Just Add Water [End]

008

Pon had been restless for days, haunted by suspicions and strange clues that all pointed toward one unsettling conclusion. It was time to get answers. He couldn’t keep brushing off the strange behavior, the disappearances, the document with his boss’s signature. So he decided to take matters into his own hands.

One evening, Pon waited until the office was quiet and everyone had left. He slipped through the empty halls, his heart pounding as he approached the large, intimidating door of Hemmawich Kwanamphaiphan’s office. His boss was rumored to be a powerful and private man, someone who didn’t show up often and kept his distance. But tonight, Pon was determined to break through that wall.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the door, expecting to find the empty office of a man too busy to care about his employees. Instead, he froze at the sight before him.

Sitting behind the sleek, mahogany desk was Sailub—no, it was Mr.  Kwanamphaiphan. Dressed in a sharp suit, hair neatly styled, the man he knew as his boyfriend now exuded a quiet authority that Pon had never seen before.

Pon gasped, his eyes widening in shock. “Sailub? You’re... you’re Mr. Kwanamphaiphan?”

The man looked up slowly, his face a mix of guilt and resignation. He sighed, standing up from the desk. “Yes, Pon. I’m Hemmawich Kwanamphaiphan.”

Pon’s mind reeled. His heart pounded, his breath coming in short, quick gasps as he struggled to process what was happening. Everything suddenly made sense.

The disappearances, the strange behavior, the cryptic responses. But it only made him feel a stronger wave of betrayal.

Pon took a step back, his voice trembling. “So... this was all a lie? You... pretended to be Sailub?”

Hemmawich’s face softened, his eyes pleading. “Pon, please, let me explain. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Pon clenched his fists, feeling a mixture of anger and confusion boiling inside him. “Explain? You lied to me! I thought... I thought you were someone who actually cared for me.”

“I do care,” Hemmawich said softly, taking a step forward. “More than you realize, Pon. That’s why I did this.”

Pon shook his head, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes. “But why? Why would you go through all this trouble? Was it just some game to you?”

Hemmawich’s expression turned somber. He looked down, almost as if he couldn’t bear to meet Pon’s gaze. “It was never a game, Pon. I’ve always felt... alone, isolated because of my position. People see me as this unapproachable figure, the ‘big boss’ who’s untouchable. No one talks to me as if I’m a real person.”

Pon’s anger wavered, but he kept his guard up. “So you decided to trick me? Make me fall for someone who doesn’t even exist?”

“It wasn’t like that,” Hemmawich said, his voice strained. “I wanted to get to know you, Pon. I wanted to understand what it was like to be close to someone... without the barriers of my position. And... I wanted you to know me, too. But not as ‘Hemmawich Kwanamphaiphan, the boss.’ Just... as someone who cares.”

Pon’s mind was racing. He didn’t know whether to be furious or heartbroken. Every moment he’d shared with Sailub had felt real and genuine. And now he didn’t know what to believe.

He took a shaky breath, his voice laced with hurt. “How... how did you manage to sneak inside my bathroom that day?”

Hemmawich looked away, a slight blush coloring his cheeks as he hesitated. “That day, I actually came to see you. It was supposed to be about work... something routine. My secretary was supposed to handle it, but he got sick, and I didn’t have a choice but to come myself.”

Pon listened, still confused but unable to stop himself from wanting to hear the whole story.

“When I got to your place, your housekeeper told me you were still asleep,” Hemmawich continued quietly. “I didn’t want to leave, so I asked if I could wait... and maybe use the bathroom. That’s when I saw it, the little toy figure in the tub.”

Pon’s face turned red, recalling the gag gift that Aon and Michael had given him. “The ‘Grow a Boyfriend’ toy...”

Hemmawich gave a small, guilty smile. “Yes. The packaging was still there, and I... well, I took it with me. I thought it was funny, this little joke toy. And in that moment, I thought... maybe I could use it as a way to be closer to you.”

Pon’s face was a mixture of disbelief and confusion. “So you used a toy to pretend to be someone else... someone you thought I’d fall for?”

Hemmawich’s expression softened. “Pon, I didn’t plan for it to go this far. But once I started spending time with you as Sailub... I couldn’t stop. I was happy. I felt seen. I felt... like I was just a person to you, not some untouchable boss.”

Pon’s heart was racing, his emotions a tangled mess. “But... but why me? You’re a powerful man. You could talk to anyone.”

Hemmawich looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. “Because I’ve liked you for a long time, Pon. Even before any of this. But as myself, I couldn’t get close to you. I was afraid that if you knew who I really was, you’d only see the boss, the man with the intimidating reputation.”

Pon stared at him, speechless. He could see the sincerity in Hemmawich’s eyes, the way his words seemed to come from a place of genuine emotion. But the hurt and betrayal still lingered in Pon’s heart, making it hard for him to just accept everything.

“You should have told me,” Pon said, his voice barely a whisper. “You should have been honest from the beginning.”

Hemmawich took a step closer, his eyes filled with regret. “I know. And I’m sorry, Pon. I was scared... scared that you’d reject me if you knew the truth.”

Pon looked away, unable to meet Hemmawich’s gaze. “You can’t just play with people’s feelings like that, Hemmawich. I trusted Sailub. I thought he was real.”

Hemmawich’s face fell, his hands clenching at his sides. “I understand. I know I messed up. But please, Pon, just give me a chance to make it right.”

Pon took a deep breath, feeling a pang of sadness in his chest. He looked at Hemmawich, his eyes filled with hurt. “I don’t know if I can trust you anymore. How am I supposed to believe anything you say?”

Hemmawich looked down, his shoulders slumping. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but... just give me a chance to prove it. To show you that my feelings were always real.”

Pon felt a lump in his throat, his emotions a chaotic storm inside him. Part of him wanted to believe Hemmawich, to think that the man he had grown to care about still existed somewhere in this complicated lie. But another part of him felt the sting of betrayal, the feeling of being played with like a pawn.

He took a step back, his voice trembling. “I... I need some time.”

Hemmawich looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and sadness. “I understand. Take all the time you need. I’ll wait.”

Pon hesitated, his heart aching as he looked at the man who had been both his friend and his betrayer. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Hemmawich standing alone in the dimly lit office.

As he walked through the empty halls, Pon felt a mixture of anger, sadness, and confusion weighing him down. He had come here looking for answers, but now he felt even more lost. He didn’t know what to believe or who to trust anymore.