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.

After attending a meeting with the company's shareholders at her office, Inez met with Mr. Rahardian in his workspace.

They spoke privately about his investigation findings. It turned out Mario's gym had gone bankrupt due to unpaid debts to a predatory lender and what was more shocking was that the loan had been taken out by his wife Rosita, without Mario's knowledge. Inez was even more stunned to learn how the money had been spent: Rosita had used it to splurge on luxuries.

The latest update on Mario and Rosita's relationship was that they'd divorced about two months earlier, and Rosita had remarried two weeks ago to the lawyer who'd handled their divorce case.

Inez knew who Rinaldo Situmorang was. The flashy young attorney had tried to introduce himself to her some time ago, but since Inez disliked womanizing men, she'd turned down his date offers several times until he finally backed off.

Mr. Rahardian also reported that all of Mario Chandra's valuable assets had been seized by the lender who'd given Rosita the loan, including the white Pajero Sport he usually drove. In short, the man had lost everything and become penniless in a single day.

The detailed report left Inez's heart aching. She wanted nothing more than to find Mario, hold him close, and comfort him after all his recent misfortunes. That ex-wife of his was truly cruel and heartless!

If she ever ran into Rosita in person, Inez thought she might even slap her or tear her apart. How could a wife do something so vile to her own husband? Abandoning a loyal spouse for someone like Rinaldo Situmorang of all people?!

Inez paused to collect herself, Mr. Rahardian's report had made her blood boil.

After a few minutes, she contacted her regular notary to draft a legal agreement. She wanted to make Mario an offer.

If Mario needed money or work right now, she could provide both with ease. What she wanted in return was Mario himself, she proposed he become her contract husband for five years.

She planned to meet Mario the same afternoon to discuss the offer. She'd sent him a WhatsApp message asking to meet at a café in Kemang at 5:00 PM, and to her relief, he'd agreed.

Even though the contract marriage paperwork wasn't ready yet, Inez didn't care. She needed to see him right away. She suspected he'd turn her down, but she understood how harsh life could be. At her age, with all she'd been through, she was confident he'd eventually accept her offer.

 ***

The weather was bright and clear that day, and as evening approached, the sky painted a beautiful picture with streaks of crimson and orange against the deepening blue.

Inez watched the artistic sunset through the café window as she waited for Mario, sipping a warm cappuccino. She was still in her work clothes: a dark blue blazer and pencil skirt paired with a white silk blouse.

At 4:50 PM, the café door opened, and the man she'd been waiting for walked in, heading toward her table. As handsome and charming as ever, he made her heart flutter at the sight of him.

Mario wore a dark brown button-down shirt over a white t-shirt, paired with black jeans. His face was clean-shaven, and his hair was styled neatly in a modern cut.

He extended his hand to shake hers before sitting across from her.

"How are you, Mario?" Inez greeted him cheerfully.

Mario smiled at her warm tone. "I'm well, Ms. Inez. How about you?"

"I'm good too. Let's get you something to drink first," she said, signaling to a waiter to take his order.

Once the waiter had left, Inez spoke up. "Hmm ... there's something I'd like to ask you." She looked into his handsome face, studying how he seemed to be holding up after losing his assets just days earlier.

"Of course, Ms. Inez. What would you like to know?" Mario replied calmly.

Inez felt a pang of guilt asking about something she already knew, but she felt she had to test the waters.

"Mario, is it true you lost your home and gym? What happened?" she asked, feigning curiosity.

Mario let out a heavy sigh, clearly embarrassed by his situation. "Yes ... it's true. All my assets were seized by the bank. My ex-wife put them up as collateral without telling me."

Inez gently placed her hand over his on the table. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

Mario was a bit surprised by the gesture but didn't pull away. After all, she'd been his most loyal exclusive client for over a year and she was a genuinely kind person.

"Actually, I have a proposal for you," Inez said, watching for his reaction.

"A proposal? What kind?" Mario asked, curious. If it was a job offer, he'd take it without hesitation, he needed work desperately.

"Um ... please don't take this the wrong way, but I'd like to offer you the position of my paid husband under a five-year contract," Inez said, her heart racing as she waited for his response.

Mario stared at her blankly, his eyes wide with confusion. "A ... a contract? What exactly do you mean, Ma'am?"

Inez ran her hand through her hair nervously, feeling the need to clarify. She cleared her throat and explained, "Here's the thing, you're obviously in need of money and work right now. I need a husband to stand by my side, as my late husband passed away seven years ago."

Finally, Mario understood what she was suggesting. He knew her intentions were good, but this was far outside his comfort zone, he'd never considered selling himself the way some celebrity fitness peers of his had.

"Oh ... I'm sorry, Ms. Inez. I do need work, but I've never been interested in being a gigolo," he politely declined.

Inez laughed warmly at his response. "Oh my ... now I feel like some kind of overeager older woman hearing you put it that way ..."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Inez. Truly, I didn't mean to offend you," Mario said apologetically.

"I understand completely, please don't rush to decide. Take all the time you need to think it over," Inez said, just as she'd expected this reaction.

"Mario, I'm not hiring you for a one-night stand, so please don't think of yourself as a gigolo. I want us to be legally married. Do I really look too old to be your wife?" she asked confidently, testing him.

Mario stumbled over his words at her direct question, pausing to gather his thoughts.

He looked at her and smiled as he replied, "Ms. Inez, you look wonderful, young and beautiful. It's just ... my conscience makes it hard for me to accept your offer."

So there's hope, Inez thought to herself, smiling back at him. "No need to make up your mind right away. But if you ever change your mind, whenever that may be. I'll be waiting for your positive answer."

Mario smiled at her as well. This was easily the most unusual offer he'd ever received from a beautiful woman. Did he really look that desperate? Like he'd have to sell himself and his life to a woman?