A Vihokratana's tragedy

6. Family

"This is for you, Pluem," Namtan said as she handed him a coffee cup—one that was personalized, featuring a photo of him with his grandpa on the front. Pluem was flashed with the memory of a certain moment; it was the celebration party for the Teechapaikhun empire when he was introduced as the grandson of the Teechapaikhuns. It was the day his grandpa, Kittisak Teechapaikhun, accepted him. Beneath the photo was his favorite quote: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Shakespeare certainly had a way with words; just a few carefully chosen phrases and the world seemed to make sense. That quote had the power to turn every decision he made into the right one. It was a testament to the influence of a writer.

He had never expected his grandpa to accept him so easily, especially given Kittisak's strong emphasis on lineage. However, after the incident involving his papa, Kittisak eventually relented and embraced Pluem. Kittisak was someone Pluem deeply respected, aspiring to become as influential and powerful as him one day. Although Kittisak hadn’t accepted Pluem as his grandson until that incident, he had never mistreated him. He didn’t shower Pluem with affection, but he also didn’t let him feel lonely. Kittisak was a formidable businessman whose power commanded respect, and it was his hard work that had expanded the Teechapaikhun empire into its current vastness—spanning Teechapaikhun Motors, Teechapaikhun Foods, Teechapaikhun Clothes, and more. Pluem hoped to emulate him, not only as a businessman but also as a person.

A smile formed on Pluem's face as he held the cup. It wasn’t an extravagant gift, but it was precious to him. Kittisak had given him clothes, stationery, and accessories over the years, but this cup, personally chosen for him, held a special significance. Pluem missed his grandpa. "Thank you, Aunt," he said. "I’ll call him later to thank him too." She nodded with a warm smile.

"And here are your gifts, twins!" Namtan exclaimed as the twins eagerly began to unwrap their presents with the excitement of five-year-olds. Meanwhile, Pluem sat on the sofa, holding the cup close to his heart while reading his financial accounting book.

"It's a good thing it's Sunday; otherwise, we wouldn't have had time to spend together," Pluem remarked absentmindedly, glancing up from his book at the lively scene before him. His dad and papa were busy conducting some crazy experiments in the kitchen, his siblings were exploring their gifts with sparkling eyes, and his aunt watched the whole scene with admiration for the family.

Peace. That was the feeling washing over Pluem at that moment. A Vihokratana and a Teechapaikhun had fallen in love, resulting in the beautiful Vihokratana-Teechapaikhun combo of Frank and Nanon. Yet, during these moments of tranquility, those nagging questions would creep back into his mind, disturbing his calm. Why did his parents give up on him? Was he unwanted? Was he not meant to be here? No, he didn’t want to dwell on those thoughts, but they always managed to intrude, no matter how hard he tried to push them away. He was happy—truly happy—with his dad, his papa, his brothers, HIS FAMILY—but still, he felt disturbed. Once again, his peace was shattered by his own troubling thoughts. He buried his face in his book, trying to distract himself, but to no avail.

"Thank you, Mom!" Nanon cheered with delight upon seeing the clothes Namtan had brought for them. The word "Mom" felt foreign to Pluem, a term his siblings could say effortlessly, thanks to their aunt.

Pluem didn’t want to use that cup; he wanted to keep it as a cherished memory. He retreated to his room and placed the cup in his precious treasure box, which contained many meaningful items. Among them were a bracelet Chimon had gifted him on their first dating anniversary, a small neatly folded jacket from Nanon, a paper with drawings by Frank, a storybook his dad bought for him, and more. However, a green folder stood out in the box. He carefully placed the coffee cup inside and closed the box.