CHAPTER ONE

Sharlene let out a sigh as she arranged her grandmother's wake; she was the only one raised by her grandmother because her parents had separated, and she had fallen into her grandmother's care.

Her head is aching now from the expenses she will have to face again, but she shouldn't think that way because her grandmother took care of her when she was a child.

"Ash," she said to the child.

Her child simply looked at her. "Take a break for now." Sharlene just smiled at Ashley.

So that no conflict would arise among the siblings, she took on that responsibility, wanting their final destination to be peaceful.

"Can we talk, Sharlene?" She was surprised, so she immediately turned to see who wanted to talk to her.

She met his gaze; even though she was being looked at silently, she knew her husband was felt annoyed.

"You've already arrived, and you didn't even tell me, Martin." She could only say as she stared at her husband.

They have a few visitors who are helping her prepare for the wake that will happen tonight. She was violently pulled by the arm by her companion, and they moved away from the eyes of the people surrounding them.

"What is this?" Asked Martin and intently stared to her.

"I'll hold the wake here at home, so it won't be too expensive." she said lazily, not wanting to argue with her husband.

"Why? This is not your house, Sharlene. Why didn't you tell me, I came home to find this?" Martin voice sound irritated now.

Sharlene calmed his anger with what her husband is saying now.

"Can you please, Martin, my mind is all over the place right now," she said, adding that he would just avoid her husband.

"Don't expect me to help with your grandmother's burial, that's not the only expense I'm considering for this house and this family." Martin voice is rising and intently stared Sharlene.

She stared sharply at her husband, wanting to make him realize that she had brought no good, not even a single centavo for their child, and he was still being stingy. She really wanted to slap the person in front of her but he was holding back her emotions now.

"Don't worry, you won't have to spend a single cent on my grandmother's funeral." She turned around to leave.

"That's right, Sharlene! It's only right!" He said while giving him a sharp look.

"Dad!" "Called little Ashley to her father.

That's why they both just turned away.

Sharlene even saw the child hug its father. He just ruffled the child's hair.

"Child, Papa will rest for a while." She heard him say.

He just smiled at his wife. He looked at her intently.

"I'm going to my friend's house first." Martin said.

She didn't respond anymore, she just let it be. She returned to her work.

"Child, Papa will come back, don't worry."

She saw the sadness in her eyes again as she looked at her father walking away from them.

"Will Papa come back right away?" she asked him.

She just nodded so her child, so that it wouldn't be sad anymore.

"Go inside first?" She simply asked Ashley.

Ashley nodded at her weakly and immediately went inside the house. She scanned his surroundings. The funeral service for her grandmother was outside their house, the chairs were arranged neatly and there were tents set up, and she had her siblings buy supplies.

She no longer has to calculate the expenses that will come from her own pocket again, because, even though she has a sibling, they find it difficult to spend money when it comes to family matters; Sharlene endures everything.

You shouldn't be thinking like this, Sharlene! She scolded herself. She didn't want to show weakness to anyone.

It can be said that she is lucky to have married someone who is well-off, that is the belief of the people around her. The truth is, she wasn't lucky in love; she smiled bitterly at that.

Her husband only married her because she got pregnant from that one-night mistake; her instinct tells her that her husband is cheating on her behind her back. She knew it because she saw how he was cheating on her.

Sharlene really wants to break free from their relationship, but she thinks about his child; if she separates, the child will be caught in the middle.

She doesn't want to repeat what happened to him before when his parents left her. She grew up in a broken family, and she shouldn't repeat it because, she knows the feeling of being without parents.

She gripped the chair then; it's hard to pretend to be blind when the truth is slapping you in the face. Her husband Martin is only being forced to accept the child, so he always leaves because he doesn't want to see her.

"Sis." She felt someone tap her shoulder.

She looked at it, he didn't say anything then. "We have finished shopping for the things, we will leave for now, we will come back later." said her sister Vivianne.

She just nodded in agreement. "Thank you," he said.

Sharlene didn't say anything anymore and just left. She sat down, looking at the picture of her grandmother. She hasn't spoken to the doctor who treated her grandmother in person yet. Because, Sharlene went straight home from work.

I'll take care of everything later. I'm the only one acting alone. He could only say it in her mind.

Her grandmother has been sick for a long time and is always going back and forth to the hospital. Because it is becoming complicated, and since she is working hard, he is just paying his siblings to take care of their grandmother.

No, am I the only family member who will go to your wake? Am I the only one you expect to cry for you? Those are her questions followed one after another.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

You seem to be the only ally I have in this world, the only ally I have in the family that secretly despises me. Her tears fell then.

She is becoming weak again now. She just sighed. She sobbed, quietly weeping while looking at the picture of her grandmother.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Condolence." She heard a voice.

He stared at it. "Thank you." She sat beside her, looking at the picture.

"Your grandmother's body is already here," said the person beside her.

She simply nodded, and the service immediately lowered a coffin, which was carefully carried by the cooperating men.

Until it reached the front where everything was already prepared. When everything was set, she approached the coffin, as if her dear grandmother was just sleeping.

She placed a picture frame. She returned to her seat. The people have also started arriving for the wake that will take place there.