13
'That bachelorette party night—how did that villainess know she got in the wrong car?'
How did she know? She acted like she knew everything that happened that night
Dr. Premsinee, who was listening to the morning news in the living room, let out a frustrated sigh when she couldn't find the answer she was looking for. No matter how hard she tried to remember, she just couldn't.
Could it be that the villainess was the owner of that car and the one who took her to her room? She wasn't quite sure because, as far as she could recall, there weren't many photos in that room to remember. There were only group photos in student uniforms, and she didn't pay much attention to remembering everyone's faces in those frames.
But the ringing phone interrupted her thoughts, making Dr. Premsinee quickly answer it when she saw it was her mother calling, which
"Yes, Mom. I'll come over."
Dr. Premsinee sighed slightly, knowing she had to visit her parents' suburban home today to discuss what happened on her wedding day. Since that day, she'd avoided talking about it. Her parents probably didn't want their daughter to become a jilted bride, but what could she do when the groom betrayed her love?
It didn't take long for Dr. Premsinee to drive to her parents' suburban home, a place she rarely visited due to its distance from the hospital where she worked.
She wasn't distant from her parents, but they usually met for meals outside the house, except for special occasions when the family gathered there.
Dr. Premsinee smiled at the housemaid from the neighboring country, Ma-prang, who had been with her parents for many years and was trusted for her loyalty.
"Where are Mom and Dad, Ma-prang?"
"The master went to the university, and the mistress is waiting for you inside."
"Please ask Som-mai to move my car."
"Yes, Doctor." The maid looked at the doctor's back with admiration. How could Ma-prang not admire Dr. Premsinee, who was both beautiful and kind? Whenever Ma-prang was sick, the doctor always took care of her.
"Ma-prang, what are you daydreaming about?"
"Som-mai, please move the doctor's car. Carefully, too, okay?"
"Are you too possessive about Doctor?"
"Well, she's lovely. It's a pity she didn't get married..."
"Don't meddle in her affairs."
"I'm just talking to you, not anyone else." Ma-prang almost rolled her eyes at Som-mai, the driver, but he walked away to move the doctor's car.
"God, Som-mai, always leaving me talking to myself... Will the doctor get married again?"
The maid continued to ponder, hoping her beloved Dr. Premsinee would have another wedding. But Dr. Premsinee was currently troubled by what her mother had said.
She wasn't ready to make any decisions yet. She wanted to let her heart heal from the wounds. But her mother probably didn't think that way. No one dared to ask her at the hospital, but her mother's friends likely had opinions that led to this conversation.
"What are you going to do, Prem? Wat came to talk to us."
"What did he say, Mom?"
"Wat came to apologize, admit his mistake, and ask for another chance."
"And what else?"
"He said he was drunk that day, that it was just one mistake. But he doesn't accept that the baby is his. He wants a DNA test. If the baby is his, he'll pay the child support. He wants another chance from you, Prem. He says he loves you very much."
"And do you think what Wat did is love, Mom?" Dr. Premsinee didn't answer her mother's question but instead asked her to think about whether what that man said or did was love for her daughter.
"I know you're hurt, Prem, but everyone makes mistakes."
"So you want me to marry a man who betrayed me? Do I have to accept and let a man who cheated on me trample my dignity?"
Her words made her mother sigh. For Dr. Premsinee, love or not wasn't the main issue. The issue she couldn't accept was having her dignity destroyed—that she'd never compromise.
Since she was a kid, Dr. Premsinee had planned her life out. When she talked about marriage, she mentioned the appropriateness of age and career but never said she loved the man so much that she wanted to spend her life with him, unlike others who often cited love as the main reason.
"I'm not telling you to do that, Prem."
"Okay."
"But I don't want you to close yourself off. I want you to get married."
Every parent wants their child to have a family. She was one of them, wanting her middle daughter to get married, even if the first attempt failed.
"I'm not ready yet, Mom."
"Just don't close yourself off. I want you to have a warm family."
"Okay, Mom. I won't close myself off."
Dr. Premsinee smiled to reassure her mother, knowing she meant well and loved her. As a professor, her mother probably wanted her to live the life she thought best. Dr. Premsinee wasn't troubled by her mother's wishes; she just wasn't ready to open up to someone new.
But Dr. Premsinee didn't know that she'd encounter new feelings in the near future that would make her life more chaotic than she could handle.
After having lunch with her parents and chatting a bit more, Dr. Premsinee decided to relax by walking in a famous downtown mall. Today, it seemed particularly crowded with teenagers, as she noticed a stage set up on the first floor for the launching event of a perfume brand.
As soon as the celebrities or idol singers appeared, the squees were so loud that Dr. Premsinee had to walk away. But then, she couldn't help but look back when she saw someone in a sleek white dress beaming at her.
She wanted to relax, so why did she have to run into this annoying woman?
