Shattered (PONDPHUWIN)

Chapter 12: The Ultimate Betrayal

The night air was thick with tension as Phuwin sat in his car, parked discreetly across the street from the restaurant where Pond had said he was meeting a colleague for a late dinner. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat reverberating in his ears like a drum. This wasn't the first time he had followed Pond, but tonight felt different. The doubts and fears that had been gnawing at him for weeks had finally reached a breaking point, pushing him to seek the truth once and for all.

Phuwin's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, his breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps. He had tried so hard to believe Pond, to trust him despite the mounting evidence that something was terribly wrong. But the late-night texts, the secretive phone calls, and the vague excuses had worn him down, leaving him with no choice but to confront the reality he had been avoiding.

He watched the entrance of the restaurant, his eyes scanning every figure that passed through the doors. Minutes ticked by, each one dragging out the agony of uncertainty. And then, finally, he saw them.

Pond stepped out of the restaurant, his arm draped casually around Dunk's shoulders. Phuwin's heart dropped as he watched them, his worst fears confirmed in an instant. There was no mistaking the intimacy between them, the way they moved together with a familiarity that spoke of more than just friendship. They were laughing, sharing a private joke, and then, as if to drive the dagger deeper into Phuwin's heart, Dunk turned to Pond and leaned in for a kiss.

Phuwin's breath caught in his throat, the sight of them locked in a passionate embrace shattering whatever remained of his fragile hope. For a moment, he was paralyzed, unable to move, unable to think, as the reality of the betrayal crashed over him like a tidal wave.

But then, something inside him snapped.

Without even realizing what he was doing, Phuwin threw open the car door and stormed across the street, his mind a blur of rage and heartbreak. The world around him faded into a haze as he zeroed in on Pond and Dunk, his emotions boiling over, propelling him forward with a force he couldn't control.

"Pond!" Phuwin's voice rang out, sharp and cutting through the night air like a knife.

Pond and Dunk broke apart instantly, both of them turning to face Phuwin with shock written across their faces. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as the three of them stood frozen in place, the reality of the situation sinking in.

"Phuwin, wait—" Pond started, his voice shaky, but Phuwin was beyond reasoning.

"Don't you dare try to explain this!" Phuwin shouted, his voice trembling with emotion. "I can't believe you! After everything, after all the lies, this is what you've been doing behind my back?"

Pond looked as if he had been slapped, his face paling as he reached out to Phuwin, desperation in his eyes. "Phuwin, please, I can explain—"

"Explain what?" Phuwin cut him off, his voice cracking with the weight of his betrayal. "Explain how you've been sneaking around with him while telling me you were trying to fix things? How you've been lying to my face, making me doubt myself, making me feel like I was the one losing my mind?"

Dunk, who had been standing silently beside Pond, finally stepped forward, his expression filled with guilt. "Phuwin, I didn't want things to get this far. I never meant to hurt you—"

"You didn't want to hurt me?" Phuwin's voice rose, incredulous. "You knew exactly what you were doing! Both of you did!"

The pain in Phuwin's chest was unbearable, a searing ache that seemed to consume him from the inside out. He had trusted Pond, had loved him with everything he had, and now that trust was lying in ruins at his feet. The sight of them together, the confirmation of the affair he had feared for so long, was more than he could bear.

Pond took a step closer, his eyes pleading. "Phuwin, I swear, it wasn't supposed to happen like this. I didn't want to hurt you. I was confused, and Dunk... he was there for me when I felt like I was losing you."

"Losing me?" Phuwin echoed, his voice laced with disbelief. "You were the one who pushed me away, Pond! You were the one who chose him over me, who broke every promise you made to me!"

Tears blurred Phuwin's vision as he stared at the man he had once thought he would spend his life with. The anger that had driven him forward began to dissipate, replaced by a crushing sense of loss and betrayal. He had given Pond everything—his love, his trust, his heart—and in return, Pond had shattered it all.

"I can't believe I ever thought we could fix this," Phuwin whispered, his voice breaking. "I can't believe I thought you still loved me."

"I do love you," Pond insisted, his voice filled with desperation. "Phuwin, please, we can still fix this. I'll end things with Dunk, I'll do whatever it takes to make it right. Just give me another chance."

But Phuwin shook his head, the tears now streaming freely down his face. "You've already made your choice, Pond," he said, his voice hollow. "And now, I'm making mine."

Pond's eyes widened in panic as he realized what Phuwin meant. "No, Phuwin, please don't do this. We can work through it, we can—"

"There's nothing left to work through," Phuwin interrupted, his voice firm despite the tears. "You've destroyed everything we had. I can't trust you anymore, and without trust, there's nothing left."

Phuwin turned away, his heart breaking all over again as he forced himself to walk back to his car. Pond called out to him, his voice filled with desperation, but Phuwin didn't stop. He couldn't. The betrayal was too deep, the pain too raw.

As he reached his car, Phuwin glanced back one last time, his gaze meeting Pond's. For a brief moment, he saw the man he had once loved, the man he had believed would be his forever. But that man was gone, replaced by a stranger who had broken his heart.

Without another word, Phuwin got into his car and drove away, leaving Pond and Dunk standing in the street, the distance between them growing with every mile. The tears came in a torrent, the sobs wracking his body as the full weight of what had happened crashed down on him.

Phuwin had confronted the truth he had been so afraid of, and it had destroyed him. The love he had once cherished was now a source of unbearable pain, the dreams of a future together shattered beyond repair.

And as he drove through the darkened streets, the echoes of Pond's betrayal ringing in his ears, Phuwin knew that his life would never be the same again.