3 years after Kongpob Graduated from the University

Kongpob had a plan.

He had been thinking about it for a long time. He wanted to propose to Arthit, his boyfriend of seven years.

He wanted to make it special and memorable. He wanted to show Arthit how much he loved him because It was his Phi who always took them forward together in this relationship, took the whole courting into seriousness, and made them official, and now he want to be the one who expresses he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him.

He had bought a ring, a simple but elegant silver band with a small diamond. He had booked a table at a fancy restaurant, where they had their first date. He had prepared a speech, telling Arthit how he felt and how he changed his life for the better.

He was ready.

He picked up Arthit from his office and drove him to the restaurant. He smiled and chatted with him, trying to act normal and hide his nervousness. He hoped Arthit wouldn't notice anything suspicious.

They arrived at the restaurant and were escorted to their table. Kongpob pulled out a chair for Arthit and helped him sit down. He sat across from him and looked into his eyes.Arthit smiled back at him, his eyes shining with love and happiness.

Kongpob felt his heart melt. He loved Arthit so much. He couldn't wait to ask him to marry him.They ordered their food and drinks and enjoyed their meal. They talked about their day, their work, their friends, and their plans for the future. They laughed and teased each other, like they always did.

Kongpob waited for the right moment to pop the question. He wanted to do it after they finished eating, when they were alone and relaxed. He checked his pocket and felt the ring box. He took a deep breath and prepared himself.

He was about to do it when his phone rang.

He frowned and looked at the caller ID. It was his boss. He apologized to Arthit and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Kongpob, I need you to come back to the office right now," his boss said in a stern voice.

"What? Why? What's wrong?" Kongpob asked, confused and worried.

"We have an emergency situation. One of our clients is threatening to cancel their contract with us. They are not satisfied with our work and they want to talk to you personally. You need to come here and fix this mess," his boss said.

"But I'm in the middle of something important," Kongpob said, glancing at Arthit who looked concerned.

"I don't care what you're doing. This is more important. This is your job, Kongpob. This is your responsibility. If you don't come here right now, you can kiss your career goodbye," his boss said harshly.

Kongpob felt a surge of anger and frustration. He hated his boss for being so unreasonable and demanding. He hated his job for being so stressful and demanding. He hated himself for being so weak and obedient.He wanted to say no. He wanted to hang up the phone and ignore his boss. He wanted to stay with Arthit and propose to him.But he couldn't.

He knew he had no choice but to go back to the office. He knew he had to do his duty as an employee. He knew he had to sacrifice his personal life for his professional life. He sighed and said,

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as possible."He hung up the phone and looked at Arthit apologetically.

"I'm sorry, babe. I have to go," he said.

Arthit frowned and said,"What? Why? What happened?"

Kongpob explained the situation briefly and said,

"I'm really sorry, P'Arthit. I know this is our anniversary and I wanted to make it special for you, but I have no choice."

Arthit shook his head and said,

"No, Kongpob, you do have a choice. You can choose not to go back to the office. You can choose to stay with me. You can choose us over your work."

Kongpob felt torn between Arthit's words and his boss's words. He wanted to choose Arthit, but he also didn't want to lose his job.

He said,"Arthit, please understand. This is important for my career. This is what I worked hard for all these years."

Arthit said, "And what about me? What about us? Don't we matter more than your career? Don't you love me more than your work?"

"Of course I do, Arthit. I love you more than anything. You know that." said Kong a d sighed

"Then prove it. Stay with me. Marry me."

Kongpob gasped.

He couldn't believe what Arthit just said.

"What? P'Arthit, did you just..."Arthit nodded and said,

"Yes, Kongpob, I did. I just proposed to you. I love you, Kongpob. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be your husband. Will you marry me?"

Kongpob felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He felt joy and shock and love and fear and confusion and hope and doubt. He looked at Arthit's face, his eyes, his lips, his expression. He saw love and sincerity and courage and vulnerability.

He saw the man he loved more than anything.He saw the man he wanted to marry. He opened his mouth to say yes. But he hesitated.

