Lisa was finally home, but she stopped in front of her front door.
Her instincts told her that she should not open this door right now. However, Lisa had no choice but to enter this house if she wanted any protection in this neighborhood.
She could tell that someone had been following her for a while now. Someone always followed Lisa as soon as she returned to this neighborhood, and they only stopped once Lisa entered her home.
So, even though it seemed like a whimsical protection, Lisa had no choice but to rely on it to keep her safe.
"Mother, I am back."
Lisa spoke just loud enough not to be heard but also not loud enough that she would come across as a fraud if her mother somehow noticed her.
Her house was eerily quiet, which was never a good sign. It meant that something had happened, and her mother was pissed.
Moreover, her mother was pissed without being drunk. That was the worst combination possible.
'I need not make a noise as I pass the living room. I am sure that Mother will be there. I just need to make sure-'
"So you are back, brat? Good! Since you are back, please help me relieve my stress. Kneel like I've taught you and not a single word! Do you understand?"
Lisa was out of luck. Her mother was not only in a bad mood, but she had also found Lisa. She would not be able to escape punishment today.
*Sigh*
'If only I had more money and courage to leave this woman behind, I could get away from this hell! Even I don't want to keep coming back here and suffer this abuse.'
Lisa dared to leave this place, but every time she thought about it, it all disappeared into smoke.
Not luck kept holding Lisa back, so she could only attribute it to a duty that kept her bound to her mother.
"Show me your hand. I will make this quick for you. No! Don't show me your palms; turn them around."
Lisa flinched at the harsh tone of her mother's voice before she turned her hand around and held her knuckles out for her mother to see.
The older female had gotten her hand on a thin metallic stick, and Lisa braced herself for the impact.
Metal met flesh, and the slightly hot rod stung Lisa's skin even more. The affected area turned red, and it was a miracle it was not bleeding.
"Tsk, it is not my fault! None of this is my fault! What does that man mean I am getting too old to play with? He was the one who seduced me first!"
Another smack followed the first, and Lisa fought her instincts to pull her hand back.
Her mother's current boyfriend….well, her ex-boyfriend—had broken up with her because she was getting old.
Compared to that old man who was the boss and her mother's ex, her mother was a young beauty. The older man was almost reaching his 60s but had a lot of money.
And because of that, the older man had no shortage of women by his side.
Lisa had long known that her mother would be thrown away sooner or later. She had even told her mother about it happening.
However, the older lady dismissed Lisa back then, which was the result.
"Lisa! My dear, lovely Lisa! Can you believe what that man said to me today before we broke up? He said I was a selfish woman who had no love for anyone in my life! But he is wrong! That man is so wrong!
After all, I love you, my precious daughter! I am working so hard that you do not turn out like me! Aren't you thankful for my help? HEY! ANSWER ME!"
Another hard smack stuck Lisa's hand, and it broke skin this time. Thankfully, the damage did not seem to be that bad.
Her mother finally seemed to be calming down, and the first thing the older female did was cup Lisa's face to look at the bleeding scar on her face.
"You got a scar on your face? How the hell did you get a scar on your face? Didn't I tell you that your face and your body are the only assets you have? How can you damage it?"
The slap had a sharp ring but it did not hurt as much if you knew it was coming.
Lisa closed her eyes, and her hand connected with her face hard. It would likely swell if she did not ice it down soon.
'Well, I guess I will stay at home tomorrow and make this swelling go away. It's not like mother will care to check whether I am home.'
Lisa had made plans, but once again, her mother proved that Lise could not have anything she wanted.
"Go, clean yourself up and do something about your face. Ah, and also, keep yourself out of the house tomorrow. I will have some important clients coming over, and I don't want you anywhere near when they visit."
With that, Lisa's plan to stay home had been dashed. But she could only smile and agree with her mother.
Thankfully, her mother decided it was not worth staying in the same room as Lisa any longer, and the older woman finally left the scene.
Lisa waited until the woman was gone before opening the fridge and bragging about the ice pack she kept there.
Her face stung and icing it down did not help Lisa much. But she was doing her best to get herself back in shape; the most minor things helped.
By morning, the swelling had gone down, but Lisa had a blue patch on her face instead. It was on the same side as her scar, and the blue had somehow missed Lisa's eye.
The only way for Lisa to deal with this was the wrap her wound up and wait for it to heal naturally. She could only hope that no one questioned her about what happened at school.