CH-23

A month had passed, and Ling’s life felt much darker than before, especially since she met Orm. Now, her days were filled with work, forcing herself to wear a fake smile in front of others, as if it were a mask to hide the sadness that constantly haunted her.

Sipping the last of her coffee, Ling placed the cup on the table and reached for her phone. Her eyes lingered on the screen, and her heart shattered all over again as she was reminded of the painful reality—Orm had blocked her on all social media and disappeared, leaving Ling no chance to fix things.

With slightly trembling hands, Ling opened her friends’ group chat and skimmed through the messages. But after a few moments of staring at the screen, she decided to turn off her phone. Standing up, she walked out of the house and headed to her car.

Ling drove aimlessly through the streets until, after a few minutes, she arrived at a karaoke bar. Without hesitation, she walked in and made her way to a private room where her friends were already waiting.

“Lingling Sirilak Kwong!” Engfa called out excitedly upon seeing her. Inside the room, Charlotte, Lookmhee, Sonya, and Anda were there as well.

“You said you wouldn’t come. What made you change your mind?” Charlotte asked curiously.

Ling sat down and answered in a low voice, “I got bored at home, and my work schedule isn’t until later this afternoon, so I figured there’s no harm in joining you all now.” Though she wasn’t a fan of karaoke, Ling tried to enjoy the atmosphere.

“That’s great!” Lookmhee cheered, wrapping an arm around Ling’s shoulder. “Consider this a distraction for you, even though I know… getting left by someone you love hurts.”

Anda, who had been singing, suddenly stopped and sat beside Ling. “You said Orm is getting engaged to a guy named Meen. Do you know anything about him?” she asked seriously.

Ling shook her head slowly. “I don’t,” she replied flatly, her expression unreadable.

“I think I do,” Anda said, making Charlotte, Engfa, Lookmhee, Sonya, and especially Ling look at her with curiosity.

“Meen Nichakoon,” Anda continued. “He’s 25 years old and the son of a well-known hospital owner in Bangkok. He’s also the only child of a highly respected family.” She paused, watching their reactions. “When I asked him about it, he told me that he knows Orm very well.”

Ling’s eyes lit up slightly with interest. She stared at Anda, her expression turning serious. “Where did you get this information about Meen?” she asked.

“He’s my cousin,” Anda answered casually. “When I found out Orm was getting engaged to Meen, I immediately asked him about it because I found it hard to believe. Meen is gay, and his relationship with Orm is purely an arranged marriage set up by their parents.”

Everyone in the room was stunned by Anda’s revelation, including Ling. A mix of relief and worry began to fill her chest after hearing the news.

“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner? Ling wouldn’t have to be drowning in misery for so long,” Charlotte protested, glaring at Anda.

“I didn’t know the Meen Ling was talking about was my cousin. Do you think there’s only one person named Meen in this world?” Anda retorted. “I got curious and decided to ask my cousin directly, and that’s the information I got.”

“You’re really something,” Engfa commented, patting Anda’s shoulder before turning to Ling. “But why do you still look so down? Shouldn’t this news make you feel better?”

Ling let out a deep sigh before looking at Engfa with a worried expression. “This does make me feel better, but… what if their parents still force them to go through with the engagement?” she said anxiously.

“Don’t worry,” Anda reassured her, gently patting Ling’s shoulder. “Meen already promised me that he’ll talk to his parents soon and tell them the truth—that he’s gay and doesn’t want this arranged marriage.”

Ling nodded, but the concern on her face remained. “The problem is… Orm’s father doesn’t seem to like me. He once told me that all I do is hurt Orm,” she said softly, lowering her gaze.

“That can be fixed,” Sonya chimed in confidently. “You just need to prove to Orm’s parents that you truly love her and want to take care of her. If you can show them that, I’m sure they’ll accept you.”

“Don’t worry, Khun,” Lookmhee added with an encouraging smile. “I’m sure Orm still loves you. You just need to fight for your love so you two can be together.”

Ling nodded again, this time with a small smile slowly forming on her lips. The words of her friends soothed her heart and reignited the hope she needed to fight for her relationship with Orm.

••••

The deep longing within Ling had become unbearable. For the past month, after every gathering with friends, she had always taken the time to visit Orm's campus. She hoped to catch a glimpse of Orm from afar, even though she never had the courage to approach. To her, her presence on campus would only make Orm uncomfortable, especially if it drew unwanted attention because of her sudden appearance in public.

