Secret (PONDPHUWIN)

Chapter 12: The Wife's Desperation

Pond's decision to ask for a divorce had set off a chain reaction that neither he nor Phuwin could have fully anticipated. The days that followed were filled with a tense anticipation, as Pond prepared himself for the difficult conversation with Priya. Phuwin, too, found himself caught between relief that the end of their secrecy was near and anxiety over the inevitable fallout.

It was a few days later when Pond finally sat down with Priya to have the talk that would change everything. Phuwin had known it was coming, but as he waited in their apartment, the minutes ticking by with agonizing slowness, he couldn't help but feel a knot of fear tighten in his stomach. This was the moment that would either solidify their future together or tear it apart before it had even begun.

When Pond finally arrived at the apartment later that evening, his face was pale, his eyes heavy with the weight of what had just transpired. Phuwin stood up as soon as he saw him, rushing to his side, his heart pounding in his chest.

"How did it go?" Phuwin asked, his voice barely above a whisper, afraid of what the answer might be.

Pond sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair as he collapsed onto the couch. "It was... worse than I expected," he admitted, his voice thick with exhaustion. "Priya didn't take it well. She was devastated, angry... she said things I wasn't prepared to hear."

Phuwin sat beside him, reaching out to take his hand, offering what comfort he could. "What did she say?"

Pond's eyes met Phuwin's, the pain in them almost too much to bear. "She begged me to stay, Phuwin. She said she could forgive me, that we could work through this for the sake of our son. She even... she tried to use him to guilt me into staying."

Phuwin's heart ached at the thought of what Pond had just endured. He knew that Priya's reaction had been fueled by desperation, by the fear of losing the life she had built with Pond. But it didn't make the situation any easier to handle.

"What did you tell her?" Phuwin asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"I told her the truth," Pond replied, his voice steadier now, though still laced with emotion. "I told her that I couldn't live a lie anymore, that I wasn't in love with her the way I used to be, and that I had found someone else—someone who made me feel alive again."

Phuwin's breath caught in his throat at the admission, his heart swelling with both love and sorrow for the man sitting beside him. He knew how difficult that conversation must have been, how much it had cost Pond to finally speak the truth.

"She was angry," Pond continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "She said things... horrible things. She blamed you, said you were the reason our marriage fell apart. But I told her it wasn't your fault. I told her that it had been over long before you came into my life."

Phuwin nodded, his grip on Pond's hand tightening. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he said softly, his voice filled with empathy. "I never wanted to come between you and your family."

Pond shook his head, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and sadness. "This isn't your fault, Phuwin. It's mine. I should have ended things with Priya a long time ago, but I was too scared. Scared of hurting her, of what it would mean for our son. But now... now I know that I can't keep living like this."

Phuwin leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Pond's lips, his heart aching for the pain they were both feeling. "We'll get through this," he whispered, his voice filled with quiet resolve. "We'll face whatever comes next together."

Pond nodded, pulling Phuwin into his arms, holding him close as if trying to find solace in his embrace. They stayed like that for a long time, wrapped in each other's arms, the silence between them filled with the unspoken understanding that their lives were about to change forever.

But as the days passed, it became clear that Priya was not going to let go of Pond without a fight. She began to pull out all the stops, using every weapon at her disposal to try and win him back. She became more attentive, more affectionate, as if trying to rekindle the flame that had long since burned out. She planned family outings, cooked elaborate meals, and did everything in her power to remind Pond of the life they had once shared.

But it was the way she used their son that hurt Pond the most. She would send him running to his father with tearful pleas, asking why he wasn't spending as much time at home, why he was always away. Pond would return from those encounters looking hollowed out, his guilt threatening to consume him.

"She's trying to manipulate me," Pond said one evening, his voice filled with frustration as he paced the apartment. "She knows how much I care about our son, and she's using him to try and keep me there. It's tearing me apart, Phuwin."

Phuwin watched him, his heart aching for the man he loved. He wanted to ease Pond's burden, to take away the pain that was clearly eating away at him, but he knew there was little he could do.

"She's desperate," Phuwin said gently, his voice filled with understanding. "She's trying to hold onto the life she knows, the life she's comfortable with. But you have to remember why you made this decision in the first place. You deserve to be happy, Pond. You deserve to live a life that makes you feel fulfilled."

Pond stopped pacing, his shoulders slumping as he turned to face Phuwin. "I know," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "But it's so hard, seeing my son like that, seeing how much this is hurting him."

Phuwin stood up, crossing the room to stand in front of Pond. He reached out, cupping Pond's face in his hands, forcing him to meet his gaze. "You're a good father, Pond. You love your son, and he knows that. But staying in a marriage that's making you miserable isn't going to help him. He needs to see you happy, to see you living a life that brings you joy."

Pond's eyes softened at Phuwin's words, a flicker of hope returning to his gaze. "You're right," he said quietly, his hands coming up to rest on Phuwin's hips. "I need to remember why I made this choice. For me, for you... and for him."

Phuwin smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Pond's lips. "We'll get through this," he whispered, his voice filled with quiet determination. "It's going to be hard, but we'll face it together."

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the weight of the world pressing down on them, Phuwin couldn't help but feel a sense of resolve settle over him. The road ahead would be difficult, filled with challenges and heartache, but they had made it this far, and they weren't going to give up now.

That night, as they lay together in the darkness, their bodies entwined, Phuwin could feel the tension in Pond's body slowly begin to ease. He knew that they were far from out of the woods, but for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to believe that they could make it through this—that their love was strong enough to withstand the storm that was raging around them.

And as Pond drifted off to sleep, his breath warm against Phuwin's neck, Phuwin held him close, vowing to himself that he would do whatever it took to protect the life they were building together. Because no matter what Priya tried, no matter how desperate she became, Phuwin knew that they had something worth fighting for—and he wasn't going to let it slip through their fingers.

The challenges they faced were daunting, but they were ready to confront them, together.