10 days,10 ways [ Pondphuwin ]

CH22 ''My reputation's never been worse''

Phuwin's pov: 

"Pond Naravit and June Wanwimol spotted getting intimate late at night. What seems to be the status between them? Perhaps new love birds in town?" I took a look at the article as my mom handed me her phone. My pulse quickening each second while I scrolled through the article published by Thai times. I gulped taking a look at the pictures attached along with the tagline. My eyes landed on a picture of them kissing each other. My heart shattered at the sight, I gulped once again feeling my heart getting crushed in my chest a suffocating feeling spreading through me. I tried hard to maintain my composure in front of my mom feeling her intense gaze on me. I bit down the lump forming in my throat, clearing my throat before speaking. "Good for him, he finally found someone willing to ruin their life with him." I tried to lighten the environment knowing if spending my life with him means ruining it, I'd gladly ruin my life in every universe. My mom blinked at me not saying anything for 5 minutes making the place fall into an uncomfortable silence. "Phuwin, you should know better than to hide your emotions in front of me." her tone was soft with a mix of a reminder that she was my mother. I exhaled out loudly in an attempt to ignore the severe ache in my chest. ''I'm not hiding anything mama, this is just a lot to take in knowing he never bothered to acknowledge her existence to me. But if anything, this is good news.'' I pulled out the brightest tone I could make out of the situation, plastering the most convincing smile on my face. She sighed out before grabbing her phone a buzzing sound was heard in the unusually silent room. "I should go now, your dad and sister keep texting me." she said before standing on her feet slowly walking towards the exit as I walked behind her. "Talk it out with him alright? People are always after him ready to throw dirt on his name every chance they have. No sources are as trustable as his words." she reminded me while slipping on her coat. I leaned against the doorframe my mind too hazy from the news, a constant pain that kept increasing every second. He has never told me about her, never once. Loyalty runs in his blood if he had someone he wouldn't have had sex with me and he wouldn't treat me like I mean the world to him. But the photos were there raw and proven. I tried composing myself by pushing the thought of it being another baseless rumor thrown at him but no this one was different. Every other time his name has been linked with a woman, I've always had access to their identities beforehand but for her never once and the pictures were a constant reminder that they existed. "He doesn't owe anybody an explanation mama. I'm happy for him and I'll be even happier if he confirms it." Lies continuous lies, I was lying under her sleeve, she and I both knew it. "Sometimes pictures are blown out of proportions, don't think too much into it." she pulled me into her embrace which I gladly accepted, closing my eyes and finding comfort in the warmth of my mother. "I won't, take care and call me if you need anything." I kissed her on the top of her head before she mirrored my action. My eyes followed her figure until she disappeared into the road.