Dr. Premsinee decided to walk away immediately, ignoring the beautiful villainess's gaze. Now, other people were starting to look, curious about who their favorite celebrity was looking at.
Her phone vibrated in her bag, making Dr. Premsinee, who was deciding which floor to go to, answer it. It was Dr. Tankhun, likely calling to arrange their dinner plans. But Dr. Premsinee guessed wrong.
Dr. Tankhun called to say he might be late and told her to wait at the restaurant. Dr. Fahlada had to drop off her girlfriend at the filming set first, and Dr. Melanee would come later after having dinner with her two lovers.
Since when did she become the one with more free time than her friends?
Wasn't it usually Dr. Tankhun?
"Tan, I'm not used to this."
'Aw, don't cry, Prem. That's what it's like being single.'
"Hurry up and come."
'Don't drink before I get there. Just wait.'
Dr. Premsinee could only agree to her friend's repeated reminders, telling him she wasn't a child. Since the bachelorette party night, Dr. Tankhun hadn't let her drink much, fearing she might get into the wrong car and disappear again, like that night.
She put her phone back in her bag and decided to head to the floor where the clothing brand 'Karn' was. Maybe she could shop while waiting for dinner time, as it'd been a while since she last shopped.
But before Dr. Premsinee could reach the store, she saw a familiar broad back and handsome face. It was her ex-fiance, walking with a woman, and they seemed to be a couple.
Seeing them enter a clothing store, Dr. Premsinee didn't hesitate to follow but kept her distance so they wouldn't notice. When she saw the woman's face, she turned away, recognizing her immediately.
The woman who claimed to be pregnant with her ex-trance's child...
Dr. Premsinee didn't realize how tightly she was gripping her bag. Seeing them so close made her pity herself. What her mother had just told her was entirely different from what she saw.
He told her mother that he wanted another chance and that his relationship with that woman was a mistake. But what she saw now was nothing like what he'd said. What a deceitful man he was.
If she hadn't seen it today, she wouldn't have known that his attempts to reconcile with her weren't out of genuine love as he claimed. Because if he truly loved her, he'd never have done this.
It's good that she saw it with her own eyes. Now, she could make a firm decision.
Dr. Premsinee slowly turned away from the scene, which made her feel betrayed. The wound in her heart, which she thought had healed, reopened. But this time, it didn't hurt as much as before. It just left her wondering why she had to encounter betrayal again and again.
She was probably fortunate to see the truth with her own eyes...
The truth that the so-called mistaken relationship he mentioned was... a lie.
Dr. Premsinee's sad face and dazed demeanor made the person searching for her stop in their tracks. Naphak almost wanted to run to her immediately upon seeing the doctor, but she had to wait until her responsibilities were finished. She finally found her on this floor, only to be surprised by Dr. Premsinee's distressed appearance.
Naphak then saw the reason, which made her equally annoyed. Her personal manager, who was supposed to be looking after her, was happily shopping with a man.
Nam had told her she had an urgent matter and had to rush to see a relative who had an accident and was hospitalized, which was why she couldn't come today. Was she stupid or just not thinking about it carefully? She was smiling so brightly with a man in the mall where she'd presumably taken the job for her.
She'd complained endlessly that the man wouldn't take her, but it didn't seem like that at all.
It hurt to have felt sympathy for her, but seeing it today confirmed that she was lying.
She used the expensive phone in her hand to capture the image immediately. It stung a bit that the person she once secretly loved had lied repeatedly to her. From now on, this would be enough. She wouldn't let herself be deceived again.
Once she had enough pictures, Naphak hurriedly walked in the direction Dr. Premsinee had gone. Given the doctor's condition, she shouldn't be alone. The doctor must be hurting more than she was, having to see this scene, especially since the man was someone Dr. Premsinee had almost married.
Naphak wiped a bit of sweat from her face as she half-walked, half-ran to catch up with the doctor, ignoring the stares of others. It was exhausting because the walk to the parking lot where the doctor's car was parked was quite far.
"Doctor, wait..."
"What are you doing?" Dr. Premsinee jumped when a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder, followed by a breathless voice. It was good she didn't scream or throw something.
"No, no, I'm serious. I'm tired. Can I have some water?"
"I've already drunk it, though."
"It's okay. I'm exhausted right now." The water bottle in the car was
handed to the actress, who was panting so hard that Dr. Premsinee had to tell her to breathe slowly, fearing she might faint.
"Do you exercise?"
"I do, but I've been getting tired easily lately... Thank you." The empty bottle was handed back to its owner, and Naphak slowly inhaled as the doctor instructed.
"It's okay. If there is nothing else, I have to go."
"Can I come with you?"
"Hmm?"
"I live in the same condo as you, and I didn't drive my car here..."
"I'm not going back to the condo."
"It's okay. Wherever you go, I'll go too."
Dr. Premsinee looked at the beautiful face that showed no signs of tease before nodding and allowing the woman to accompany her. She didn't want to be alone, either.