Today, Ling parked her car near the Faculty of Economics, where Orm was studying. However, unlike usual, this time, she was truly determined to meet and talk to Orm in person. The overwhelming longing made her disregard any consequences that might arise. Ling felt that this meeting had to happen—this time, there was no turning back.

Her eyes carefully scanned the campus surroundings, but her main focus remained on the faculty's main entrance, where Orm usually exited. In the silence of her observation, she suddenly saw a familiar figure walking quickly toward a car. Ling narrowed her eyes, trying to make sure it was really Orm. “Where is she going?” she murmured softly, watching as Orm hurried away.

As Orm's car started moving, Ling immediately turned on her own car and followed from behind. Her heart was filled with questions, trying to understand what was making Orm leave in such a rush. “Does she have something urgent to attend to? Is that why she's driving so fast?” Ling whispered to herself as she increased her speed, making sure not to lose sight of Orm’s car.

The drive led Ling to a house with high gates, where she had to stop across the street. She watched with curiosity as Orm’s car entered the property. “This isn’t her parents’ house…” Ling muttered under her breath, her eyes still fixed on the grand building in front of her. “Whose house is this?” she added, her mind racing with all kinds of possibilities.

For a while, Ling remained inside her car, waiting patiently. Her desire to know more almost made her step out and get closer, but she held herself back, choosing to stay put rather than act impulsively. Just thirty minutes had passed when her phone suddenly rang. Ling let out a deep sigh, feeling annoyed at the interruption. With slight reluctance, she reached for her phone and glanced at the screen.

“Oh no, I forgot about my schedule today,” she murmured after reading a message from Best, her assistant, reminding her of an important meeting that had been scheduled for a long time.

With a heavy heart, Ling put her phone down. Her gaze returned to the house one last time, unable to let go of the hope that she might still see Orm. She started her car, but her heart resisted leaving. She wanted nothing more than to wait a little longer, hoping to see Orm step out and get a chance to talk—even if only for a moment.

But responsibility called. In the end, Ling made her choice and drove away, leaving the house behind with hope still lingering in her heart.

.

.

.

.

Today's photoshoot session had finally come to an end. Ling let out a relieved sigh every time she completed her work, though exhaustion spread throughout her entire body. Being an artist was no easy task—the fatigue was overwhelming, but she couldn't just walk away from the entertainment industry that had built her name. As she took a sip of mineral water to soothe her throat, Ling sat on a chair, waiting for her assistant, Best, who was tidying up their belongings.

"Huh?" Ling muttered when her vision was suddenly blocked by a hand covering her eyes from behind. Without saying a word, she immediately brushed the hand away and turned around with a blank expression.

"Mean? What are you doing here?" Ling asked coldly upon seeing Mean standing behind her.

"P'Best told me you were here, so I came to pick you up. I want to take you out," Mean replied with a smile, hoping for a warm response.

However, Ling merely sighed and answered curtly, "I can't. I'm busy and already exhausted." She stood up, trying to avoid Mean's hopeful gaze.

"Come on, Ling… Just for a little while. I just want to spend some time with my girlfriend," Mean said, reaching for Ling’s hand, attempting to persuade her.

"Tsk… Girlfriend?" Ling scoffed. She shook Mean's hand off and stared at him sharply. "Remember, we're only pretending to be a couple in front of the cameras. Outside of that, there's nothing between us."

Mean forced a smile and replied casually, "But if we go out together, some fans might catch the moment. Doesn't that still count as being a couple in front of the cameras?"

"No! I don’t want to!" Ling stated firmly, raising her voice. Without giving Mean a chance to respond, she turned on her heels and walked toward Best, who was finishing packing their bags. "Khun Best, let's go home now," she said decisively.

"Yes, Khun Ling," Best replied, quickly following Ling, who had already left the room without looking back at Mean.

Mean could only watch as Ling walked away, his expression filled with disappointment. His fists clenched tightly, struggling to contain the anger and frustration brewing inside him. When the room fell silent and no one was around to witness, he vented his frustration by kicking the chair Ling had just sat on, his grip tightening as if trying to suppress the storm of emotions threatening to erupt.