I dropped my body on the bed with a thump sound burying my face into the pillow. Even my bed smells like him. I soon felt my eyes burning as I blinked trying to get away the tears that were moisturizing my eyes. "No no don't cry, he was not supposed to be yours anyways." I whispered to myself, the image of them kissing still flashing in my mind. The ache in my heart completely raw as I pushed down the thoughts while tears kept pouring down my cheeks wetting the pillow. "Why did I have to fall in love with you and why did you act like I meant the world to you." I mumbled into pillow, my voice cracking as more tears made their way down my eyes. My heart breaking more and more every passing second. Why are you crying now? Why is your heart crushing now that he has found someone? Isn't that what was the motive of your ten days? To make him fall in love? That's exactly what happened so why are you crushed now? The voices inside my head caused me to push my face harder into the pillow softly whimpering as more tears welled in my eyes. All along that I thought I want him to fall for someone, the fact that I wanted that someone to be me remained hidden. My voice broke into broken sobs as the pain in my chest accelerated. "When did I fall so deep in love with you?" I choked into the pillow. My bed smell like him, my pillows smell like him, my room smells like him... even I smell like him.
A loud ringing sound echoed throughout the quiet room, my hand soon wandered all over the bed trying to grab my phone. Dunkie:) the name flashed through my screen, I contemplated whether I should pick up or not knowing he must have came across the news. I should just pick it up, maybe he needs help with the wedding. I quickly cleared my throat, sniffing one last time before pressing on the answer button. "Phuwin?! Baby are you alright?" a hysteric voice broke out from the other end of the call causing me to let out a sigh. "Why wouldn't I be, Dunk?" I queried my voice coming out hoarse from all the crying. "Phuwin... you don't have to do this. Everybody sees how you both look at each other, how you smile whenever you see or talk about the other, how your face lightens at the mention of the other. You can't keep fooling everyone Phu, especially these past days you both have definitely gotten way closer than before." his tone dropped to a soft and understanding one as I bit back a sob at the revelations in his sentence. Did he even once look at me? I quickly exhaled trying to compose myself upon realizing I've left Dunk hanging for quite some time. "No Dunk we've always been as close as this. We're best friends no reason for us to not be close." I denied the allegations knowing he knows how untrue it is, yes we've always been close but never this close. We haven't had hidden kisses, hidden glances, hidden touches ever before. "Phuwin I won't force you into admitting something you don't want to but talk it out with him please? Don't let such rumors ruin whatever formed between you two. I still need to attend the wedding." He let out a dramatic sigh which earned a slow chuckle from me, not knowing if it's a painful one or an actually funny one. "He doesn't owe anybody any explanation anyways I should go." I repeated the same thing I did to my mom in the morning before a beeping sound was heard across the line. I threw my phone into the bed closing my eyes feeling suffocated in my own skin at the dull ache in my chest.

Pond's pov:
My jaw clenched as I looked more into the articles circulating about me nearly blowing the internet. Me and June seriously? The last time I spoke to her was 2 years ago and it was a silly fling. It was the most private thing ever so for paparazzi to find out it two years after is very nerve wrecking. Guess the entire Bangkok will be hit with a lawsuit within tonight. I quickly called on Jane, watching her walk into the room with a worried expression making me nod at her as a reassuring gesture. "Contact my lawyers and make sure they find each profile and hit them with a lawsuit." My tone came out as a command, she briefly nodded before walking out on her heels. June Wanwimol- the name fell out my mouth with a bored tone. A random fling that lasted 2 weeks, I never do flings she was the first and she is the last. It was a quite private one so for the paparazzi to find out two years later is quite nerve wrecking. "Pond Naravit you must be nuts to be involved in a scandal when things just started to fall right into place." a loud voice interrupted my thoughts barging in my office without notice. Great start to ruin the day. "Joong I didn't ask to be involved in a dating rumor now, did I? I don't even pay attention to these stuff this one wouldn't have been an exception if not for-" I abruptly stopped mid sentence knowing whose name I was going to take, Phuwin- my heart raced as I finally thought about the aftermath of what would happen if saw the posts. "For Phuwin there I said it. Do you realize what would occur in his mind knowing you've never even bothered to acknowledge June's existence to him." My hands tangled in my hair as the realization finally set in. Phuwin was going through a nasty break up so it wasn't the best time for me to just casually tell him about a random fling I had. Especially not someone that dared to disrespect him, nobody gets away doing that neither did she. I quickly grabbed my phone dialing Phuwin's number only for it to convert to voice note. The same thing kept happening after I tried for the seventh time. "You have an enormous brain to think he'd even want to face you now after last night seeing this news today." his tone came out bored as I looked at him with a confused face. "What? You both disappeared and you show up with hickeys of course I'd know." oh shit I loosened my tie out off frustrating, the hickeys completely slipping off my mind. "Oh Lord Archen I need to fix this. I can't afford losing him not when things were finally settling in and especially not when I was finally not running away from my feelings." fear laced in my tone as Joong patted my arm to soothe me. "You will fix this, I'm not missing out on a future wedding."

DRAMAMAMAMAMA DIDN'T PROOFREAD PLS IGNORE MISTAKES