The morning sun illuminated the trees in a restricted area of the zoo in Jakarta. A large fence with a warning sign prohibited visitors from entering that place. There was one paved road for vehicles while mown grass covered the rest.

To the south, there were three meters in height and two meters wide iron cages. There were faucets installed in each corner and connected to a tiger exhibit.

All those cages were empty except for one.

Several officers in green uniforms and black boots with tense expressions stood around to watch two Sumatran tigers standing face to face. Fear flashed in her yellow eyes as the larger of the two, a male, roared.

However, in the blink of an eye, one of the officers shouted with a pale expression, "The tiger is going berserk!"

Other officers turned four water faucets to the maximum before lifting hoses to spray high-pressure water into the giant metal cage in front of them while the male tiger attacked his mate.

Unfortunately, the male tiger ignored them, focusing on his partner. He lunged, causing the tigress to hit the cage's side and collapse.

"It's not enough! Increase the water pressure!" ordered the first man. He continued splashing the face of the male Sumatran tiger while the beast attempted to bite the neck of the female tiger.

"I can't turn the faucet up any more than this!" replied the officer standing near the faucet.

The orange-black beast took a few steps back as water entered his nostrils. However, he dashed back to lunge when the female tiger tried to get up.

"Spray Bowo's face!" shouted another as the officers attempted to separate the tigers.

The officers attempted to separate the tigers. Unaware of the presence of a slender woman dressed in a bright casual blouse and black trousers, they continued with their efforts. She rushed toward the cage, her short black ponytail wagging wildly.

Her youthful face appeared to be around twenty-nine or possibly even younger. Fearlessly, she aimed a stun gun between the iron bars and shot the male tiger, taking advantage of the distraction caused by the water spray.

Bowo roared in pain, his massive frame wobbling before collapsing near his mate. Undeterred, the woman fired another stun bullet, incapacitating the other tiger.

"Doctor Angelina!" the men cried out, their relief evident.

They lowered their hoses, making the stream of water drench the grassy ground and wet their shoes.

Angelina snorted with annoyance. She glared as she turned around to face the four officers in front of her with arms akimbo.

"I've been telling you, I yanked out Bowo's teeth yesterday! He ain't in the mood for no mating!"

"They seemed okay this morning, Doc. Bunga had been in heat since yesterday. Bowo also didn't seem to—" Mukti's words trailed off as Angelina shot him a look of disapproval, narrowing her pupils. "Sorry, Doc."

Angelina grunted while examining the sedated tigers. "Did they already mate?"

"They did, Doc, but Bowo became aggressive after they finished," Mukti explained.

The water from the hose that had soaked the black sneakers worn by Angelina ceased as one of the officers took the initiative to turn off the faucet. However, the doctor remained unaware, lost in her thoughts as she tried to calculate.

While pregnancy is possible, we can only reveal the outcome in several weeks. I hope Bunga will be fine.

Angelina sighed. Never mind, their intentions are good, just a bit hasty.

"Thank goodness I noticed Mr. Mukti's tranquilizer gun on the chair over there. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how to separate them...," Angelina muttered. She had been certified to shoot three years ago, her tone much more relaxed.

Angelina turned her body towards the long chair to get her brown backpack. She put down the stun gun before unzipping her bag to pull out a purple vet shirt.

"While they're asleep, let me check Bowo's teeth and treat Bunga's wound."

"But isn't it Doctor Sandi's turn now?"

"He had a patient scheduled for an operation at nine in the morning, so we switched schedules."

As Angelina slipped her head through her T-shirt, covering her blouse, her voice muffled. She quickly redid her ponytail with a rubber band before she realized the others were watching her.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Is something wrong?" Angelina glanced down, assessing her less-than-elegant appearance, but found nothing unusual.

The four men responded by shaking their heads and avoiding eye contact. Mukti, a portly man with a mustache, coughed and offered an awkward smile.

"Uh, no, Doc. I'll fetch the medical supplies," one of the officers offered.

Angelina furrowed her brow in confusion but chose not to pursue an explanation. She nodded, allowing the four officers to proceed with their tasks.

*****

It was almost four in the afternoon when Angelina walked with a tired expression to the parking lot to find her white 2012 Honda Jazz. She opened her back door and tossed her bag before yawning.

Doctor Sandi, the other doctor, was absent today because he was bitten on his thigh by a female Doberman, his patient, right before he sedated her. He made Angelina cover double shifts and deal with a situation where she had to manage a tug-of-war between Siti, a female gorilla, and Joko, the new gorilla handler. Joko now had visible blue bruises on his left hand and emotional strain from his close bond with the gorilla.

Angelina heard her stomach rumbling while she started the engine. She sighed in resignation.

I forgot to eat lunch.

