KIMCHAY TALES: BITTERSWEET EXCHANGE

CHAPTER 32

"Well there's the usual things: flowers... chocolates... promises you don't intend to keep."

—

Kim was fuming as he entered the main house. This anger is not for him, it's for Porchay. He can't believe his father would be involved in the cover-up of the accident. Why? Did he cause the accident? Is he the reason why Porchay's parents die? He barged into his father's office without second thoughts. He caught his father and Kinn having a meeting.

"Kimhan," they both said in surprise. They both had a confused look on their faces. Kim's presence was the last thing they were expecting that day. Kim tossed the folder on his father's table, "What's this?" his father asked.

"You tell me, Father. What the hell is that?" he said, his tone raised. There's no way he's calming down. He was so mad that nothing could calm him down. "You covered up a car accident 20 years ago. It was Porchay's parents who died in that accident and covered it up?! Why? Did you cause it?" he asked angrily.

"What? Is this true, Dad?" Kinn asked, quiet aghast at what he heard. He took the document that Kim tossed and read it. There's almost nothing on it. Everything is blacked out except two familiar names on it. Porsche has spoken about it before. This was his parent's case file. It was tragic and sad. He could still remember how Porsche told him about it like the accident happened just yesterday. Porsche tried to laugh it off, but tears in his eyes said it all. "I could barely read anything in here, Kim," he said with furrowed eyebrows.

"I know and do you know whose fault was that?" he said and pointed at his father, "It's his fault! I managed to track down the police officer who handled the case, and he told me that you paid him a huge amount of money and forced him to retire to do this. So, why, Father?" he added, his voice rising in anger. Kinn looked at his father, eyes demanding answers.

"Kim, I need you to calm down." his father said.

Kim scoffed, his anger rising in him, "Calm down? Calm down?! How can I?" he yelled. "Explain to me what that is! You better tell me before every ounce of respect I have for you disappears," he demanded. Who is Kim fooling? There is no more respect left he had for his father and this is the final straw to it.

The oldest Theerapanyakul stood, sighing as he did so. His sons were watching him keenly, Kim had them with pure hatred in his eyes. He grabbed an old almost worn-out folder from one of his secret drawers. Kim didn't even know their existence. He only knew one where he found the information about the Kittisawat brothers. He thought that was the only secret drawer he had, he didn't know his father had more. Then, he gave that folder to Kim. With furrowed eyebrows, Kim and Kinn asked at the same time, "What's this?"

His father was silent for a while. It made Kim agitated, but he waited. Korn clucked his lips and met his sons' eyes, "Kim, it was your mother who caused that accident 20 years ago." he said, his words barely registered to Kim's ears as he was stunned at what he heard. What the fuck did he just say?

—

Kim was in a daze. His thoughts were in a mess in his head. He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know how he reached his home before he knew it. Kim can't function. The new information that came from his father was too much to handle and too much to process. He doesn't want to believe it, of course. Even his brother didn't want to believe it, but the evidence and the letter her mother left was real for it to be a lie.

Kim's heart broke, but not for him. His heart broke for Porchay. He lost his parents at a very, very young age. A child. A baby. He barely knew the existence of the world. He barely knew his purpose. No one was there when I grew up. Just his brother and endless loan sharks collecting their debt. He also experienced the cruelty of the world. The weight of paying the debts now falls heavy on his shoulders. No parents. No guardians.