Chapter 223 - Bad News

Lisa couldn't focus at work all day. Her breath was slightly short, along with her irregular heartbeat. Her mind was still stuck on Oscar's shadow, which she would not see again in the future. The man would be gone forever from the capital, but Lisa didn't know where. Still, she was very sure that her ex-husband would fly to another continent to live with Clara. 

It was such a harsh reality that Lisa couldn't help but swallow. Her long fingers tapped her work surface with an irregular rhythm. The expression on her face was restless. Lisa moved from her seat and supported her head with her palms. The woman closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

The image of a tall, slender man with an extraordinarily handsome face appeared again in her reverie. His two clear blue eyes stared at her with an unusually gentle gaze. Gradually, the shadow turned around and then walked away from her until his figure vanished in the air. Without Lisa noticing, her cell phone vibrated several times. It immediately woke her up from the thoughts that were getting increasingly cloudy in her mind.

Lisa grabbed the cell phone from her desk, read the name of the caller with slightly squinted eyes. Suddenly, she was immediately shocked and her heart was beating fast after reading the row of letters on her cell phone's screen. 

'Damn it! Why is Karina trying to call me!? How come that fool still has my number!'

In her heart, Lisa was very reluctant to pick up the call, but there was an impulse in her heart that said she had to pick it up. Who knew if Karina wanted to compensate for her surgery and hospital costs after she had an accident.

Lisa pressed the lift button then said, "Hey, call me if you want to talk about the compensation money for your actions to me a few weeks ago! Otherwise, don't even bother!" Lisa's voice sounded steady and firm.

"Lis..." Karina replied from across. Strangely, her voice sounded anxious and frightened  this time, like someone who had just seen a ghost in broad daylight. "Ms. Kumala... she was just referred to the hospital. She…."

Karina stopped, her voice sounded choked from the other side. Hearing her unusual voice made Lisa even more suspicious. What kind of evil did her former half-sister just commit now?

Lisa turned her head towards the window then stared blankly at the view from outside. "What are you doing saying my mother's name? You want to trick me again?" Lisa asked sharply. Her voice still sounded stern.

"Your mother fainted, I immediately took her to the hospital. Now she's with me, come hurry over here! You should thank me because I brought your mother to the hospital now!" Karina's voice gradually began to rise, between annoyed and worried at the same time. From across, Karina looked down at Kumala's face with a sad look. 

"Damn it!" Lisa scolded to herself. She gripped her cell phone tightly.

"Wait for me! Don't go anywhere before I arrive. We still have unfinished business!" Lisa immediately hung up on the call and then quickly cleared her desk. The woman immediately grabbed her tote bag and got up from the chair, passing through the peer-to-peer desks of other department colleagues with hurried steps and an anxious-looking face.

When Lisa passed Sarah, she patted her coworker on the shoulder and said, "Sarah, I asked Rangga to let me go to visit my mother in the hospital. My mother passed out just now, so please help. My report is less than half that, you take care of the rest, okay?"

Sarah nodded. "Leave it to me! Oh by the way, I hope she's all right!"

Lisa thanked her, the woman immediately dashed out of the Colors Advertising building and ordered an online motorcycle taxi. Hopefully she would come on time, she didn't want to leave her mother alone with Karina in the hospital for too long. Karina was so unbelievable, it could be that her former step sister accidentally injured her mother.

***

Arriving at the hospital, Lisa immediately rushed to room 101 where Kumala was being treated. Without further ado, Lisa immediately barged in, staring at Karina's face, which looked stiff and pale as usual.

Lisa walked over to her ex-stepsister and then grabbed her collar. "What did you do with my mother!?" She asked fiercely. Her grip was so strong that the greenish veins on the back of her hand were clearly visible. 

"Lis! Hear me! Your mother suddenly passed out. I swear to God I didn't do anything. If you don't believe it, ask her yourself!" Karina pointed at Kumala who was lying languidly on her bed bag with her chin. Lisa immediately turned her head, staring at her mother.

Kumala's face looked very pale. The expression on her face was pathetic. The eyes of the middle-aged woman opened slightly as if she was half awake and half asleep. Seeing her mother's helpless figure made her heart hurt. Lisa immediately went to Kumala then touched her mother's shoulder gently. Her eyes landed on Kumala's extremely pale face.

"Lisa..." Kumala said as she opened her eyelids slowly. "You've come...?"

Hearing her mother's limp voice made Lisa's eyes burst into tears. She grabbed Kumala's hand where the IV had been taped and said, "Mother… Why did it get to this?"

"Don't worry Lisa, I'm okay. It's just that my disease recurred and I collapsed. Luckily, Karina was there earlier. If she wasn't there, it might be too late for me," Kumala said softly.

Hearing Kumala's words just now made Lisa burst into tears. She immediately hugged the middle-aged woman and sobbed. "Mom, don't say that! I'm here! Thank goodness you're fine!"

"So Lisa, how are you doing? Have your eyes returned?" Kumala asked suddenly. 

Lisa was silent for a moment before answering her mother's question. Lisa turned her head towards Karina, giving her a gaze like a cold-blooded killer. She made a neck-cutting gesture with her left hand while staring at Karina with a deadly sharp gaze.

Karina frowned when she saw Lisa throw the gesture. "Why are you blaming me!? Your mother suddenly fell. It's not my fault!" Karina exclaimed bluntly. Lisa didn't believe her words just now. She got up from where she sat ready to beat Karina.

Luckily for her, Lisa was immediately pulled by Kumala before she could launch her fist. "Lisa, what Karina said was right. I did fall unconscious when Karina came to the house,"

Lisa looked back at Karina with her deadly gaze. This time her heart was burning with anger.. "Karina, what are you doing in my mother's house!? Answer!" Her forefinger pointed right in front of Karina's nose.