Once again, Mario booked a ride-hailing motorcycle to meet his ex-wife at the office of attorney Rinaldo Situmorang downtown.

After a 30-minute trip, he arrived at the law firm. He thanked the driver, and entered the impressive five-story office building.

"Good afternoon, Sir. How may I help you?" the front desk receptionist greeted him.

Mario stood at the counter and replied, "Good afternoon, Ma'am. I have an appointment to meet Rosita. Is she here?"

The receptionist glanced at a colleague beside her, who gave a meaningful nod. "Oh yes, Sir. Please wait just a moment while I let her know. Have a seat first," she said politely.

Soon after, Rosita emerged from the back of the office, and walked toward where Mario was sitting. She gave him a sweet smile, looking striking in a black cocktail dress that showed off her smooth white arms, and thighs. She carried a designer handbag, and the click of her high heels echoed clearly against the floor as she approached the sofa.

She brushed her long, straight hair over one shoulder, and looked at him. "What do you need, sir? It's unusual for you to look for me," Rosita said casually, as if she felt no guilt at all.

Mario stared at her with a troubled expression, part anger, part sadness, part despair. "Ros, my house, car, and gym equipment have all been seized by the bank. Did you know about this?"

To Mario's shock, Rosita burst out laughing. "Hahaha ... so they seized everything today, did they?"

Mario was stunned. "Why are you laughing, Ros?!"

"I'm sorry, Mario. I used the bank loan money for my daily expenses. You know how it is, women have so many needs," Rosita said without a hint of remorse, still smiling.

"Daily expenses? Ros, that loan was nearly two billion rupiah. Have you lost your mind?!" Mario shot back, barely able to believe his ex-wife's words. He felt like exploding with rage.

Rosita glanced down at her sharp, blood-red manicured nails. "Lots of things, Sir, body treatments, bags, clothes, group savings clubs ... I mean, there was a lot. I don't feel like listing everything one by one!"

Mario pressed his palm to his forehead. All his assets had been used as collateral for a loan his ex-wife had spent on frivolous luxuries. His heart shattered, just like his future.

"Ros, have you gone crazy? My life is ruined! You're having fun at my expense," he said weakly.

His ex-wife scoffed, eyeing him coldly. "You should know better! You married me, yet you were so stingy with spending money. Women need cash to take care of themselves, and look good. How embarrassing to be married to a fitness celebrity, and look plain!"

"Oh my god, Ros. I never knew you were this materialistic. Did you ever even love me during our two years of marriage?" Mario asked in disbelief, as if he didn't recognize the woman in front of him. This was the same person who'd shared his ups, and downs since the start of his career, who'd shared his bed for nearly two years.

"LOVE?!" Rosita exclaimed with a sneer. "What's love, sir? It doesn't fill your stomach, and it certainly doesn't make you beautiful!"

Mario covered his face with both hands, fighting back tears. His ex-wife felt no guilt, or concern for his situation, instead, she judged him. The love he'd once given her meant nothing to her now.

He remembered how she'd showered him with praise in the past, how she'd whispered words of love when they were dating, and in the early days of their marriage. Nothing like now. It was just like that popular saying these days: "If you have money, I love you, dear. If you don't, I'll kick you to the curb."

Mario suddenly recalled why he'd come to see her. "Ros, what about our joint savings account? Is that still there?" he asked hopefully. It held money he'd set aside throughout his career.

Rosita laughed loudly, looking at him with bewilderment. "Sir, what joint savings account? That's been empty for a long time."

Her answer left Mario reeling. There should have been several hundred million rupiah in there-earnings from his commercial contracts, and social media endorsements.

"ROSITA, YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR!" Mario shouted, standing up, and pointing at her face. He could no longer hold back his emotions.

Rinaldo Situmorang rushed over to him. "Sir, please calm down!"

Rosita stood up quickly, and wrapped her arm around Rinaldo's waist. "Mr. Aldo, I'm scared ... my ex-husband has been yelling at me this whole time," she said in a feigned innocent tone, acting as if she were terrified.

Seeing his ex-wife being affectionate with their divorce lawyer left Mario stunned. Had they been seeing each other behind his back?

