Shattered (PONDPHUWIN)

Chapter 4: Lies

Days turned into weeks, and the tension in Phuwin's heart grew with every passing hour. The text message from the unknown number haunted him, lingering in his thoughts like a persistent shadow he couldn't shake. Phuwin tried to carry on as usual, but the doubts were always there, gnawing at the edges of his mind, making it impossible to fully enjoy the moments he spent with Pond.

Phuwin had always trusted Pond implicitly, never questioning his actions or his words. But now, every time Pond came home late, Phuwin found himself wondering where he had really been. Every vague excuse, every unclear answer, only added fuel to the fire of his suspicions.

It started with the little things—small inconsistencies that might have gone unnoticed if not for the seed of doubt that had already been planted. Pond would mention a late meeting at work, but when Phuwin casually brought it up later, the details would change slightly, as if Pond couldn't quite remember the story he had told. Or there would be times when Pond claimed he was with colleagues, but Phuwin noticed that the times didn't quite line up, the gaps in the timeline too wide to ignore.

One evening, Phuwin found himself pacing the living room, his thoughts spiraling as he waited for Pond to return from yet another late night at the office. He glanced at the clock—8:30 PM. Pond had told him he would be home by 7:00, but there was no text, no call to explain the delay. The excuse of "work" was beginning to sound more and more hollow, especially when Pond often couldn't provide specific details about what had kept him so late.

When the door finally opened, Pond walked in looking tired but cheerful, a plastic bag in hand. "Sorry I'm late," he said, setting the bag on the kitchen counter. "I picked up dinner on the way back. Thought we could have a quiet night in."

Phuwin forced a smile, though his chest felt tight. "You're late again," he said, trying to keep his tone light, even as the words stung in his mouth.

Pond's smile faltered for just a moment, a flicker of something that Phuwin couldn't quite place crossing his face. "Yeah, things just ran over," Pond replied, reaching into the bag to pull out the food. "You know how it is with this promotion. They're piling on the work."

Phuwin nodded slowly, but his mind was already racing. Something didn't add up. Pond had mentioned the promotion again, using it as a shield to deflect any further questions. But Phuwin had heard nothing about this supposed promotion from any of their mutual friends who worked in similar circles, and it seemed odd that Pond was so vague about the details.

"What exactly is this promotion?" Phuwin asked, trying to sound casual. "You haven't really told me much about it."

Pond looked up from the food containers, his expression unreadable for a split second before it softened into a smile. "It's just a step up from my current position," he said with a shrug. "More responsibilities, managing a bigger team, that sort of thing. Nothing too exciting, really."

Phuwin frowned slightly, picking at the edge of the table with his fingers. "When do you find out if you've got it?"

Pond hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough to make Phuwin's heart sink. "Soon, I think. They haven't given a specific date."

Phuwin nodded again, his mind screaming at him that something was wrong. But he couldn't bring himself to push further. He wanted to believe Pond, wanted to trust that there was nothing more to it than what Pond was telling him. But the inconsistencies were piling up, and with each one, Phuwin felt the ground beneath him shift a little more.

Over the next few days, Phuwin became increasingly vigilant, paying closer attention to everything Pond said and did. He noticed how Pond's explanations often lacked detail, how he would change the subject whenever Phuwin asked about his day. There were nights when Pond claimed he was working late, but when Phuwin casually asked who else was at the office, Pond would struggle to remember names or give vague answers that didn't make sense.

The breaking point came one evening when Pond told Phuwin he had a work dinner with clients. Phuwin, already feeling the strain of their growing distance, decided to test Pond's story. He called a mutual friend who worked in the same industry, asking if they knew anything about the dinner Pond was attending. The friend hesitated before answering, admitting that they hadn't heard of any such event.

When Pond returned home that night, smiling and relaxed, Phuwin's suspicions were almost unbearable. He wanted to confront him, to demand the truth, but the words stuck in his throat. What if he was wrong? What if this was all in his head? The fear of what he might discover kept him silent, even as his heart ached with the possibility that Pond was lying to him.

Phuwin's love for Pond was as strong as ever, but it was now tainted by a gnawing doubt that refused to go away. He felt trapped between the man he loved and the growing suspicion that he was being betrayed. Every time he looked at Pond, he saw the person he had fallen in love with, the person he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. But now, that image was marred by the thought that Pond was hiding something from him—something that could shatter everything they had built together.

In the quiet moments of the night, when Pond was asleep beside him, Phuwin lay awake, his mind racing with questions he didn't want to ask, fears he didn't want to face. The doubts were suffocating, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep pretending that everything was okay.

Phuwin's heart was breaking, piece by piece, as the web of lies slowly unraveled around him. And yet, despite everything, he still couldn't bring himself to confront the truth he feared most—that the man he loved might be betraying him in the worst possible way.