Chapter 27
The semester was finally over and everyone was getting ready to go on vacation. The week before they were heading to Pattaya, Mint decided she was going to come clean with her parents about Mak and Nadech.
“You sure this is a good idea?” Sammie asked Tengneung while they were in the living room.
“Well we have to tell her somehow before she leaves to Pattaya.”
“What if she doesn’t believe us?”
“We’re her parents. If she doesn’t believe us, at least we’ll know she’ll consider it.”
“Consider what?” Mint asked coming downstairs.
“Oh hey sweetie, uh…you have a minute?” Tengneung asked. “Your mom and I need to tell you something.”
Mint came to sit on the couch, “Good…because I have something to tell you guys too.”
“What is it?” Sammie asked.
“You guys go first. Mines is a long story…”
Tengneung exhaled and came to sit next to his daughter, “Mint, before I tell you this, I just want to tell you that we just want what’s best for you so don’t be mad at us…”
“Okay” Mint says nodding. “What is it?”
“”You need to be careful with Nadech. He’s not the guy you think he is….”
“What are you talking about?”
“We….we think he’s cheating on you…” said Sammie.
Mint jaws dropped and looked at both her parents in a surprising way, “How…where did you guys hear this from?”
“Aof” they both answered.
Mint rolled her eyes, “Should I even ask how he knows?”
Sammie came and sat on the other side of Mint, “We didn’t want to tell you but--”
Mint stood up from the couch, “Let me guess, the girl uncle Aof saw Nadech with is Yaya?”
“How’d you know?” Tengneung asked.
“Well…” Mint turned to face her parents…”this is where my story comes in. Mom, dad, don’t worry if I’m going to cry or anything like that. Thank for telling me though but I want to tell you that Nadech is not cheating on me. He never did and never will.”
“So you don’t believe us?”
“Well….Nadech and I aren’t together….we were never together. The whole thing was an act just to test Mak’s feelings.”
“Wait, wait, so you only pretended to be with Nadech?” Tengneung asked. “Just to make Mak jealous?”
“Sort of…it was more of testing his feelings……I know I shouldn’t have lied to you but the less people know, the more it looked real.”
“So you and Mak are together or no?”
Mint nodded shyly, “Yeah….it’s okay with you guys right?”
Sammie got up and hugged her daughter, “Of course. We trust Mak so we don’t have any problems with that.”
Tengneung nodded, “So if Nadech is not dating you, is he dating Yaya?”
“Yeah…” Mint said softly. “But don’t tell uncle Aof!”
“Sweetie, he’s gonna find out somehow. You know how he is.”
“Well, atleast now we don’t have to go to Pattaya to spy on you guys…”
“WHAT?!” You guys were planning on going to spy on us?!”
Sammie quickly shook her head, “Not us…but Aof and them.”
Mint covered her face, “He can’t go. Yaya’s gonna get busted!”
“Busted for what?” Aof asked walking in with Nam.
“Nothing…” Mint lied.
“Don’t you guys know how to knock?” Sammie asked.
Nam shrugged, “Well, we figured the door wasn’t lock so what the hell, we invited our self in.”
“Mint, what do you mean Yaya’s gonna get busted?” Aof asked with a serious tone. “What do you know that I don’t?”
Mint looked at her parents. They nodded, insisting she tells Aof about Yaya and Nadech.
“Sorry Yaya” she mumbles.
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“Boy! I told you to throw away the trash since last night!” Margie yelled from the kitchen. After the semester was over, Boy would come and spent the night over at the condo. Last night, Boy invited Nadech and Mak over and the condo became a mess.
She walked to the room and saw Boy still sleeping under the blanket.
“This si the guy who wants to take care of me?” she said to herself. “It’s noon and still sleeping.”
She grabbed the trash bag and headed downstairs.
On her way back to the condo, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. She looked back and saw no one and continued walking. She hears it again and when she turned around, she didn’t have a chance to say a word, the man quickly covered her mouth and pushed her against the wall.
