Chapter 2

Mornings are the worst. No matter how late I sleep I still have to wake up early and go to work. Honestly, if I had a choice in the matter I would work in the afternoon, that's my productivity time, otherwise, I just feel like a dead fish in the morning.

As usual, I got up from bed and looked over to the couch. Kongpob wasn't there still sleeping with a thick blanket hanging half on him and half on the floor. He left last night. And just like that, I wanted to lie back in bed and never get up again.

Why did I push him so hard last night? What happened to baby steps, Arthit? "Argh."

The whole time I have been so good, only approaching Kongpob a little and giving him the chance to pull away. I didn't want him to become upset with me and pull away completely so I was very careful and without even realizing it himself, Kongpob had started opening up to me and I even suspected that he was actually encouraging it.

Remembering how he had looked when he said there was nothing about me he didn't know, I let my eyes fall close. Kongpob was sending me so many missed signals. That's who he is though. I knew that when I decided to take this risk. I knew he may never feel the same way and he may never really push me away. He was confused and I was preying on his confusion.

Letting out a sigh I thought out loud, "even so, I have to get to work." My fingers found my phone tangled in the sheets and I checked for messages. There was none from Kongpob but I had one from my secretary at work.

"Crap," I muttered. My father was back in town. This wasn't the time to go in late. That bastard would definitely look for any way he could find to humiliate me.

I hurried out of the room for a quick shower and was ready in ten minutes. While wearing my tie, my eyes caught the crumpled sheets from my tossing and turning last night. I never made the bed before leaving but seeing as Kongpob slept out last night he'd probably come back when I'm gone. Sigh. He is not going to avoid me, is he?

I made the bed as neatly as I could and left. As I walked out of the building it occurred to me that I should have left a message in the house, but then again maybe not. I will just let him be for now.

Upon getting to work, my stressful day started. I was expecting my father to already be at work but when I went to his office to see him, he wasn't there. It was just like him to postpone a meeting without as much as a word.

Shaking my head I turned and spotted someone unusual. She whipped her jet-black hair off her shoulder as she entered an office by the right corridor. This was my first time seeing her in the company but I wasn't exactly surprised. If I am not mistaken her name was Nue, Kongpob's fake fiancée. Well, fake between them as of now.

I walked towards the office, just passing by but still too curious to ignore it. My eyes caught her through the glass wall, seated and laughing with another Director, a Japanese man called Takuma...something. I can't fully remember his name.

She was pretty, the type of girl who would look really good hanging onto Kongpob's arm. She wouldn't look nor feel out of place. But she was not Kongpob's precious soulmate. Kongpob told me that himself. This soulmate was someone I secretly dreaded and probably slightly hated. I mean she has been hanging over the man I am in love with for a long time and she may or may not even exist.

I left her there and went back to my office. At noon, I got a memo telling me to go to my father's office. The maniac was around now, wasn't he? I took all the information I needed and went to his office. After two knocks I opened the door and saw first Nue, then my father.

"Arthit, come in," he said. My father has never treated me any differently in the four years I have been doing everything he wanted. He is my biological father but we do not have a father and son relationship. I owe him a great debt since he treated my dying mother four years ago from lung cancer. For that, I owed him ten years of my life. At this time I can only do what he wanted. The course I am studying is also his choice, the place I live with my mom was his and his choice. I am nothing more than his puppet. I have become accustomed to the feeling of not being any more than that to him and he was no different to me. He was just my puppeteer from whom I couldn't wait to be free.

Right now he has me working as a director in his company. I don't deserve this position but my father has a mentor teaching me the ropes of the business and over the years I have gotten so much better, but I still hated doing it.

When I was growing up I had wanted to be a journalist. I didn't have any dream of running a business or being an engineering student but all of that has been put on hold. I still have every intention to pursue my dream, no matter what my father thought of it. I suspected that my father thought I would actually continue to do his bidding once the time was up.

Back in the scene, I was still standing and acting as though I did not know Nue. She too acted as if she didn't know me and we said almost nothing to each other.

"Say hello to Nue...Nue, this is my son, Arthit. He is presently the acting director of the design department."

"Wow, that's nice. That's the area I am most interested in."

"That is what your father said. "

"It's nice to meet you, P'Arthit." she held out a small dainty hand and I shook it quickly without making eye contact.

"Same," I said.

"Nue is also studying engineering in another prestigious university. She switched from art this year." He continued to pour out more useless information without stopping. Why in the world was he telling me this. Is he trying to show off? I am not getting it.

A sideways glance to Nue who was humming and nodding her head along, laughing when necessary, and I could somehow tell she found this tedious.

"It only took him two years to get good enough to handle the director position."

"I would love to hear all about it, Por." my eyebrows went up and down a little too quickly for anyone to catch. "But don't you think it's time to tell P'Arthit why I am here."

"hm?" my father gave me a look as if he only just noticed that I was still standing there. "Oh right. Now that you mention it, Arthit I heard you took a few days leave?"

"To finish my exams, sir."

"And are they finished?"

"Yes."

My results were already out and the graduation ceremony was next week but I said none of that as he didn't really want to know. He feigned interest in me and my personal life for his own entertainment I suppose.

