened?"

"Sis Dila didn't tell you?" Rere still finds it hard to believe that Bara doesn't know anything about the incident.

"Seriously," Bara replied slowly. "Tell me!"