Whispers in the Dark [LingOrm]

"cold accusations and bitter goodbyes"

Ling's pov

I stepped out of my house, the morning air cool against my skin as I made my way to the car. My mind was a tangled mess of thoughts, each one fighting for dominance as I slid into the driver's seat. The engine roared to life, but the sound barely registered as I drove, the familiar route to my office passing by in a blur. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white from the pressure, as I tried to focus on the road ahead. But my thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation I knew was inevitable.

When I finally arrived at the office, I parked the car and took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. I needed to keep calm, to stay composed. But as I walked through the doors and made my way to my office, a sinking feeling settled in my chest. The unease that had been gnawing at me all morning only intensified as I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

My heart nearly stopped when I saw Orm standing there, her back to me as she scanned the titles on my bookshelf. She was so focused, her fingers lightly tracing the spines of the books, but I could sense the tension radiating off her. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I was frozen, unsure of how to proceed.

"Where were you?" Her voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp, sending a chill down my spine. She didn't turn to face me, but I could hear the anger in her tone, the accusation hidden beneath the surface.

"Home," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, to sound casual, but it came out too quickly, too defensive.

"You were not," she snapped, finally turning to look at me. Her eyes were hard, piercing, and I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. There was no point in lying. She could see right through me.

"I was at my home," I finally admitted, the words heavy in the air between us.

"Oh, okay," she responded, her expression softening slightly, but the tension didn't leave her body.

"Do you have something to tell me?" I asked, my voice betraying the calm façade I was desperately trying to maintain. My heart was pounding in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears as I waited for her response.

"No, why?" she asked, her tone curious but wary, as if she was trying to gauge my mood.

"Nothing, just so I could break up with you properly," I finally said, standing up from my chair. The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but they needed to be said. I couldn't keep this charade going any longer.

"What? Why?" Her voice was filled with shock, the anger giving way to confusion and hurt.

"I know you and your friend kissed," I said, moving to stand near the door, needing the distance between us. The betrayal still stung, and I couldn't bear to be too close to her right now. "Thanks for telling me, by the way," I added sarcastically, the bitterness in my voice evident.

Knock, knock.

"Mrs. Kwong, you have a meeting," my assistant's voice called from the other side of the door, reminding me that life outside this room was still moving forward, even as mine felt like it was falling apart.

I reached for the door handle, ready to leave, but I hesitated, turning back to face her one last time. "Bye, Kornnaphat," I said, the finality of the words hanging in the air as I walked out, leaving her behind.

....

Orm's pov

"Faye," I called out as I entered her studio, my heart heavy with the weight of what had just happened.

"Ling's girlfriend?!" Faye exclaimed, surprise evident in her voice as she looked up from her work. "It's a pleasure to see you here."

"Please, drop the formalities," I said, waving off her words. I didn't have the energy for niceties right now. "Ling is mad at me... and she kind of broke up with me."

"Kind of?" she asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

"She broke up with me, but I haven't broken up with her... yet," I explained, the words feeling strange and foreign as they left my lips.

"Okay, what do you need?" she asked, her tone softening as she realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Can you call Ling here so I can talk to her without her knowing I'm here?" I asked, my voice tinged with desperation. I needed to see her, to explain, to make things right.

"Fine," Faye agreed, pulling her phone from her back pocket. She dialed quickly and then held the phone to her ear, her eyes on me as she spoke.

"Ling, can you come to my studio today? I need to tell you something," she said, giving me a thumbs-up as the call connected.

As she hung up, she turned to me, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I think she knows you're here. Hide there," she said, pointing to a large painting covered with a cloth.

I moved quickly, ducking behind the painting just as the door to the studio opened. But in my haste, I bumped into the painting, causing the cloth to slip off, revealing the artwork underneath. "Wow, this looks like my friend Yoko. You know her?" I whispered, trying to keep the conversation light despite the anxiety twisting in my gut.

"Shut up, hide," Faye hissed, pushing me behind the painting and hurriedly covering it back up with the cloth.

"Faye?" Ling's voice called out as she entered the studio.

"Oh hey, come on in. I want to show you something, just wait a sec," Faye said, trying to sound casual as she guided Ling further into the room. Then, without warning, she slipped out of the studio, locking the door behind her.

"Fuck! I knew it," Ling muttered, her voice laced with frustration as she realized what had happened.

"Hey, babe," I said softly, stepping out from behind the painting, hoping to diffuse the tension.

"We are not dating. Cut that shit," she snapped, her voice harsh and unyielding.

"Fine, let me explain," I began, my heart racing as I searched for the right words. "Ying has had a crush on me since forever, but I'm just her friend. We were talking, and she kissed me, but I didn't argue with her because I didn't want to lose her friendship. But I love you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her tone softening, the anger giving way to hurt.

"I knew you would be mad," I admitted, my voice trembling with the weight of the truth.

"So, you didn't cheat on me?" she asked, a hint of hope returning to her eyes.

"No, but now I'll be serious," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I looked into her eyes, seeing the worry etched in her features. "Ling, since the day we met, we've only been fighting. That's not good for either of us. Let's take a step back, a pause, some time for us to distract ourselves from each other."

"But we love each other," she whispered, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes.

"But love alone isn't enough," I replied, my own heart breaking at the sight of her tears. "We're always fighting. That's not love. Let's take some time apart." I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You don't need to worry about me. I have to go to the U.S. for a while, so it will be good for us to reset."

As the words left my lips, I watched as her resolve crumbled, and she began to cry, the sound of her sobs echoing in the small studio, amplifying the emptiness that had suddenly settled between us.