•••••

Orm, who had just stepped into Meen's house, froze in place, paralyzed by the sight before him. His blood ran cold. The room was a mess, and Meen lay on the floor, his face covered in bruises and blood. Without a second thought, Orm rushed to his side, kneeling beside him and carefully shaking his body.

"What happened, Phi?" Orm asked, her voice trembling, heart pounding at the sight of Meen looking so weak and helpless.

Meen slowly opened his eyes at the sound of Orm's voice. With what little strength he had left, he tried to sit up, but his body was still too heavy. Orm immediately helped him, supporting him with great care.

"Slowly, P'Meen…" Orm whispered as she helped Meen move to the couch. "I'll get the first aid kit to treat your wounds. Wait here," She continued before hurrying toward the area near the kitchen, where Meen usually kept medical supplies.

After finding the first aid kit, Orm returned to the living room and sat beside Meen. She opened the box, took out some cotton, and began cleaning the blood from Meen’s face. Her movements were gentle and precise, though her mind was racing with questions about what had really happened. She chose to hold back his inquiries for now, giving Meen a moment to recover.

"What exactly happened, Phi?" Orm finally murmured, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. The blood flowing from Meen’s wounds continued to soak the cotton, forcing Orm to replace it multiple times.

Meen took a deep breath, his voice weak but clear. "I got into a fight with Mean..." he said softly, averting his gaze as if he couldn't bear to look at Orm.

Orm was stunned, her hands pausing mid-air. "What? How could you and P'Mean end up fighting?" he asked in disbelief.

With a trembling voice, Meen continued, "Remember the boyfriend I always told you about? Mean is my boyfriend. We've been together for three years."

Thud! Orm’s heart skipped a beat at the confession. She stared at Meen in shock, struggling to process his words. "You're… dating P'Mean? How?" She asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Meen nodded slowly, lowering his head. "We met at a bar, and after a while, we decided to start a relationship. At first, when I found out Mean was dating Ling, he told me it was just for work, so I let it go. But over the past year, his behavior started to change. He became aggressive, easily angry, said harsh words, and… recently, he started hitting me," Meen admitted with a heavy heart.

Orm’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Why didn’t you tell me from the start?" She asked softly, trying to contain the pain reflected in Meen's expression.

Meen shook his head, his voice breaking as he explained, "At first, I wanted to keep our relationship a secret because he’s an artist. But when Mean got back together with Ling under the excuse of work, I started getting suspicious. Especially when he separated you from Ling—I wanted to tell you everything. But… Mean threatened to hurt me even more if I dared to speak up," he said, choking on the sobs he had been holding back.

Orm fell silent, still trying to process Meen’s confession, which seemed to unveil so many hidden truths. The words echoed in her mind, tearing at her emotions.

"And… this fight happened because I was going to report him to the police after finding a bunch of nude photos of Ling on Mean’s phone," Meen continued, his voice trembling. "Mean admitted that he installed hidden cameras in Ling’s bedroom and bathroom to get those pictures…"

Orm stiffened, though she wasn’t surprised by the deepening revelation. "I already knew about those photos…" Orm replied quietly, lowering her head heavily. "P'Mean used them to threaten me. To keep him from leaking them, I chose to step away so that P'Ling would stay safe."

Meen looked at Orm, his eyes filled with sorrow. "So… this is the real reason you resigned?" he whispered.

Orm nodded slowly, forcing a small smile to mask the pain surging in her chest. "Yes. I didn’t want P'Ling to get into trouble or suffer because of Mean’s actions…"

Meen cupped Orm’s cheeks, his hands trembling as he finally spoke. The tears he had been holding back streamed down his face. "I'm sorry, Nong… If only I had the courage to reveal our relationship from the beginning, maybe he wouldn’t have gone this far."

Orm held Meen’s hands, trying to offer comfort. "It’s okay, Phi. It’s already happened…" Orm said, her voice hoarse from the sobs she fought to suppress, while tears spilled down her own cheeks.

Meen gazed at Orm with determination, even though his body was still weak. "I promise I will end this, Nong. Even if I have to risk my life, I will do it. Mean might try to kill me, but I won’t back down. I have to protect you… and bring you back to Ling," he declared, his voice laced with resolve and sorrow.

Orm could only remain silent, pulling Meen into a tight embrace. She couldn't fathom how Meen would face all of this alone. The weight of the truth Meen had revealed only deepened his realization of just how cruel Mean truly was—someone who always appeared so friendly in the public eye.