"Mr. Aldo, are you dating Rosita?" Mario demanded impatiently.

Rinaldo looked at him seriously, and replied, "Rosita is my wife now, sir. We got married two weeks ago."

The words hit Mario like a punch to the gut. It hadn't taken his ex-wife long to move on from him.

Mario let out a heavy sigh. Life had dealt him a cruel hand. He'd clearly chosen the wrong wife. His mother had been right when he'd asked for her blessing to marry, beauty wasn't a guarantee of marital happiness. His luck was truly terrible!

"Mr. Mario, if you're done talking to me, you should probably head home ..." Rosita said sarcastically, still clinging to her new husband's waist.

"Oh, Mr. Aldo. Should we go have lunch at PS Mall?" she asked.

"Absolutely, let's leave now, Ros," Rinaldo replied tenderly.

"We'll be going now, Mr. Mario," Rinaldo said, smiling with a look of triumph as he put his arm around Rosita's shoulder, and led her toward the building's exit.

Mario collapsed onto the sofa. His world was in ruins. He held his head in his hands, and stared at the floor.

Clear tears streamed from the corners of his eyes. He couldn't hold back the pain in his heart any longer.

Once, he'd been adored, and praised by millions of women across the country. They'd called him handsome, sexy, hot, macho, and more.

Now, he couldn't even bear to look at himself in a mirror. Everything inside him was gone. His confidence was shattered, and he felt his self-worth had been trampled into the ground with no way to fight back. Everything he'd owned had vanished without a trace. He'd become a penniless man with no future.

Mario Chandra was no longer the glamorous fitness celebrity admired by women everywhere. He was nobody at all!

Finally, Mario left Rinaldo Situmorang's office building, and began walking. He had no idea where to go. He wandered along the sidewalk until he spotted a small street food stall, then stepped under its awning, and sat on the long wooden bench in front of the cart.

"Sir, one sweet tea, and one serving of vegetable rice, please," he ordered, feeling weak from not having eaten all day.

When his food arrived, Mario ate it quickly without complaining about its simple appearance, or taste. He needed to regain his strength, that was all that mattered right now.

After his simple meal, Mario booked another ride-hailing motorcycle using the app on his phone. He had no vehicle of his own now, and there was only one place that would welcome him at this point; his parents' home.

A few minutes later, the driver arrived, and Mario climbed onto the bike. He remained silent for the entire trip to his parents' house, his mind too exhausted to think anymore.

After navigating narrow, winding alleyways, they finally reached the front of the house.

It was a sturdy, medium-sized older home with clay tile roofing, built back during the New Order government era. The front was enclosed by a sliding iron gate, its faded yellow paint peeling and spots of rust visible across the metal.

Mario slid the gate open and walked toward the porch, then knocked several times on the solid teak wood door.

"Coming ... just a moment," a voice called from inside.

The door swung open, and his mother looked at him in surprise. "Mario ...? What a surprise ... you didn't call ahead? Come in ... come in."

Without hesitation, Mario wrapped his arms around his aging, wrinkled mother and wept openly, unable to speak a single word. He felt ashamed to have failed at everything, returning to his parents' home with his pride shattered, his future uncertain, and now homeless as of that very day.

Mario was the second of three children born to Indah Nurhayati and Burhan Raharjo. His older brother Rudi Prasetyo, 32, was married and lived in Balikpapan, while his younger sister Maharani Meirasty, 18, would graduate from high school this year.

Seemingly understanding her son's pain, Mrs. Indah said, "It's okay to cry, Son. Let it all out." She led Mario to a bamboo chair near the porch door and gently stroked his head as he rested it on her shoulder. She could tell he was carrying an enormous burden.

Once he'd calmed a little, Mario began telling his mother what had happened. "Mom, I have nothing left now. Everything I worked so hard for is gone. Rosita put up all my valuables as collateral with a predatory lender ... everything was seized this morning!"

Mrs. Indah's heart ached as she listened. She knew how hard Mario had worked since he was young, sending part of his earnings home to them every month. He'd never been lazy or irresponsible.

