Lanny's father, Mr. Sumarno, had been getting weaker. His heart failure was worsening, compounded by the depression from unpaid debts. At that moment, he was alone at home.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.
"Bang! Bang!"
The pounding grew louder. Mr. Sumarno shivered in fear, his face pale, his breath ragged, vision beginning to blur. With his remaining strength, he pressed his child's phone button.
"Beep… beep…" The line was busy.
He quickly opened WhatsApp and typed a short message: "Lanny… help me! I'm about to faint! Debt collectors are here again."
Soon after, his body collapsed unconscious. The message was sent but remained unread.
Outside, several muscular, intimidating debt collectors continued banging on the door and shouting.
"Mr. Sumarno… open the door!" one of them yelled.
Some of them held blunt objects, ready if their collection attempts failed. But after some time with no response, they grew frustrated and left.
"Come on, guys, let's go. Maybe he's out. We'll be back tomorrow," said one of them.
After they left, Mr. Sumarno remained lying unconscious.
Meanwhile, Lanny had just finished a meeting. Checking WhatsApp, his face turned pale, his hands weak, his mind in chaos.
"D-Dad!" he muttered. He called again, but there was no answer. "I have to go home! Please, don't let anything happen to Dad!"
He grabbed his bag and rushed to Hendrik's office. Pale and shaking, he struggled to keep his panic under control.
"Hendrik… I need to leave early. My father just messaged—debt collectors are back," Lanny said.
Hendrik's brow furrowed. "I'll take you home. I'll also check your father's debt documents. Maybe I can help negotiate with the bank."
"Thank you, Hendrik," Lanny nodded, feeling a slight relief… but it was only temporary.
Hendrik and Lanny took the elevator down to the basement, entered the car, and sped toward Lanny's father's house. Along the way, Lanny's anxiety grew. His father's phone still didn't answer. Tears fell, and he prayed continuously.
"Dad…" he whispered.
Hendrik's right hand touched Lanny's shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. Lanny looked at him weakly and returned the gesture.
"Yes… Hendrik," he said softly.
Soon, they arrived at the house. Lanny felt a small relief seeing the debt collectors gone. He opened the gate and stepped inside. But something was off. No sound at all came from inside.
He knocked, still no answer. His heart raced as he peered through the glass window. Panic set in, and he rushed to find the house key.
"Dad!?" he shouted.
"Hendrik! Dad… he's lying on the living room floor," Lanny screamed, pointing to his father.
"Huh!? Quickly, open the door, Lanny!" Hendrik ordered.
But the key was inside.
"Hendrik! What now? The key is inside!" Lanny yelled.
Without hesitation, Hendrik broke the door open. He remembered there was a crowbar in the car, quickly fetched it, and inserted it into the lock. After several tries, it finally worked.
"Bang…" The door swung wide open.
Lanny rushed in, ran to her father, shook himbut Mr. Sumarno didn't move. Hendrik checked his pulse.
"Hendrik! Please… Dad's unconscious," Lanny shouted at him.
Hendrik lifted Mr. Sumarno into the car. Together with Lanny, they rushed to the nearest hospital.
In the car, Lanny cradled his father's head, calling out, "Dad… Dad, wake up!" But his father remained still. Tears streamed down Lanny's face, panic and fear overwhelming him.
Throughout the drive, Lanny prayed his father would survive. Arriving at Sentosa Hospital, Mr. Sumarno was transferred on a wheeled stretcher to the emergency unit.
The attending doctors acted swiftly, moving Mr. Sumarno into a fully equipped treatment room. He was immediately examined, put on an IV, and received intensive care.
"Heart failure has put Mr. Sumarno in critical condition," said the doctor. A pacemaker was applied to stabilize his heartbeat. After several attempts, the monitor began showing a pulse, but it was irregular.
An hour passed. Hendrik and Lanny waited anxiously. Lanny paced, approaching the doctor.
"How is he, doctor!? My father…" he asked frantically.
"He's stable… he'll wake up soon!" Dr. Gunawan explained carefully.
"Thank you, doctor," Hendrik nodded.
Lanny was still unconscious. The doctor continued attending to him, checking his pulse and blood pressure meticulously. Hendrik carried Lanny to the treatment room and laid him on the bed. After a few moments, Lanny slowly began to open his eyes.
The doctor rechecked. "His pulse and blood pressure are stable. He'll fully regain consciousness soon," the doctor said.
Hendrik exhaled in relief and nodded.
Suddenly, Hendrik's phone beeped.
A message from Jenny arrived.
Hendrik's face tensed, his jaw tightening. He quickly opened it, revealing a newly sent video from Jenny. His heart raced. Anger mixed with confusion. The video showed someone kissing a woman.
"Why is Jenny sending me this video?"
Hendrik thought, his mind racing, anger and curiosity battling inside him, unsure how to react.
Hendrik's turmoil didn't end there.
Memories of Katrina, still recovering, haunted him.
Pressure from family demanding a child, the problem with Jenny, and Lanny's father's critical condition… everything struck at once.
He stood in the corner of the hospital corridor, staring blankly ahead. His breathing felt heavy. For the first time, he felt utterly mentally exhausted.
"Why does everything happen at the same time…" he muttered.
Hendrik clenched his fists, trying to hold back the storm that threatened to shatter him. But this time… he could not endure it anymore. Tears fell. His shoulders shook. The world he had controlled for so long seemed to crumble piece by piece.
"Why has my life become like this…" he whispered barely audibly.
There was a deep weariness. A fleeting thought of giving up.
For a moment, darkness crept in, as if everything would be easier if he didn't have to face it anymore.
But Hendrik only stood there, trying to hold himself together amid the relentless storm attacking his life.
Only now did he feel exhausted—not from sweating ,but mentally, under relentless pressure. He muttered, 'If this keeps going and I don't resolve it, can I really endure it?'"