Angelina turned on the tape. The familiar voice of a famous singer in 2016 flowed from there. Angelina fastened her seat belt before starting to drive. However, her cell phone rang.

She took it from the dashboard and smiled as she saw the contact "Paul, My Husband" flash on the screen. Without thinking, she answered the call with a cheerful expression. "I am on my way home. Do you want some fried chicken? I want to stop by Mrs. Ida's stall first."

Paul chuckled on the other end. "Hey, Angel, you should have said hi before quacking like a duck. I had lunch with a client earlier."

Angelina felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. They had been married for two months. However, a soft rebuke from Paul still made her heart beat faster.

"Which client?" Angelina asked, trying to calm her pounding heart as she drove the car to leave the zoo. She also smiled back at a guard who waved at her. "Is it the one who wants to renovate the house at Pondok Indah or the one aiming to build a house from scratch at Kemang?"

"The one in Kemang," Paul's voice sounded crisp and pleasant. Angelina's eyes softened as she gazed at the simple gold ring on her finger while holding the steering wheel. Who would have thought that a wrong seat in a movie theater six months ago would have changed her status from spinster to Mrs. Paul Candra, wife of a handsome, up-and-coming contractor?

"So, where are you now?"

Angelina looked around. She had passed several buildings towards the Cilandak intersection. As usual, the traffic in Jakarta was crowded, especially during work hours.

Angelina thinned her lips when the traffic light turned red before she could turn left. An annoying motorcycle drove next to her at a slow pace and prevented her from taking the left lane.

Angelina pushed forward as something hit the car from behind. She hit the brakes while squealing in surprise.

"Angel, what's wrong?" Paul asked.

Angelina turned her head and found an unknown big car parked too close behind her. "Looks like the car got hit. I'll be right back."

She placed her phone on the dashboard, pulled the handbrake, and went out. A brand-new black Fortuner kissed her bumper. However, the figure from that car caused Angelina's eyes to bulge in surprise. The driver turned out to be a woman of her age. However, if Angelina looked rumpled with dirt on her shoes and some animal hair stuck to her hair and jeans, the stranger looked like a misplaced model.

Angelina was sure that her dark purple short hair resulted from hair dye, given her light brown skin color. Her gaze fell on the approaching woman.

Dark red lipstick adorned her lips. She styled her eyelashes to resemble those of a cockroach. She wore pearl earrings, each the size of a five hundred rupiah coin. A tight black blazer covered her upper body, paired with a mini skirt. Completing the ensemble were pink seven-centimeter heels. Is she an actress?

"S-sorry," the pretty woman apologized, her reddish-brown eyes—no doubt the result of contact lenses—glancing at their cars before offering an awkward smile.

Angelina walked towards the back of her vehicle. She drew a sharp breath of realization as she noticed that the impact went beyond an affectionate peck. That Fortuner crushed her bumper.

"What's the matter with you?! I could spend a fortune to repair—"

"I am sorry, sis. It was an accident," the Fortuner driver interjected, her expression filled with remorse as she closed the distance and extended her apology. "I was also taken aback, just like you."

Angelina inhaled a sweet aroma. It was so strong and made her sneeze. Great! This woman was also fond of bathing in perfume!

Angelina instinctively scanned her surroundings and gasped. The scene attracted the attention of the public. Pedestrians and motorcyclists gathered to witness the accident. However, she couldn't spot any police officers nearby.

"What if I offer you a million bucks and my ID as collateral? And if that's not enough, I'll throw in more. Hold on, let me grab my purse," said the purple-haired woman, heading straight to her car without waiting for an answer.

Angelina had a headache. Surveying the damage to her car, she bit her bottom lip. She regretted not having insurance.

The red light turned green. The queue of vehicles behind them started honking.

"Come on, ma'am. You're causing a traffic jam," Angelina scolded the woman.

Angelina could see the woman's slender legs dancing behind the Fortuner's door. She guessed if that woman still had not found her purse.

"Ma'am, just pull over!" The motorcyclist's exclamation agitated Angelina.

The purple-haired woman's head popped out from behind the Fortuner door, and she met Angelina's frantic gaze with a pale expression. "Sis, I forgot to bring my cell phone. I can't do mobile banking. I only have thirty-four thousand in my wallet. Let's head to the ATM first."

"Gosh, how did you forget your cell phone?!" Angelina's temper started to rise, her panicked expression turning sour. Is there an ATM nearby? Or do we have to go to the mall first?

"Please, Sis. I didn't mean to."

The Fortuner driver's pleading tone, combined with the honking and shouts of the crowd, overwhelmed Angelina's thoughts. Eventually, she relented, saying, "Lead the way."

The artist's face brightened. She got in and closed her vehicle's door, prompting Angelina to hurry to her car and slam her door shut.

As Angelina began to drive, the green light turned yellow. She allowed the Fortuner that had collided with her car to pass.