Chapter 8 Stay Together, And Love Will Follow

• The day had passed, trying to call her phone, hoping the person who took it would answer and hadn't sold it yet. Finally, she began to give up as no one picked up, and her phone suddenly switched off.
• Ladapha sat on the living room sofa, idly flipping through TV channels with the remote. The wait for her interview results felt hopeless, weighing heavily on her. Despite applying to numerous companies, many weren't hiring, while others were already fully staffed. The future seemed dim.
• Ring, ring. ~
• The sound of the landline jolted her out of her thoughts. She reached for the receiver.
• [Why didn't you answer your phone? I've been calling.]
• "My phone's missing. Why haven't you come home? Aren't you working today?" Ladapha asked, puzzled by her elder sister's absence since last night. It wasn't completely unusual-before she started dating her boyfriend, this happened occasionally-but that was years ago.
• [Relax, I took the day off. I'm heading home now. I was really drunk last night.]
• "Drunk? Where did you sleep?"
• [Don't worry about it. It's almost noon-make me some lunch, okay?]
• Ladapha sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Fine, drive safe."
• Before she could say more, the call ended abruptly. She stared at the receiver, confused by her sister's curt tone, before setting it down. Turning off the TV, she stood and headed into the kitchen.
• Opening the fridge, she grabbed some vegetables and fresh ingredients, laying them out on the counter. She washed and chopped them carefully, setting up the pan on the stove. Just as she turned on the burner, the landline rang again, its persistent chime forcing her to turn off the stove and rush to answer it.
• "Hello?"
• [Hello.]
• Ladapha froze for a moment, startled by the unfamiliar voice on the line.
• "Yes, um... may I ask who's calling?"
• [I found a phone in the men's restroom at the company a few days ago. Is it yours?] "Yes, it is!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief.
• "I'm so glad!"
• [Sorry for not answering when you called. I was busy yesterday, and the phone's battery was dead. My apologies.]
• He sounded so polite. She couldn't help but wonder who this man was.
• "Thank you so much," she said sincerely.
• [Are you free in the evening after tomorrow? I can return the phone to you then.]
• "Yes, absolutely!" Ladapha responded quickly.
• [Alright, let's meet at 5:30 p.m. at the coffee shop across from the company. I'll be sitting at a table in the corner.]
• "Got it. Thank you again!" she said gratefully.
• After the call ended, Ladapha let out a deep breath. Heaven hasn't abandoned me after all! She was immensely relieved she hadn't bought a new phone the day before, what a waste that would've been.
• Smiling, she placed the receiver down and returned to the kitchen, cooking lunch with a light heart. Just as she finished plating the meal, she heard the sound of a car pulling up and the front door opening.
• Her elder sister had returned.
• Setting the food on the table, Ladapha looked up and gasped at Tharatchanan's disheveled appearance.
• "W...what happened to you?"
• Tharatchanan glanced at her with a confused and tired expression, unable to form a coherent answer. Making it home safely felt like a miracle. Could things get any worse than this?
• "What did you cook?" she deflected, placing her belongings on the table before heading to wash her hands.
• She returned to the table, quietly eating her meal without offering any further explanation.
• "Are you okay?" Ladapha asked softly, concerned.
• There was no response from Tharatchanan, only the loud clink of her fork and knife against her plate. The sudden sound made Ladapha look up immediately.
• "I'm getting married," Tharatchanan said flatly.
• "What?!" Ladapha almost choked on her food, quickly patting her chest and reaching for the water. After a sip, she stared at her sister in disbelief. "To Art? I thought you broke up with him?"
• "No, not Art."
• "Then who? Who's this guy?"
• "It's not like I fell for him or anything. I just... ended up sleeping with him," Tharatchanan admitted without hesitation.
• Ladapha froze, speechless, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "And you agreed to marry him because of *that*?"
• Tharatchanan nodded in confirmation.
• "Who is he? What does he do? Is he at least a decent person?" Ladapha asked, her barrage of questions betraying her growing concern.
• "I don't know," Tharatchanan replied softly, lowering her gaze. "But he seems well-off."
• Ladapha was stunned silent again, her mind racing.
• "Don't tell the family," Tharatchanan added quickly. "I want to keep this quiet for now."
• "But what if they find out later?"
• "If they find out now," Tharatchanan interrupted, "just imagine the chaos."
• Ladapha grimaced at the thought. If their brother got wind of this, he'd likely book the first flight to confront the man himself, and things would escalate quickly if he didn't approve.
• "Fine," Ladapha sighed. "It's your choice. I won't interfere. If you think this will make you happy, then do it."
• Happy? That word felt like a cruel joke to Tharatchanan. There was no excitement, no joy, nothing like the dream wedding she had once imagined.
• She forced a small smile.
• "Don't worry. Love can grow over time."
• "If only it could be that way."
• Tharatchanan thought, shoveling another bite of food into her mouth to avoid further conversation. If she could avoid wasting another five years on a man like Art, then perhaps this marriage wouldn't be a complete disaster.
• Another morning passed as usual, with Ladapha sending out job applications via email. By noon, she resorted to a quick meal of instant noodles before continuing to draft and send applications to various companies. Most replies were disappointingly the same-no openings, fully staffed. It wasn't until nearly 3 p.m. that she finally decided to take a break, quickly showered, changed, and prepared to meet the man who had found her belongings in the restroom.
• As the bus dropped her off, Ladapha dashed across the pedestrian bridge, her pace frantic. The evening traffic jam had delayed her arrival by nearly two hours, leaving her flustered and worried. She hadn't expected the commute to take so long. Once off the bridge, she found a reflective surface and hurriedly fixed her messy hair, breathing deeply to calm herself.
• Will he still be waiting for me?
• Gathering her courage, she pushed open the coffee shop door and scanned the corner where he had said they would meet. Spotting someone there, she walked over hesitantly.
• "Um... excuse me, I'm so sorry-"
• Oh no! She realized she'd completely forgotten to ask his name! Groaning inwardly, she brought a hand to her forehead, scolding herself for the oversight.
• At that moment, the man looked up at her voice and stood, his movement catching her attention. Ladapha, still slightly flustered, kept her head lowered, glancing up nervously to meet his gaze.
• "Hello," the man greeted warmly, his deep voice immediately catching Ladapha's attention. She quickly lifted her head, her round eyes blinking in surprise as she took in his friendly smile.
• "Um..." Feeling unexpectedly nervous, she took a deep breath, collected herself, and slid into the seat across from him.
• "Hello," she replied softly.
• Jetanipat signaled for the server and ordered a drink, then turned to her to ask what she would like. Embarrassed to impose, Ladapha simply requested a glass of water.
• "Thank you so much for keeping my things safe. I really thought I'd lost them for good," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she expressed her gratitude.
• "It was no problem," he replied with a polite smile, placing an envelope and her phone on the table in front of her.
• "Thank you," Ladapha said again, reaching out to take the items, a smile of relief spreading across her face just as the drinks were served.
• "Did someone accidentally leave your things behind?"
• Jetanipat asked casually.
• The question made Ladapha want to disappear on the spot. Her cheeks flushed as she fidgeted nervously, considering how to answer without embarrassing herself further. She forced a sweet smile, her shyness showing, and leaned in closer.
• "Um, well..." she began hesitantly, motioning for him to come closer.
• Jetanipat raised curiosity but leaned in as she gestured.
• "Well... someone accidentally... picked up my stuff by mistake," she whispered awkwardly, her voice trailing off.
• Her answer only made her want to crawl under the table, but it was the best excuse she could muster.