Copyright © 2013 by Ladylurve

All rights reserved.

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"You know, that husband of yours is a real jerk! How many days has it been since he last came home, Lisa?" Lisa's mother raised her voice in anger.

Lisa kept silent, tears rolling down her cheeks. Torn between her husband and her own mother, she didn't know what to say. The truth would make her husband look bad but she could no longer handle her mother being angry with her all the time.

Each time she comes visiting unannounced, she would criticize her husband, the house they live in, the shabby state of the clothes they wear, the lack of food in the fridge and pantry, and worst of all, she would never stop reminding Lisa about her bad decision in marrying him. Every time Lisa sees her mother's car pulling into her driveway, her heart filled with dread. Countless times, she made silent wishes that the ground underneath her feet would open up and swallowed her alive. But each time she wished that, she would remember Jake and reminded herself that he was the best thing that could have happened to her. She needed to be strong for him. She needed to stay alive so she could try her very best to give him the life she never had. A happy one. Yes, Jake needs to know what having a happy life will feel like. Through him, I could finally learn what true happiness must feel like for many others.

"This is your idea of a happy life? A happy marriage?" Her mother persisted.

Lisa saw her mother bit her lower lip in anger. She turned her head away before her mother saw her looking. She felt tired. Exhausted from listening to her mother nag each time she visited, exhausted from her husband's behavior, exhausted from her office mates who were always staring and shaking their heads in quiet contempt, and exhausted from always having to deny Jake of good food because she didn't have enough money to buy them. She felt like a horrible daughter, a rejected and worthless wife, a loser in her career, and worst of all, an incompetent mother. Nothing she did seemed right. She felt the world was against her and she just felt too tired of fighting. She was too tired of trying. She was tired of being tired.

"You know what I think? I think he doesn't care about you. He's probably outside having fun with his friends and maybe even other women while you're here slogging away, taking care of the house, his clothes, his child, and God knows what else you do around here! You're like a slave trapped in this house! You don't even have a car to move about. What if you needed to buy something, Lisa? What if there was an emergency? What if Jake needed to go to the hospital? Even worse, what if YOU needed to go to the hospital? What then? I'm not always here to help you." Lisa's mother continued nagging.

Sometimes it feels like her mother's nagging days will never end. Although she knew her mother had good intentions, she hated the method of deliverance. Her mother had an immaculate way of making her feel worse. Lisa mustered the courage to look at her mother.

"What do you expect me to do?" Lisa retorted. Her mother looked taken aback, but quickly recovered.

"Why is there a need for you to have a nice big car when you can have two small ones? You know, if that leech of a husband of yours was a gentleman, he would let you use the car and take the bloody tube to work!" Her mother snorted.

Lisa hated and loved her mother for pointing out the obvious. She hated admitting to herself that her mother was right. She did make a horrible mistake in marrying her husband. But what is she supposed to do now? Get a divorce? But they have a son together! That shouldn't even be something worth considering. There must be another way.