"Be patient, Son. Don't lose hope. You're still young, and you have your whole life ahead of you. This home will always be open for you to come back to. Wealth can be rebuilt, but I want to tell you one thing ... if you marry again someday, find someone whose heart truly accepts you for who you are," Mrs. Indah advised, gently patting his back.

"Yes, Mom. I never imagined Rosita only wanted a life of luxury. I thought she was someone who'd stand by me through good times and bad," Mario said, staring down at the floor.

Mrs. Indah just smiled in response. She'd known about her former daughter-in-law's unpleasant nature for a long time. Rosita had always been rude and arrogant whenever they'd met, likely because Mario's family came from humble means and was used to living simply.

"I'll pray you find the right person for you, Mario. A woman who can stand by you through life's hardships," Mrs. Indah said softly.

Mario looked at his mother's calm face and found peace there. "Amen. Thank you, Mom. But I need time to heal first, what Rosita did has left me so disappointed in women," he said, his eyes glassy with tears.

Mrs. Indah patted his back again. "Not all women are like Rosita, Dear. Before you decide to marry again, make sure you get to know your partner well first. Don't end up failing a second time because you weren't compatible."

"Yes, Mom. I'll remember your advice," Mario replied, smiling at her.

Suddenly, his phone rang inside his bag. He answered the call from an unknown number.

"Hello," Mario said.

"Hello, Mr. Mario Chandra. This is Aliya from BNI Credit Card Services. Your bill for this month is 3 million rupiah and remains unpaid, Sir," the voice on the other end said.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I've never made any purchases with a BNI credit card. How could there be a bill like that?" Mario asked, confused and his heart beginning to race-he only had about 5 million rupiah left in his personal account.

"The transactions are listed on your monthly statement, Sir. Our records show payments to Kanaya Boutique and Rotteli Shoe Outlet," Ms. Aliya explained.

Mario sighed heavily and rubbed his temples, feeling dizzy. It seemed Rosita had been using a credit card in his name to shop. He'd been too careless to entrust all financial matters to her, and he likely signed loan documents without reading them carefully.

"Ma'am, can the card be closed?" Mario asked, not wanting to be dragged into more debt caused by his ex-wife.

"Yes, Sir. But all outstanding balances must be paid first. For your information, the 3 million rupiah is just this month's bill, your total unpaid balance is over 30 million rupiah, Sir," Ms. Aliya added.

Oh my god! Mario had no idea where he'd get 30 million rupiah. He felt completely overwhelmed, and finally ended the call with BNI's credit card department.

"What is it, Son? You look so shocked," Mrs. Indah asked, confused by his reaction.

Mario closed his eyes, feeling like life's path had never been harder. "Rosita was shopping with a credit card in my name, Mom. The total bill is around 30 million rupiah. I only have 5 million left in savings now. To close the card, I have to pay all 30 million first."

"Oh my goodness, Son. Just stay strong," Mrs. Indah said, covering her mouth in sympathy.

"Come on ... you should take a bath and rest now," she added, taking his arm and leading him inside the house.

"Thank you, Mom. I'm truly exhausted, both in body and spirit. I hope I can find a way out of all this," Mario said, walking side by side with his mother.

As usual before bed, Inez scrolled through the photo gallery on her phone. She'd had a crush on her gym's personal trainer, Mario Chandra, for a long time, often taking candid shots of him during their private training sessions. Her gallery was filled with pictures of Mario in all kinds of poses and expressions.

He was tall and muscular, with a broad chest and six-pack abs. She'd often imagined tracing her fingers over his firm muscles. His face was warm and friendly too, when he smiled, dimples appeared on both cheeks, making him look almost boyish.

He seemed to be of Javanese descent. Sometimes when they joked around, his Javanese accent would slip out, making Inez giggle uncontrollably.

Throughout their private training sessions, Mario had never flirted with her or acted inappropriately. In fact, it was usually Inez who playfully teased him. It wasn't that she was being forward or pushy-he was just so endearing, and every time she teased him, his face would flush pink as he smiled shyly.

