Still alive?
Chapter 4

Mia lived in a small, modest little room. The room was more than modest - a bed, a wooden table, a chair, a carpet on the floor - inherited from other students, a small refrigerator, and a small white laptop, on which she prepared presentations and term papers.

The only thing she decorated her room with was her hand-painted orchids, which she painted on a canvas with the help of nail polish, lipstick, and mascara - she set it over her bed.

Mia studied all week long, and on weekends worked as a waitress in a cafe to earn money.

On a quiet evening, Mia sat in front of her little laptop, surrounded by scientific literature and preparing term paper. The next week’s curriculum looked impressive: attending lectures, writing coursework, and reading 200 pages of recommended literature. Taking a moment to herself, Mia pondered on her life. Her whole life was devoted to studying. And even when she tried to relax, she thought about another term paper.

She suddenly felt so lonely.

She visited the dating website, 10 unread messages awaited her.

“Lady, you are beautiful. I want to give you a fur coat,” - one person wrote.

“He wants to buy me for a fur coat?” I’m not a car and I’m not for sale, Mia thought and smirked.

Another wrote: “You are beautiful. Your eyes are like diamonds.”

“Not two carats, I hope?” Mia thought and giggled. “Yes, yes. Men only have one thing in mind.”

Yet, Mia didn’t want to date anyone or get married. She thought of marriage as serving a man all her life.