"Are you mad at me?" I asked, breaking the silence as Faye drove. My voice held a mix of curiosity and concern.
I had followed her the moment she left my office, wanting to go home together. Faye lived in a penthouse in one of her family's hotelsâa sprawling space with five bedrooms. One room was mine, another belonged to Namtan, her executive assistant. We arranged it this way to respond quickly to business emergencies, which had become more frequent since the company went global.
Today, I had driven my own car to work, but something about the way Faye had been quiet after the TikTok live made me feel like I needed to be with her. Namtan was already in the penthouse, as it was late in the evening.
Faye normally sends Namtan home early if she knows she'll be working late. Even though Namtan always protests, insisting she wants to stay, Faye is adamant about her leaving. Namtan is Auntie Maria's daughterâFaye's childhood nanny. I remember her playing with us when Auntie Maria had to bring her to the mansion.
When Faye went abroad, Auntie Maria continued working at the mansion. Unfortunately, after Auntie Maria passed away from a heart attack, we lost touch with Namtan. She and her father moved to the province, and that was the end of itâuntil five years ago, when Faye returned and hired private detectives to track her down.
We eventually found her working at a fast-food restaurant, balancing her job with her studies. Faye immediately brought her under her wing, asking why she had cut ties with us. It was then we learned the truth: it wasn't Namtan's choice. Her father had forbidden any contact with us, blaming Faye's family for Auntie Maria's death.
But the reality was different. Auntie Maria died from the stress of discovering that her husband had gambled away their savingsâthe very money she had painstakingly saved for Namtan's education.
Life was hard for Namtan after that. Her father's gambling spiraled into alcoholism, and he became abusive, often taking his frustrations out on her. The situation escalated until one day, he nearly killed her. That was when her grandmother, in tears, called the police and had him arrested.
When Faye learned the full story, she was devastated. She apologized to Namtan and has kept her close ever since, helping her finish college four years ago. Faye taught her everything about the company, and Namtan, being incredibly smart and resourceful, adapted quickly. Today, we rely on her for almost everything. She's meticulous and efficient, maintaining the highest standards in all her work.
After Namtan graduated, Faye discovered that she aspired to become a lawyer, which explained why she chose to study economics. Determined to help, Faye used her connections to secure Namtan a spot at a prestigious law school with a flexible schedule. Namtan didn't want to stop working entirely, so they reached a compromise: she would continue working while attending classes.
To ease her workload, Faye insisted that she hire an assistant. At first, Namtan was reluctant, but when the company expanded globally, the tasks doubled, and she finally agreed. Her assistant, who also happens to be her best friend Claire, occasionally stays with us but mostly in her house since she lives nearby. Both girls are incredibly diligent and efficient, making life easier for Faye and me.
If I'm unavailable, Namtan steps in as Faye's representative, and people respect her just as much as they do Faye. Her word carries weight, and decisions she makes are treated as if they came from Faye herself.
"No, why would I be mad?" Faye answered, her eyes still on the road.
I smiled, a little sheepish. "I know, that was a dumb question. You never get mad at me, so spill. Why so quiet?"
"Hmm, nothing. Just lost in thought," she replied, her voice softer than usual.
I stared at her until she noticed, finally glancing my way. "What?" she asked, her expression confused.
"Something's bothering you, or should I say someone's bothering you?" I teased, a playful grin tugging at my lips.
She smiled faintly but didn't look at me. "You had the audacity to ask?" she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
I laughed hard, knowing exactly what was going on. "I knew it!" I said, barely containing my excitement. "The name's Yoko Apasra, by the way. She's Sofia's favorite actress in Thailand. I'm just not sure if she's single."
Faye shot me a look, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I'm gonna kill you."
I laughed again, not at all worried. "No, you're not. You wanted to thank me," I said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Whatever," she muttered, rolling her eyes as we pulled into the parking area. We both got out of the car and headed toward the elevator, the tension between us now a playful energy.
Once inside, I couldn't help but continue. "Seriously, Fy, when you came back five years ago, I never saw you get interested in anyone. You work with beautiful models every day, but I never saw you get curious about any of them. Hell, you almost dated Lalisa Manoban? What the hell is wrong with you?" I teased, remembering how she had turned down the chance to date one of the most famous women in the world.