"Then you have more free time. You've been working mostly part-time because of your studies but now you can work full-time."

He must have forgotten that I already started working full-time since graduation. I nodded along, hoping he'd get to the point sooner.

"So with that, you can mentor Nue through everything she needs to know to begin working here. And I mean it when I say mentor her. You have to be with her all throughout her time here in this company."

I tilted my head without words for a moment. "I don't know all that much to be mentoring anyone," I admitted.

"Are you stupid? Why would you say that? You've been working here for almost four years. You have all the knowledge you need."

"I need mentoring myself, how can I be mentoring someone else." My father's sneer did not faze me from saying my mind.

"Your mentor, Mr. Ragat, already said it would be okay. He gave you an excellent recommendation."

'Only because you wouldn't take anything else.' I looked away from him and fell silent. It goes without saying that I didn't put that much effort into learning about this company that my father loved so much. It was exhausting.

"So from today onwards, you are working with Miss Nue and helping her understand the work."

There was no arguing with my father however, in the end, I was still going to do what he wanted so it was a wasted effort. "Okay, sir. I have the file for the project ready for you to look through."

"Oh, about that. You can just give it to Mr. Takuma on your way out."

My fingers twitched. After spending almost three days working on this project, I am to transfer my almost finished work to someone else? Control, Arthit. Don't let him win. Remember, this isn't the first time.

"Fine, "I said tightly and walked out of the office. I didn't bang the door but I wanted to so much.

"I didn't know your father was so wealthy, P'Arthit."

It didn't come as a surprise that Nue was following me. As we walked I felt curious eyes following us. She was really drawing attention merely by just moving.

"Seeing the way the two of you interact reminds me of Kongpob and his father."

I stopped and turned only to catch her smiling for some reason. At my questioning look, she said, "I thought maybe Kongpob's name would get your attention and I was right."

I knew nothing about Kongpob's family except that they were filthy rich, had only one son, and were deeply invested in pawning him off in marriage to another insanely wealthy family just to meet their needs. I wasn't interested in them but my curiosity about Kongpob's life that didn't involve me was always all-encompassing.

"Why are you here, Nue?" somehow it didn't feel like a coincidence that she was doing her internship here. This may be a very prestigious company but it wasn't the only one in Thailand or even Bangkok.

"Whatever do you mean?" she feigned ignorance and walked ahead of me. I sighed and followed.

"You know what I mean." I didn't want to give her the impression that I was worried she would tell my father about Kongpob but I was. My father still had control over me and he certainly would not take very keenly to my having a relationship with a man.

"Don't worry I am not here to get you into trouble, after all, that would get Kongpob in trouble as well, even though you are a homewrecker."

My brain missed a pulse. "I am a what?"

She laughed and ignored me. "Is this your office? Very small." She stepped in without invitation and made a sweeping turn in one place. "You'd think the office of the son of the CEO would be exceptional. Something tells me your father doesn't like you very much."

"This is enough for me, thank you." We sat down and I readied myself to ignore her. I didn't have anything much to do so I played a game on my computer while pretending to be seriously working.

After sitting silently for all of five minutes, Nue announced in a breathy voice, "I am bored. Tell me something entertaining. Like..."

I couldn't help glancing at her as she was leaning forward. "What is it like to be in love?"

I obviously had no reply to that and she complained. "Come on, it's the least you can do after stealing Kongpob away."

I made a discomfited noise in the back of my throat, "I didn't steal anything."

"You got Kongpob to fall in love with you, can you tell me how."

"What...gives you the idea that..." my confusion must have been glaring and hers mirrored it.

"You and Kongpob are dating aren't you? I know you are living together."

I guess us living together would immediately make people think that way but I don't believe Kongpob and I have ever acted in any way, publicly that showed we could be that way. Where was Nue getting her conclusion from?

"You are not dating?"Her eyes went wide.

Should I agree? "What makes you think we are?"

"Well... Kongpob decided to call off the wedding immediately after he met you and then you two started living together. "

Kongpob called off the wedding with Nue after he met me? What does that mean? If it was about Kongpob's soulmate there was no need to call it off yet, so then why did he call it off? It couldn't be me. Kongpob's feelings towards me haven't changed in the slightest.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Kongpob and I aren't what you are thinking," I said without looking at her.

"Then should I try to get him then?"

My quick glare at her caused her to break into laughter. "What's that death glare, I thought you said you aren't dating."

It doesn't mean that I want you to start chasing after him. I didn't tell her this and continued to play my game.

"It's alright. I don't know if Kongpob told you but calling off the arrangement was something we both agreed on, as long as he is the one taking the heat for it I don't really care. I don't like Kongpob like that so relax."

"I was never not relaxed," I replied and she broke off into laughter.

"You are so funny, P'Arthit. I like you, let's be friends." she held out a hand while smiling, a drop of tears clingy to the corner of one eye. I wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Being friends with the fiancée of the man I love who doesn't love me back seemed like the worst idea but I found myself reaching out and shaking her hand.

And from that day, Nue and I would proceed to become very good friends and then....