He remembered his boss's words, his threats, his ultimatum. He remembered his job, his career, his ambition. He remembered his responsibility, his obligation, his duty. He remembered the ring in his pocket, the plan in his head, the speech in his heart. He remembered everything he wanted to say and do for Arthit. He remembered everything he had to give up for Arthit. He closed his mouth.

He couldn't say yes. What he forgot then was, Just a moment of hesitation could ruin you for a life time.

But he also couldn't say no. He was stuck. He was silent.Arthit waited for an answer. But he didn't get one.

He saw Kongpob's face, his eyes, his lips, his expression. He saw hesitation and conflict and fear and doubt. He saw the man he loved more than anything. He saw the man he wanted to marry.

But he also saw the man who couldn't choose him over his work. The man who couldn't say yes to him. The man who broke his heart. He felt tears sting his eyes. He felt pain in his chest. He felt anger in his voice.

He said,"Fine. Don't answer me. Go back to your office. Go back to your work. Go back to your life without me."

He got up from his seat and grabbed his coat.
He walked away from Kongpob and out of the restaurant.
He walked away from their relationship and out of their life.
He didn't look back.

Kongpob watched him go.
He wanted to stop him.
He wanted to run after him.
He wanted to hug him and kiss him and tell him he loved him and he was sorry and he would marry him.

But he didn't move.
He didn't speak.
He didn't act.
He just sat there.
Frozen and speechless and helpless.
He just watched him go, until he disappeared from his sight.
Until he disappeared from his life.
Until it was too late.

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What are you still reading? It's all over.
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Don't you  trust me?
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Okay. Stop, go and read.

Kongpob felt a surge of panic.
He couldn't leave now.
He had to propose to Arthit.
He had to make him his lover understand that his love is more important .

"Boss, I'm sorry, but I can't come right now. I'm in the middle of something important. Can you handle it without me?" he pleaded.

"No, I can't. You are the only one who can deal with this client. They specifically asked for you. You have to come, Kongpob. This is a matter of success or fail for our company. If we lose this contract, we are doomed. Do you understand?" his boss said, sounding desperate.

Kongpob felt torn. He wanted to stay with Arthit and propose to him, but he also didn't want to let his boss and his company down. He knew how much this contract meant to them. He looked at Arthit, who was walked away but stood by his car, tapping his boot on the asphalt.

He saw the love and trust in his eyes.He made a decision."Boss, I'm sorry, but I can't come. I have something more important to do here. You'll have to find someone else to handle this client. I'm sure you can do it. You are a great boss and a great leader. You don't need me for this," he said firmly.

He hung up the phone and turned off the ringer. He looked at his phi and smiled.

"P'Arthit, I'm sorry for the hesitation. I didn't mean to make you feel like my work is more important than you. It's just I always wanted to finish what I started and this past 15 months the project I took is completely my idea. I know you're frustrated with the no quality time for this whole time. But please trust me when I say I LOVE YOU. There was a problem at work, but I solved it. Nothing is more important than you and me right now," he said sincerely.

He reached for his pocket and took out the ring BOX. He walked over to Arthit's side. He stretched on his tiptoes and looped his left arm around his Phi and opened the box with right hand, revealing the ring. He looked into his Oon's eyes and said:

"P'Ai'Oon, you are the love of my life. You are my best friend, my partner, my soulmate. You make me happy every day with your smile, your laugh, your kindness, your strength. You support me in everything I do and you inspire me to be a better person. You are everything I ever dreamed of and more. I can't imagine my life without you."
He took a deep breath and asked:

"My Sun, will you marry me and make me the sole owner of your heart, soul and body?"Arthit looked up at the sky and bit his lip hard to control his emotions. He looked at Kongpob with tears in his eyes.

He nodded his head lightly and said
"Yes! Of course I will marry you, because you're mine to love care and caress, to-be-Rojnapat!" He threw his arms around Kongpob's waist and kissed him passionately.

Kongpob slid the ring on Arthit's finger that was on his waist and hugged him back. They heard applause and cheers from the other customers and staff in the restaurant. They smiled and thanked them.

They kissed again and whispered:
"I love you." "I love you too."

They lived happily ever after.

Or

Do you want a part 2...?