What should a married woman do who is suffering from financial hardship and debts, and has falsely told her mother that her financial situation has improved based on a man's promise to help her, and continues to lie because the man has not fulfilled his promise, and fears telling her mother the truth?

It is not obligatory to inform the mother about financial hardship. One can use allusive or indirect speech without outright lying, such as saying words that carry more than one meaning, as narrated from Al-Nakha'i and Al-Sha'bi. We advise the couple to repent, frequently seek forgiveness, and supplicate, while maintaining good expectations of Allah.