When they arrived at the place Dr. Premsinee wanted, the beautiful villainess was surprised. Though it was a restaurant, she knew that this rather upscale place was mostly frequented by people who came to drink.
"The sun hasn't even set yet, Doctor."
"If you still want to sit with me, please be quiet."
The doctor's calm words as she ordered food and alcohol made Naphak sigh. She didn't want to say she'd seen everything that had driven the doctor to come to a restaurant like this before sunset. But if she said it, the doctor wouldn't let her stay.
It was natural to be hurt, seeing an ex-lover to whom you almost married with someone else.
The soft music playing in the restaurant allowed the few customers in there to relax, including Dr. Premsinee and the beautiful villainess, who remained silent. Only the doctor sipped the intoxicating drink, unlike the villainess who kept looking at the doctor's face while eating instead of drinking the dark liquid. If they both drank, who would drive back then?
"Aren't you drinking?"
"You drink, Doctor. I know you've been through something upsetting."
"You don't know."
"I do. I know how much it hurts when you love someone and they don't value you or betray you."
Naphak poured good wine into the empty glass for the beautiful doctor, who looked surprised at her words. Dr. Premsinee acted as if she'd never experienced love or thought someone like her wouldn't understand heartbreak.
"Have you ever been heartbroken?"
"Why do you think I haven't, Doctor?"
"Someone as good-looking as you shouldn't have anyone daring to break your heart."
"Sometimes beauty doesn't help." Dr. Premsinee's slightly flushed face made Naphak smile. She liked the doctor when she drank alcohol because she became more talkative, open with her emotions, and smiled more.
"We must be unlucky..."
"I think that bad luck comes with good luck... that brought us together." She didn't say the last part aloud for Dr. Premsinee, who was sipping her wine, to hear.
Good luck often comes with bad luck, doesn't it?
Time passed, and the first bottle of wine was finished, with the second almost gone. Naphak decided to stop the waiter from bringing more as Dr. Premsinee's face was now red, and her eyes were almost closed, making Naphak sigh in frustration.
She was frustrated that the doctor smiled at everyone and complained about being hot, trying to take off her coat.
Naphak reached to take the glass from Dr. Premsinee's hand, placed it on the table, and left more than enough money for the meal. Though the doctor was reluctant to leave, it wasn't hard to get her out of the restaurant. As the evening progressed, more people came, and it wasn't good to have eyes on their table.
"Let's go home."
"I'm... fine..."
"Fine or not, we have to go. You've drunk a lot and are drunk."
"Not drunk."
"That's what drunk people say, you know?" It took a while to get her to walk, support her out of the restaurant, and get her to sit in the passenger seat, making Naphak sweat.
The half-drunk, half-sober doctor was stubborn. If she'd known, she would've let her drink until she was completely drunk; it would've been easier.
The car slowly moved out of the parking lot with the phone of the now-sleeping Dr. Premsinee vibrating with an incoming call. Naphak looked at the screen, which showed the caller, before deciding to put it back in the drunk's bag.
She didn't need to tell the doctor's friend where she was taking her.
Naphak smiled at the peacefully sleeping face on the bed, thinking back to that night. The night she met this drunk doctor. But today was different from that day. She wanted to kiss more than leave a mark on her chest like that night.
The drunk on the bed stirred slightly, opening her eyes to look around the room before looking at her, seemingly thinking about something. But what made Naphak sit down on the bed in shock was Dr. Premsinee crying and hugging her tightly.
"Am I... not good...?"
"Is that why... he did this to me?"
"Is it because I couldn't give him... what he wanted?"
The still-drunk doctor mumbled, but the one comforting her knew that what she heard was the deep feelings of this doctor, whose wedding was destroyed.
But what shocked Naphak the most was when the doctor pulled away from the hug and started undressing, removing both the top and bottom pieces. And the lights were still on, so she saw everything.
As soon as she undressed, Dr. Premsinee sat in front of her, wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling her closer. Gosh, my heart is racing.
Whether she was seducing me or not, I don't know... I just know my heart is racing right now, Dr. Premsinee.
"Don't say such sarcastic things, Doctor," Naphak had to grit her teeth to speak, not wanting the drunk person to regret it later. She knew well that this doctor was drunk and was being sarcastic about something that made her upset.
"Am I... not beautiful, not good enough...? Is that why he did this?"
Did Dr. Premsinee realize that the more she spoke and pressed her ample chest closer, the more it made the person trying to control her emotions turn away and sigh repeatedly?
But then, Naphak's plan to calm the drunk person came to a halt when her lips were suddenly invaded, breaking the restraint she'd been holding onto. The closer the woman she was interested in got, the harder it was to let this night pass without anything happening, even though this would be her first time getting close to a woman as well.
"I won't be a good person anymore, Dr. Premsinee..."