I was in bed for 3 days straight. I couldn't concentrate after listening to the
news on TV. I couldn't eat. I vomited from stress. I couldn't sleep at night. It
had to be because of guilt. I began to understand what fear looked like. It
wasn't fear of ghosts. It was something I couldn't explain.
"Gen... you're too thin now. Have you gained weight recently?"
Aoey, who helped take care of me, expressed concern. All that time, the
gentle eyes took care of me, gave me food and drink, and cleaned me. I had
no power to do anything. I felt guilty.
I felt bewitched... But Aoey didn't seem to react to that news. She lived her
life normally. She saw her mother in that news, but she never mentioned
anything about it.
"Aoey, have you contacted your mom?"
She paused briefly as she wiped me with a wet towel.
"No,"
She answered and tried not to show any emotion.
"Why don't you contact her? Check if she's okay."
"I don't know why I should do that."
"She was on the news. I saw teacher Salee cry. Don't you feel anything at
all?"
"I do not feel anything."
She stood up as if to end the conversation, but I pulled her hand. I felt cold
coming out of her.
"Hey."
"I can't feel anything for her because she didn't feel anything for me either."
I knew...what she had been through. But I never knew how bad the
relationship between Aoey and her mom was. I didn't know there was
something between them that made her distance herself so much. Teacher
Salee also didn't seem worried about Aoey once she realized that she was
safe with me. What really happened? After a great nap, my phone rang. I
was surprised to see him calling Uncle Somkit. When I picked up the
phone, his voice wasn't too good.
"Hello Uncle Somkit."
[Gen, your dad wants to see you.]
I sat feeling terrified. It had to be related to Professor Salee's news. It wasn't
normal for my dad to want to see me.
"Okay, I'll go home."
I got up and dressed weakly. I struggled to take myself home, to the large
mansion where my parents lived. I went there with a heavy feeling in my
heart... I went straight to see my dad when I arrived. His office always
smelled like cigarettes. He was talking to his subordinates before asking
everyone to leave, including Uncle Somkit. His face looked stressed, but
once he saw my weak body, he immediately became my sweet dad.
"Why are you so thin?"
"I saw the news."
I crossed my arms over my chest in fear. I was much more afraid of the
image of a corpse in a cement tank than I was of my dad scolding me.
"You did that?"
He was silenced when he saw my reaction. He got up from the desk and
hugged me. I didn't expect this. I thought he had called me to scold me
about the video. The one where I pretended to be me. I had lied to him
about that.
"You don't have to know about this."
"Of course, I knew about this. I asked you to do it."
I trembled to the core. I admitted it was pure anger. But once the anger was
gone, I now had to deal with the consequences that were driving me crazy.
"Dad... it was on the news. Is it true?"
"Let me worry about that. But why did you lie that it was you in the video?
Why did you tell me you were blackmailed?"
I was very sad and avoided his eye contact. I couldn't tell him that it was
revenge for someone else. Just because of my anger.
"I knew you'd fix everything for me, if it were me."
I tugged at his shirt like a little child.
"Will we be arrested? Did I get you in trouble?"
"Some small problems, but don't worry about it."
"I'm sorry."
I cried and hugged him with fear. I always adored him. I thought he was a
powerful man who could help me out of a problem, no matter how serious
the problem was. My dad was evil upon evil. I should be fine as long as I
had my dad.
"Do not cry. You are strong, my princess. Continue with your life as normal
as possible. I'll take care of everything."
He hugged me like a warm dad but he didn't really help me....
I met Uncle Somkit at the front door before I left. The old man looked at me
with pity. His face was full of concern. I couldn't help but ask him what my
father was facing. I knew there must be a lot of problems, but Dad would
never tell me anything. Uncle Somkit could tell me.
"Can you tell me what the situation is now? Can dad really handle this?"
"I can't say much Gen. Everything is going to be fine."
"I don't feel that way at all. I felt like something big was coming. Please tell
me what happened, so I can handle it better."
Uncle Somkit looked at me and nodded.
"Okay. There was a video of me inside the hotel's CCTV."
The car's license plate was in my mother's name. Now the police are in the
process of investigating. They may call me soon. Your dad was doing
everything he could to protect me.
Uncle Somkit said that dad is now trying to destroy the evidence related to
me. There was nothing to worry about. Everyone was a professional.nI
didn't like this word... professional. The current situation wasn't that bad but
it affected my dad a little. Teacher Salee sent a request to a Rescue Center
to help investigate the death of her husband. The investigation team dug
deep to find information related to my father. My dad was behind
everything...
The police not only investigated the murder case, but also discovered all the
things Dad ever did. They might find some little things that dad did.nMoney
laundering...nAll gray businesses.. All because of Aoey's problem, I made it
so big. This was all a butterfly effect. I just wanted to punish a bad guy, but
now I echoed my father
"How will our family end?"
"Now we are only in a period of investigation. They won't find anything."
"Did he really do it?"
