Trial Marriage Husband : I Am CEO's Plaything

Lisa didn't want to make her best friend worry anymore about her love life, so she didn't tell Andien that she actually felt very sad and hurt when she accidentally stared at the digital billboard screen featuring Oscar and Clara. The two lovebirds looked so perfect, almost like a pair of angels coming down from heaven.

The tears that had welled up in the corners of Lisa's eyes threatened to fall as the wind blew against her face. Then she looked away, staring at the busy and bustling streets around the shopping center to distract herself.

She whispered— no, rather she sent a prayer from within her heart, "Congratulations on your marriage, Oscar Petersson and Clara Gunawan. I still have to keep fighting independently to support my family in need. Thank you for making me understand why money can't buy happiness."

Lisa closed her eyes while taking a deep breath. She opened her eyelids again then let out a deep breath. Her heart gradually returned to calm.

"Let's go back to your apartment. Are you really tired?"

***

Arriving at Andien's apartment, Lisa took cold water from the fridge and poured it in a glass before taking a quick sip. The weather today was so hot, even the cold drink that she drank earlier still couldn't quench her thirst.

Andien immediately dropped her body on the bed, feeling as if her energy had been completely drained. One of her black cats immediately climbed up and sat beside her. "What do I do for work? If I don't work then what will happen to my cats?"

"Well, why did you buy expensive cats in the first place huh! Why don't you just adopt a domestic cat?" Lisa exclaimed, teasing Andien a little.

"My neighbor gave them to me when they were babies. Their cat birthed so many kittens, and since they couldn't take care of them, they decided to hand two of them to me," Andien replied bluntly.

"Crazy, did your neighbor really hand you expensive cats just like that?" Lisa replied incredulously.

"Yes, and the rest was given to their family! Eh, by the way, do you think we're on the brink of poverty? Why am I suddenly scared? What if we don't get any job and are forced to sleep on the road?"

Hearing Andien's sentence just now made Lisa's eyebrows furrowed and irritated. "Are you serious? That's not the case! The last option is starting an online shop. But we must not give up looking for a job just yet. Trust me, we will definitely get a job! Have some faith!" Lisa said, encouraging Andien.

Even though Lisa was very disappointed in her heart because she was forced to lose her job all the while getting cheated by her future husband, she would not just give up. She still had a mother and younger siblings who needed her. Lisa was the backbone of her family since her father left them.

However, the incident at the cafe this afternoon was still deeply etched in her memory. A digital billboard showing Oscar and Clara's perfectly matched figures hurt her beyond words. Lisa would not have thought that the white man would leave a deep scar on her heart. The memory from the past was still neatly stored in her memory, ready to come to her and repeat itself anytime she lost her strength.

'Damn, why did I have to think about that golden haired man again?' She thought.

"Lisa?" Just when Lisa was daydreaming, Andien tapped her on the shoulder and broke her daydream, bringing Lisa back to consciousness.

"Huh?! What's wrong?" Lisa jolted from her lonely daydream.

"Why are you looking stunned? Is there a problem?" Andien asked, looking worried. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she tried to read her friend's expression.

Lisa took a deep breath and spread her arms then leaned her back against the wall. "It's okay, I was just really tired from going around all day long."

"Do you want to order food? We haven't eaten yet, it's no wonder you are this limp haha," Andien asked while looking at Lisa's face.

"Duh, we need to save more! Let's cook from now on, you can make us broke if you don't stop buying food! Remember, we haven't got a new job yet, so we have to save money!" Lisa replied firmly.

Andien could only stay silent and wait for Lisa to finish her cooking and serve the meals to the dining table. She looked at her friend's strong figure, not easily shaken up even though she had fallen and been hurt several times. Sometimes she couldn't stop herself from wondering that if she were to swap positions with Lisa, would she commit suicide since she couldn't seem to stand tall against the hardships that befell her?

"Here, let's eat!" Lisa said, putting two bowls of instant noodles with fried eggs.

"Tch, if you mean cooking instant food like this, it's better to buy at a food stall because it's healthier!" Andien said casually.

"Do you want to eat it or not? If you don't want to, then leave the noodles alone!" Lisa exclaimed irritably.

"No, of course I want it! It's delicious! It's just that I feel sorry for you. You were so tired, why do you have to cook for us?" Andien asked, taking Lisa's instant noodles.

"I already said that we have to save money. Do you think your savings are enough if we keep ordering Hola Hola Bento until we land a new job?" Lisa quipped while sipping noodles.

"But at least, let's occasionally buy food outside because they're more nutritious than this instant noodles!"

"Shut up, just eat it. If you don't want to, then give it to me!" Lisa replied in a nosy tone. She took Andien's noodles with her fork and ate them.

"Eeeeh, stop it! You can't! I'm hungry too!" Andien replied, snatching her bowl back.

***

Late in the evening, the two friends returned to monitor their laptops to find a decent job. This time they were much more tired compared to yesterday, but they still wouldn't give up anytime soon! 

Lisa seriously read all job vacancies on the job site and any company's official website. Instead of feeling tired, she was magically revived! Perhaps it was because Lisa remembered her own words that she should not give up and depend on men. She'd had enough dealing with men. They all had hurt Lisa ever since she was little. First, Gatot Soewandi, her father. Second, Aditya Satyadibrata, her ex from college. Third, Rangga Septian, her childhood friend. And the one who just betrayed her— Oscar Petersson.

Suddenly, Lisa's cell phone rang when she was looking for a job through her report. The sound immediately broke Lisa's concentration and annoyed her, almost making her slam it on the floor. 

Lisa looked at the screen of the telephone and was surprised to see the name of the caller.

"Hello, mom?" Lisa answered to the caller.

"Lisa, how are you? How's Oscar? When are you going to marry him? I can't wait for the news," Kumala replied from across the line.

Hearing that question immediately made Lisa's lips lock tightly. She stared blankly at the glowing laptop screen. What should she say to Kumala!? It would not be possible to tell her mother about her relationship with Oscar that had just broken. That middle-aged woman could definitely panic and get angry!

Lisa then racked her brain quickly, she shouldn't think too long because it would raise her mom's suspicion. "Ouch, don't rush it like that. I'm still busy right now. Don't worry, I will inform you in two days. Oh by the way, what about Bella? Does she have any difficulty with her college?"

"She'd just finished her thesis examination. The result wasn't that good but she still passed. She said she's going to have a… what is that again? I don't know, it's kind of an official celebration or something like that," Kumala said, her tone full of disappointment.

"You mean, faculty graduation…?" Lisa said, a little annoyed. "It's okay, it's good that Bella finally graduated.. Don't force her too much, otherwise she will get more stressed later," Lisa added.