Faye just laughed and entered the living room, sinking into the couch with her eyes closed, clearly exhausted. "You're insane," she muttered, leaning her head back.
But I didn't let up. "But this girlâYokoâdamn, you were speechless! It was like you saw a ghost!"
Faye opened her eyes and gave me an exasperated look. "Shut up," she said softly, but there was something different in her voice.
"I think I'm in love," she said suddenly, her words hanging in the air.
I froze, shocked by the confession. "What the fuck did you just say?" I blinked, struggling to process what she'd just said.
She opened her eyes, looked at me, and repeated it, more seriously this time. "I think I'm in love with her. I think I love the TikTok girl."
I burst out laughing, wiping tears from my eyes. "OMG, Fy, first of all, the name's Yoko, not TikTok girl," I said between laughs. "And second, you don't even know her. How can you be in love with her? Shouldn't you be saying you like her first? A crush, that's more like it."
"No," she said firmly, her voice serious. "I knew I loved her the moment I saw her."
Now, I was truly stunned. Faye had always been indifferent about anyone outside of me and Namtan, who she constantly showered with compliments. But this... this was different. She was talking about another woman with a level of seriousness I had never seen before.
"Are you serious?" I asked again, trying to confirm what I was hearing.
"Yes," she said, her gaze unwavering. "What do I do?"
I shrugged casually, trying to hide my amusement. "Well, you court her," I said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
"How?" she asked, now looking more confused. "She's in Thailand. Should I go there?"
I laughed again. "Well, your family owns private jets. You can figure it out," I teased, walking away from her. "I'm so sleepy. Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay?"
I heard her mutter, "How dare you?" but I was already halfway to my bedroom, laughing all the way.
I couldn't believe itâFaye, my usually stoic, work-obsessed friend, had a romantic side? I had always thought her heart was only for her work and the kids, but clearly, I was wrong. I grinned to myself, realizing this was going to be interesting.
Faye's POV:
I was still cursing Sonya in my head when I collapsed onto the sofa. How dare that girl show me the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen and leave me hanging? Damn, I felt so stupid. I could already imagine Yoko laughing at how foolish I must have looked earlier.
The woman's face had stunned me when I first saw her on the screen. I nearly had a heart attack thinking Sofia had an angel by her side. Yoko... that was her name. I wondered if she had Japanese blood. Her skin was flawless, almost too perfect, and her teeth were so white they could blind you. I couldn't even hear what she was saying because I was too focused on her mouth. It sounds weird and creepy, but I couldn't look away. I was completely mesmerized.
I stood up, still shaken, and went straight to my bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and took a long, cold shower. As the water flowed over me, I still saw Yoko's face in my mind, and I felt a heat building within me. I quickly finished my shower, put on my robe, and changed into my sleeping clothes.
Sitting at my desk, I checked my emails, but my mind kept drifting back to Yoko. After responding to some messages, I checked my phone and was stunned to see my name trending on X. What the hell? I thought, my heart racing. I read through some of the comments, and to my surprise, there were dozens of notifications asking to follow me.
How did they find my X account? I wondered. I had set my account to private for a reason, and now people were finding it. My heart sank when I remembered that the Folk City admin had tagged me when I won an award last week in the US. That's probably where people found my account.
I sighed in relief when I realized my Instagram was safe and hadn't been discovered yet. My ex had created the account for me, giving me a unique username since I'm not great with social media. I still hadn't changed it, not even the passwordâI'm sure my ex still knows it. I rarely post anything on it anyway. In fact, my last post was over a year ago when I visited Africa again. Lisa actually took that photo when we decided to go there at the same time. She snapped a picture of me with some local kids. People didn't know I was friends with Lisa, so when I posted the photo, I didn't tag her. She DM'd me later, jokingly saying she wouldn't take photos of me anymore because I didn't give her credit. I told her if I did, I'd probably get mobbed by her fans, and she just laughed at it.
While on IG, I decided to check Yoko's account. She had posted several times, mostly promotional ads. As I scrolled through her photos, I saw one of her with another girl, almost kissing. It was a professional shoot, but it still hit me like a punch in the gut.
I felt a wave of jealousy hit meâsomething I had never experienced before. I wasn't the jealous type. I was always confident in myself. But this... this was different. I closed my eyes and cursed under my breath. Damn it, I thought. I'm doomed.