Uncle Somkit looked me in the eyes but didn't respond, nothing at all. But
that could be assumed to be an answer in itself. Now we have a plan and
you must be prepared for whatever it is.
"How can I prepare?"
"I'll tell you later."
I was about to leave when Great saw me and yelled at me from the second
floor and told me to stop. My brother looked at me in disbelief when he saw
me. It must have seemed shitty that even Great, who was still angry at me,
was nice to me.
"Are you possessed? Why do you look like this?"
"What do you want? Are you okay with me now?"
"No, I'm angry with you but I don't know who to talk to except you.."
"What happened?"
He looked left and right and gestured for me to go inside the car.
"Let's talk in the car. I'm paranoid that someone might hear us."
Everyone was acting strange today, me, Dad, Uncle Somkit, and now even
Great, who was mad at me but now wanted to talk to me. Once we were in
the car, Great looked at me worried.
"Are you here for the Anti-Money Laundering Office?"
"How did you know about this?"
"I heard mom and dad talking about some money laundering.nI didn't
understand what it was about, but I don't feel good about it."
He shifted uncomfortably.
"What else do you want to talk about?"
"I'm not feeling well, Gen. I heard they're trying to transfer assets or
something. It sounded big. Now mom said I have to go to Macau soon."
This was big... very big. I couldn't believe that what I asked Dad to do had
such an impact on us.
"Going to study there is good for you. You can be smarter."
"Come on, be serious. I felt that something around here changes in a big
way. I also heard that it was Aoey."
"What did you hear?"
It seemed so awkward to say it. My younger brother bit his lip and cursed.
"Shit! Ok, I'll say it. I heard that Dad asked his people to kill someone...
who you said abused you,!but it was actually Aoey. Is it true?"
"Is that all you want to say? Now get out of the car. Leave.."
I ordered him to get out of the car, but he was too stubborn and tried to
pressure me for an answer.
"Tell me. The problem is that big now. Aoey doesn't let anyone touch her
because she was abused, right?"
It was so awkward to say.
"Shut your mouth!."
"Gen, our family is about to fall apart because you helped her. Do you
know that our powerful family is about to end because you lied to dad to
help your childhood friend?"
"Why don't you blame me, not Aoey? She didn't do anything wrong,"
I said angrily. I felt pain in my chest because I was the one who started all
this.
"Her stepfather was a bastard. Prison wouldn't do him any good. He would
do it again once he was gone. It was better that he died."
"It's fine if only he had died, but now he is dragging us all to hell with him.
Why do you care so much if a girl gets raped? Aoey wasn't the only one
who was raped. Do you think you can help them all?"
"She's the one I love."
"If you love women, find someone else. You can find whoever you want.
We have money, why she? She was defective, you should..."
I slapped my selfish brother hard. Great touched his cheek and looked at me
confused. I never did anything like that before. He was the youngest of the
family who was spoiled all his life and now he couldn't stand his sister
punishing him..
"Did you hit me because of that woman? Why do you hurt me all the time?
She tricked me into a relationship like an idiot and now she made us fight
with each other."
"I'm fighting with you because of your stupid thoughts."
I bit my lip in anger. I couldn't believe my brother would have such a selfish
thought.
"How can you blame her? If you really love someone, no matter what
happens, you should be able to love them no matter what. This wasn't her
fault at all."
"Why don't you think it was the bastard's fault? How can you blame the
victim? You were born in a good and well-educated family, but you have a
narrow mind. You judge the rape victim. You say she 3sts defective. You
should look in the mirror again.."
"Gen..."
It was the worst fight of our lives. My brother shivered and got out of the
car. He cried like a baby because we had never fought so hard. I also shook
with guilt for what I was putting my family through. I was afraid we
wouldn't be able to stay here any longer. If I weren't here, how could she
live... Aoey went to school that day. I sat quietly in the room alone. I heard
the key at 4 o'clock, quickly stood up after waiting all day. The soft eyes
smiled as always once she saw me waiting. I hugged her tight as if she
could disappear from me.
"What's wrong Gen?"
"I miss you. I want to hug you."
Aoey laughed and hugged me back. We both buried our faces in each
other's necks and smelled each other like a precious gift that we loved.
"You are strange today."
"I love you, Aoey."
"Something happened?"
The smaller girl let go of me and looked at me curiously. I kissed her
passionately first and took her to bed. I rarely kissed her first.
"Gen... talk to me."
"Pamper me today."
"No, I am surprised and distrustful. Something happened."
Aoey pushed my chest away.
"Tell me."
How could he tell her that maybe I wouldn't be with her anymore? Who
else in this world could she turn to? Did she have a relative or some family
members that she could turn to? What did I have to do? I felt so sorry for
her.
"Nothing."
I leaned down to kiss the girl beneath me. I took her shirt out of her skirt
and put my hand in it.
"I just wanted to help you unbutton her shirt."
She didn't buy it because I never liked that before. But she swung her arms
around my neck.
"Who could say no to that?"
I had to do something. I had to make sure she would be okay when I wasn't
around.
