Elsewhere. | A Lizkook AU

24.

With shaky hands, she opens the texts sent by him.

'I need to talk to you'
'Please, baby'
'It wasn't like what you think'
'Please just answer me. I need to explain'
'You can't just leave me like this! It's not how this works'

So he knew...what's even there to talk about then? How else should I think when I've seen him being so engrossed with another woman? How else should I leave? With tantrums or understanding? What - does he have his reasons too? He's gonna tell me that he was forced to be in that situation too?

It seems to be the theme of her love life. When she doesn't do enough, it's her 'issues'. When she blurts out the obvious, it's because she's 'too sensitive'. And she's quick to admit these too, hoping that the person she invested so much for would be kind enough to return her simple apologies. Instead, they always left me in silence...until I'm packed and gone.

...

Only 3 days in and she's already making enemies within the family. Her Aunt Hansa kept probing into her personal space - trying to cloud the familiarity of her own life.

"Was it nice living abroad? Did you make a lot of friends? I'm sure you had...although it must've been hard to trust anyone again after what you've gone through."

"It must've been difficult...being all alone after what happened. You know, you shouldn't have gone out that soon. You could've watched his face when he came begging for your parents' forgiveness...but I guess it's what's meant to happen, right? You do feel better right?"

"Still, you shouldn't have left your mommy to fend against those people. I'm sure they'll do anything to take back what they did to you now. You should make them pay, at least a little. That's what I told your mom but did she listen? No...she's too nice for any of that. Always too generous with her so-called 'understanding'."

She didn't know that her ex-fiance had came and begged for anything. What she did know is that her aunt's tone had been provocatively intrusive. Lisa tried to brush it off a couple of times too with her usual nods and smiles but every time she ended up staring at her quiet mother, her anger kept growing until it reached to a point of no return.

"You know...and I say this with all respect I have for you right this moment, but weren't you the one who turned us into this bunch of 'understanding people' in the first place?" She could still remember the loud gasps coming from her mother, but she didn't care. With her eyes welled up, she can't stop herself from lashing out to this world she called 'home'.

"You - her eldest sister - was the one who groomed her into following every steps it took to be this 'perfect woman' with a 'perfect daughter' - did you not think I'd remember how you constantly judged every single thing she did until she can't do no wrong under your scrutinizing guidance?"

"Just admit that you were happy when I was left on my own! Admit that there's a small part of you that was glad to have that much excitement going on in your boring life - you go around talking about it as if it revolves around you. You talked to her as if it was her failure when it wasn't! It was them! Nothing we did - no, nothing I did caused it!! And whatever comes after was none of your business - not when I left, not how she dealt with them - nothing!!"

"I can't believe you're still here, talking about it like it's only yesterday - it's been 2 years! I thought hard about coming back here and the first thing I wished for is to not have to deal with this shit from any of you because trust me, dear aunty, if anyone should carry this depressing burden for that long, it's me,"

"You have no right to come into our home and bear this shit like it's your own - not after what I went through! If I had known that this is what's to come, then I'm not even sorry to say this - I'd rather take a damn flight to fucking Alaska just to not hear you whining about it!"