Substitute Love (Married Candidate Sister-in-law)

Graduation Without Celebration

A few years have passed. Qian has already entered the final semester. But he never came home. He celebrated his big days with his father's family.

Maya who intended to teach Qian a lesson by not contacting her son was now even he who was stuck with his own game. It turned out that Qian was much more careless than he had expected. Qian didn't even lure him in for a call.

As a result, Maya can only ask news of her son through the young wife of her ex-husband.

"Next month he graduates, Ma'am. Didn't come?" ask Lisa kindly.

"Yes, I'll come. He's healthy, right?" ask Maya about her son's situation.

"Yes, Mother. She's indisposed. The value of him all this time is also good," explained Lisa friendly.

Maya smiles at Lisa's testimony. Eventually his son succeeded in his own way. Alright, maybe this is a good time to reconcile with Qian. He'll prepare everything later.

***

On the other hand Qian was holding 2 graduation invitations in her hands. He hoped his mother could come.

"Well, I'm graduating tomorrow. Can Mama come?" the voice message Qian sent. It was hard for him to talk directly to his mother.

He kept thinking, for a moment he reopened his phone and deleted the message. It seems impossible, his mother would definitely not want to come. For 4 years even his mother never asked him. Whether he cares about graduation or not. Success or failure. Sick or healthy. Or even live or die.

Qian closed his eyes leaning his head against the white wall of his boarding house. Suddenly he felt alone. Very lonely.

This summer it was cold for him. Started to think about what her mother had done for her and Alzam. It did not feel his tears even flowed gently soaking his face without his permission. Qian quickly removed it immediately.

"No need for anyone to come," Qian muttered starting to lose her hope.

***

The day that awaited also came. Qian actually decided to come alone. A few eyes that knew Qian looked at him sadly with the indifferent-looking Qian trying to hide her own feelings.

Qian who was looking straight ahead looked as if she was trying to hold back her feelings with all her heart. They wanted to ask about Qian's situation, but Qian didn't seem to want to be disturbed. They also abandoned their intentions.

"He really came alone" whispered Una's parents who happened to also come as guests for Una's graduation which also happened to be graduation on the same day with Qian.

"Maya is equally outrageous" whispered Una's mother again who was immediately stopped by her husband because she did not want to be known by Qian.

"Sttts... It's been. Don't take care of other people's business anymore" said Una's father who immediately made his mother stop talking about Qian.

Until the moment of transfer of graduation rope. Each step brought Qian closer to the moment. One of Qian's Indonesian graduation friends photographed Qian and sent her to her social media.

"May your parents see, huh Qian. These are memories for you too" he murmured.

On the podium after the graduation session, Qian walked down from the podium after the transfer of the graduation rope. He walked with a flat look. He came out of the room and immediately went home not wanting to attend any more events. And ignore the calls of his friends.

He locked himself in his room all day alone. He celebrated the day by sleeping all day in his toga clothes. He woke up when it was dark. The clock showed at 9 p.m.

He got up and sat down hugging his knees that were touching his chin. He's still without a sound. There's nothing he wants to say. Nothing he felt. Just lonely.