"Yes, I know. By the way, when are you going to visit us again, Lisa?" Kum asked as she had not seen her eldest daughter in a long time.


    Hearing the question just now immediately made Lisa''s heart beat very fast. If she came home without preparation, her mother would be shocked and asked where Oscar was or why her marriage to that man failed.


    She was silent for a moment, her hand gripped the cell phone tightly as she racked her brain to make excuses.


    "Later, if I have free time I''lle home. I will definitely go there, mom. Lately, mypany has a lot of work to do, so I also have a lot of work to finish. Sorry, but if I want to go there, I will definitely tell you."


    Lisa felt guilty for lying to her mother again, but she knew about Kum''s character. She wouldn''t be able to hear such a shocking story, not to mention that it happened so suddenly. That woman wouldn''t be able to bear the fact that her daughter was ill-fated that she failed to marry the man she thought would never repeat the same mistake again.


    "Oh, that''s fine. Take care of your health and don''t forget to eat. Don''t stay upte too often. Drink lots of water too. I''m sorry for calling at this time, I don''t want to interfere with your work, Lisa," Kum replied in anguid voice from across the line.


    "I''ll hang up first, okay?"


    The call was immediately closed.


    Lisa immediately took a deep breath and then looked at herptop screen again. While typing in looking for job vacancies online, her mixed thoughts started to bother her. Oscar''s image that she had seen this afternoon on the digital billboard screen could not leave her mind still. How could Lisa ept the harsh reality that a man like Oscar was just ying with her?


    Was this world really cruel to her? Every time she took a step, there would always be problems that tormented her. Strangely, she was always dealing with bastard men in her past. Sometimes Lisa thought, was she really destined not to get closer to men? Did the universe really want Lisa to be alone without thepany of a man?


    Since her thoughts began to eat away at hermon sense, Lisa immediately shook her head to divert the bad thoughts. She didn''t want them to take over.


    The clock already showed 12 midnight and Lisa still hadn''t stopped looking for job vacancies and sending applications. Even though her eyes were heavy and watery, the anxiety and fear of not getting a job prevented her from falling asleep early.


    Next to her, Andien, who seemed to have fallen asleep first, suddenly jolted up. The glowing light from Lisa''sptop screen seemed to wake her. She got up and said, "Have you not slept yet? Go to sleep, let''s just continue tomorrow. You''ll be sick againter."


    Without thinking much, Lisa immediately closed herptop and went to sleep.


    ***


    The next day, a few minutes after Andien woke up, Lisa followed with a heavy head. It felt like looking for a job likest night had drained her mentally so that she was physically weak too.


    Lisa then got out of bed and went to the bathroom. At the dinner table, she saw Andien busy with herptop sending job applications topanies she was looking for yesterday.


    "Morning, I''ve already prepared breakfast at the table," Andien said, pointing to the te filled with sandwiches.


    Lisa nodded in return. She went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, her face looked very sad. Her eye bags started to cken. Her face looked sluggish like an anemic person.


    Lisa then joined Andien who was still busy with herptop. She grabbed the sandwich then said, "Ndien, I think I''m going to visit my mother today."


    "Aren''t you going with me to look for a walk-in interview?" Andien asked back.


    "I don''t think so for today. I have something important to talk about," Lisa replied. Her face looked sluggish and her tone was not enthusiastic at all.


    "Well, if that''s important, don''t dy it. I can find it myself today. Are you sure you wanted to just visit your mother?" Andien said sympathetically.


    Half an hourter, Lisa arrived in front of the rented house where her mother and younger sister, Be, lived. The house hadn''t changed much since Lisa''sst visit. Ornamental nts lined around the fence were still well maintained. Kum must be so lonely that she didn''t have anyone to talk to. Her only escape to get rid of loneliness and boredom was to take care of her pet nts.


    Every time Lisa set her foot in front of the house, she always remembered the bitter past that still haunted her. As if those bad memories were destined to follow her to death.


    Her heart was pounding. She still didn''t know how to tell Kum about her failed marriage. But Lisa didn''t want to lie anymore, she had to muster up the courage to tell the truth, especially to her own mother.


    She knocked on the fence and Kum came from inside, opened the fence and invited Lisa in. The mother and eldest daughter immediately hugged and sat talking in the dining room.


    "Ouch, Lisa! I''m really surprised that you came so long. Why so sudden?" Kum asked, her beaming face with curiosity.


    "Sorry, I didn''t bring anything to give you as a present. I just happen to want toe here today," said Lisa softly.


    "Where''s Oscar? Are you here alone? You are married, right?"


    The question Kum had just asked was like a bullet piercing through Lisa''s chest. Her face looked even more grim as her heart was pounding at the word ''marriage''. But Lisa couldn''t help it, she had to be honest with her mother. She gathered her courage first by taking a deep breath and then exhaling.


    "So mom, my purpose here is to tell you something. My marriage to Oscar is canceled. The two of us are not together anymore."


    Hearing Lisa''s short and striking exnation made Kum shocked and angry of course. "What!?! You failed to get married !!! ???"


    "Yes, my rtionship with Oscar is over. From now on, Lisa will live life independently like before."


    "Jeez Lisa, are you stupid or out of your mind !? Why did you let go of a good and rich man like Oscar?? You are a woman! How will your future be if you don''t get married? Do you want to be a miserable widow like Mother!!?" Kum went berserk while pointing at Lisa as if she was not her own child.


    "Mother! Are you really my mom!? How could you upset her, who had been hurt by so many men? I don''t want to be dependent on men all the time! Remember what my father did to our family? Remember what Aditya did to me, and now Oscar is doing the same as the two men. You told me to marry Oscar because he was rich right!? If Oscar is destitute, you will definitely not approve of our marriage!"


    Even though Kum was her own biological mother, Lisa still didn''t like it when her mother acted arbitrarily. Especially when dealing with her life choices. Kum didn''t know what happened between Lisa and Oscar but the middle-aged woman didn''t want to listen to her daughter''s exnation first.


    "That''s why you have to listen to my story until it''s finished first. Then you can scold me and make me feel guilty!" Lisa replied, she started getting angry with Kum''s selfish attitude.


    "But Lisa, don''t you feel sorry for me who can''t work anymore? If you don''t marry Oscar then what will our family eat !? "


    "Didn''t I tell you already, Lisa will work harder to earn money to support you and Be!"


    "But you are a woman! And a woman should get married!" Kum said insistently.


    "Mother! Listen to me first! The reason why I failed to marry Oscar is because I have been cheated by Oscar all this time! That guy, that bastard white guy, didn''t really love me. Oscar is now married to his old lover, ra. Didn''t you see the gossip on TV? It''s been viral! I don''t want to marry a liar with a traitor like Oscar!"


    Hearing Lisa''s exnation just now, Kum fell silent. She was defeated badly, the middle-aged woman immediately realized and said, "Okay, I admit I was wrong and that I don''t listen to you. I just don''t want you to be miserable. I don''t want you to suffer because of a man. Remember, nobody is going to take you in other than your own family. Take it easy, I will help you find a mate."


    "Mother, I don''t want to have a rtionship just yet. I''m so tired of all the men who lie to me. You don''t have to bother finding a mate for me. Honestly, I was annoyed with your arbitrary attitude just now," Lisa said bluntly.


    One thing Kum had still not been able to change was her view of being a woman. ording to Kum, women still have to get married so that they can live in peace and stability. A way of thinking that ording to Lisa and most people in the capital city was very ancient and outdated.


    Not long after, they could hear the sound of the gate being opened....