“Don’t say anything!” he snapped. He slowly moved his hand away from her mouth, “I need money.”
“Dad, how did you know I was here?”
“I followed you here. I didn’t know you were living with the politician son.”
“It’s not what it looks like okay…”
“Whatever…..give me money..”
“I don’t have any….”
“Liar! Your husband’s rich. Ask him for some.”
“He’s not my husband and I’m not going to ask him!” Why do you need it anyways?”
“I owe some mafia money. If I don’t pay them as soon as possible, they’re gonna kill me. You want your father dead or what?!”
“You’re still gambling? How much do you owe them this time?”
“$200,000...”
“I don’t have that much money.”
“But your husband do!”
“I’m not going to ask him for money.”
“Fine, if you won’t then I will.”
Margie stopped her father from going into the lobby, “Don’t. I don’t want Boy to know about this.”
“So you gonna give me the money?”
“I don’t have $200,000 but I’ll try to find a way to give you it. When do they need the money?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Fine…..”
Margie watched as her dad walked off, “Dad, wait!”
He turned around, “What?”
“ I never got a chance to ask you this but you’re the one that burned down the house huh?”
He smirked, “You know deep down inside the answer to that. Why are you gonna ask me?”
“Why would you do something like that? You know what the consequences are for killing someone?”
“I don’t care! She was getting on my damn nerves anyway!”
A taxi droved by and he stopped it to get in.
Margie stood there against the wall, not knowing where she will have to get the money to pay off the mafia.
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“Is Yaya here?!” Aof asked, bursting in his house.
“Yeah. She’s upstairs.”
“Yaya get down here!” he yelled.
“Aof, what’s going on?” Som asked worried.
“Oh, you’ll see.”
Yaya came downstairs and walked to the living room, “What?”
“How come you didn’t tell me you and Nadech are dating?”
“What?” Yaya was in shock. She didn’t expect her dad to find out. She wanted to tell her dad first.
“I know you and Nadech are going out behind my back.
“Dad…how did you know about this?”
“That’s not important. What’s important here is why didn’t you tell us? Tell me actually.”
“It’s because I know how you react. It’s not like I was gonna hide this from you. I was gonna tell you somehow.”
“And when were you planning on doing that?”
Yaya looked down to the floor, “Dad, I’m sorry.”
“Look, I know you’re eighteen, you’re an adult. You can make your own decision. I know that someday you’re gonna move out of this house and have your own family and I can’t stop that. But before you leave this house, I need to know if that guy you’re with is good enough to take care of my daughter the way I have.”
“Dad, Nadech and I aren’t thinking that far yet…”
“I know and you shouldn’t be. But my point is, if you really like him, I thought, maybe I should give him a chance. “
“Really? You’re not gonna stop me from seeing him?”
Aof shook his head, “If you were fifteen or sixteen then maybe, but you’re an adult now. Maybe I should give him a chance, although I don’t want to but for you….I’ll do anything…”
Yaya was relieved and hugged her dad, “Thanks dad. You’re the best.”
“Just promise me, don’t ever go behind my back again…”
She lets go of her dad and kissed him on the cheeks, “I promise….I have to go tell Nadech now….”
After Yaya left, Som gave Aof a hug as well, “Well that was nice of you to open your heart up to Nadech….”
“Tsk, just because I’m giving him a chance doesn’t mean I’m going to like him.”
“So how did you find out about this?”
“Mint told me. She even told me that Narry and Nadech is the same person. She combine his nickname Barry with Nadech. Clever.”
“So what made you soften up?”
“On my way here, I realized, if I forbid Yaya from dating, she’s just gonna keep on doing the things I don’t want her to do. So I figured it’s best if I let her go and learn on herself.
“So I’m guessing you’re not gonna go to Pattaya after all?”
“As much as I want to, no. I have to let my baby fish go someday….”
“And are you ready for that?”
He pouted, “Hell no.”