Inez had a slender, curvy figure with fullness in all the right places, which often drew inappropriate stares from men. Her skin was a warm honey-brown, and she stood at an average height. Her great-grandfather had been a Dutch immigrant, so her features still carried Caucasian traits: deep brown eyes, a high nose bridge, and hair the color of rich golden honey.

This year, Inez had turned 40. Her only daughter, Clara, was 17 years old. Inez's husband had passed away from kidney failure when Clara was just 10.

Her late husband's family was wealthy, with businesses in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, their well-known brand was often seen in TV commercials.

Since her husband's death, Inez had not remarried. Many mature, wealthy men had tried to court her, but she'd turned them all down. Her priority was raising Clara, and she worried her daughter would feel left out if she married again.

In truth, Clara had encouraged her to find a new partner to replace her father, always saying her mom was too beautiful and young-looking to stay single forever.

Unfortunately, the man she'd grown to admire was already married, and much younger than she was. So Inez was content to be his secret admirer. Maybe in another life, they would be meant for each other. She would never try to take another woman's husband.

Besides, she wasn't sure if Mario felt the same way about her. He never responded to her teasing in an over-the-top way, they usually just chatted, and there was never any physical contact that could be considered intimate.

Inez sometimes wondered what generation Mario belonged to. He was so different from other men his age, who could be vulgar and aggressive. Most men his age would send her flirtatious messages on social media.

Occasionally, she'd get so frustrated that she'd block followers who sent her lewd messages or video calls with questionable intentions.

Inez was almost asleep, her phone nearly slipping from her hand, when it suddenly rang. It was Dewi, her gym friend. She answered right away.

"Hello, surprising to get a call this late, isn't it?" Inez said, curious.

"Hi, Inez! I've got some hot gossip. I had to call you right away," Dewi said excitedly.

Inez's interest was piqued. "What kind of gossip, Dewi?"

"Our gym was shut down today! Debt collectors seized it, and word is Mario has gone bankrupt and can't pay his debts," Dewi explained.

"What?! How is that possible? Are you serious?" Inez pressed, unable to believe the man she admired would be the type to get into debt.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Mario yourself. You're close with him, after all!" Dewi said, sounding a bit hurt that Inez had doubted her.

"Hmm ... okay, I'll ask him directly. Thanks for letting me know, Dewi. Good night," Inez said, hurrying to end the call.

"How could this happen? Just this morning, our session was completely normal. Mario was joking around like always," Inez said to herself, pacing back and forth in her room.

She decided to call her private investigator, Mr. Rahardian.

"Hello, Mr. Rahardian. I need a favor ... I want you to look into why Chandra Empire Gym was closed down. Please get to the bottom of this and find out everything you can. I'll be waiting for your update as soon as possible," Inez instructed him.

Mr. Rahardian had originally been her late husband's trusted associate, and to this day he handled tasks like investigating competitors' weaknesses or new projects for the Jansen family business.

Asking him to look into a gym was outside his usual scope of work, but Inez was desperate to know why Mario's business had suddenly closed. Just that morning, she'd trained with him, how could everything fall apart in half a day?

Inez didn't feel comfortable asking Mario directly. She knew men could be proud, and this must have been incredibly embarrassing for him, having his business shut down because he couldn't pay his debts.

In recent months, Inez had noticed that Mario's relationship with his wife Rosita seemed strained. Rosita would often smile at her phone instead of at her handsome husband.

Inez couldn't help feeling envious of Rosita, she was married to such a perfect man. He was attractive, muscular, and handsome, with a kind, polite, and loyal nature. On top of that, he was hardworking and had built his own business at a young age. Rosita was so lucky to be his wife, she should have been grateful. What more could she ask for?

As the night grew later, Inez lay down in bed. She needed to get some sleep. She had a company meeting the next day to review monthly financial reports with the controlling shareholders.

She hoped Mr. Rahardian would soon give her accurate information about what had happened to Mario's gym, and whether the rumors of his bankruptcy were true. She felt genuinely sad for him, she'd always thought he was a good man.

Finally, close to midnight, Inez drifted off to sleep, hugging her pillow. She was eager for morning to come so she could learn the truth about what had happened to the man she admired. Maybe she could find a way to help him, or at least ease his burden.