Chapter 23
The next morning, Phuket greeted the world with golden sunlight and calm waves rolling endlessly against the shore.
Tourists filled the streets early.
Some still sleepy from the previous night.
Some already chasing the ocean.
But Lingling felt exhausted before the day had even properly begun.
The plan to drink last night after dinner didn’t happen because Jingjing had an emergency.
So Lingling went back to her hotel.
She barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Orm again.
That trembling smile.
Those tear-filled amber eyes.
The way her voice cracked when she said, "I'm trying."
It haunted Lingling the entire night.
So by seven in the morning, she gave up trying to sleep altogether.
Now she stood inside one of the beachfront restaurants near the resort district, dressed simply in black board shorts, a loose white polo slightly unbuttoned at the top, sunglasses hanging from her collar, and a beige hat covering her dark hair.
Simple.
Effortless.
Yet painfully handsome.
Even half-awake tourists glanced at her twice while she waited near the counter to order breakfast.
Lingling barely noticed.
Her mind still felt heavy.
Distant.
The scent of brewed coffee and toasted bread filled the restaurant while soft acoustic music played in the background.
She pulled out her wallet absentmindedly-
until suddenly-
something small crashed against her legs.
"Wingwing!"
Lingling blinked in surprise.
Then immediately looked down.
A tiny boy wrapped both arms tightly around her legs, smiling so brightly his eyes nearly disappeared.
"Liam?"
Her entire expression softened instantly.
The heaviness inside her chest loosened for the first time that morning.
Lingling crouched slightly before effortlessly lifting the little boy into her arms.
Liam giggled happily the moment he was lifted.
"Hi," Lingling whispered with a small smile she didn't even realize she still had inside her. "Why are you here, hm? And who are you with?"
Liam proudly wrapped his tiny arms around her neck.
"Mommy!" he answered excitedly. "And Daddy!"
The word Daddy made something inside Lingling pause briefly.
Before she could process it-
a familiar voice suddenly appeared behind them.
"Liam! I told you not to run-"
Orm stopped midsentence the second she finally looked up.
And everything around her seemed to freeze.
Because there, standing only a few feet away from her-
was Lingling.
God.
Orm's breath nearly disappeared.
Lingling looked unfairly beautiful beneath the morning sunlight.
Her loose polo exposed slightly tanned skin kissed by the beach sun.
One arm carried Liam securely against her side while the other held her phone, wallet, and car keys effortlessly.
Her sleeves were rolled up slightly.
Her jaw sharper than Orm remembered.
Her posture relaxed.
Confident.
Mature.
Painfully handsome.
For a second-
Orm forgot how to breathe.
Meanwhile Lingling looked equally stunned.
Orm wore a soft cream-colored beach dress over her swimsuit while her slightly messy hair framed her flushed face beautifully.
She looked breathless.
Real.
Domestic.
And somehow that hurt Lingling more.
"Mommy," Liam said proudly while pointing at Lingling. "I found Wingwing!"
Orm swallowed hard before forcing herself to smile softly at her son.
"I can see that."
The awkwardness afterward settled almost immediately.
Heavy.
Careful.
Like both of them were standing near broken glass.
Lingling slowly lowered Liam back to the floor.
"He runs fast," she said quietly.
Orm laughed awkwardly.
"Too fast."
Then silence again.
Painfully familiar silence.
The kind filled with thousands of things left unsaid.
"How... are you?" Orm finally asked softly.
Lingling nodded once.
"I'm okay."
It was a lie.
Orm could hear it immediately.
Just like Lingling could hear the lie when Orm quietly replied-
"I'm okay too."
Neither of them looked okay.
Not really.
Not when both of them still looked at each other like losing eye contact would physically hurt.
Before either of them could say more-
another voice suddenly interrupted.
"Buddy, there you are."
Lingling looked up.
A tall man approached wearing navy board shorts and an open tropical shirt, sunglasses resting over his head.
Sean.
Handsome.
Relaxed.
The type of man people naturally trusted.
The moment Liam saw him, the little boy gasped happily.
"Daddy!"
And just like that-
Lingling's fingers instinctively loosened around Liam.
The child immediately ran straight toward Sean, who effortlessly caught him in his arms.
The sight hit Lingling harder than expected.
Because Liam looked so comfortable there.
So loved.
So complete.
Sean smiled warmly afterward before finally noticing Lingling.
"Oh," he blinked in surprise. "Lingling."
Lingling gave him a polite nod.
"Sean."
Sean adjusted Liam against his hip.
"Having breakfast too?."
"Yeah."
Another awkward silence.
Sean looked between Lingling and Orm for a brief second.
Like he could physically feel the tension suffocating the air around them.
"Well..." he cleared his throat lightly. "Enjoy your breakfast."
"You too," Lingling replied quietly.
And just like that-
they separated.
Unfortunately-
the only available tables left were beside each other.
Close enough to hear utensils clink.
Close enough to hear soft conversations.
Close enough for Lingling to accidentally glance up and see the little family together.
Lingling sat alone across from them.
Coffee untouched beside her.
Breakfast untouched too.
Because no matter how hard she tried to focus elsewhere-
her peripheral vision kept betraying her.
Orm carefully cutting Liam's pancakes into tiny pieces.
Sean wiping syrup from the boy's cheek while Liam giggled loudly.
Orm smiling softly at something Liam whispered.
Domestic.
Warm.
Whole.
Every small interaction felt like tiny knives sliding deeper into Lingling's chest.
Because once upon a time-
Lingling used to dream about mornings like that with Orm.
Simple breakfasts.
Messy children.
Soft laughter.
Home.
But life had chosen differently for them.
Or maybe both of them destroyed that future.
She didn't know anymore.
Her thoughts were interrupted when suddenly-
soft hands gently covered her eyes from behind.
Lingling stiffened slightly.
Then a familiar perfume reached her immediately.
Light floral mixed with vanilla.
A sweet kiss landed softly against her cheek.
"Guess who?"
Lingling blinked in shock before turning around quickly.
"M-Mint?"
Mint laughed softly while removing her hands.
Standing before her was Mint in a flowing pale blue beach dress, sunglasses resting atop her head while the ocean breeze moved through her long hair beautifully.
Ethereal.
Elegant.
Beautiful enough to make several people inside the restaurant glance her way.
But Mint looked only at Lingling.
"You look surprised to see me Engineer."
"I am surprised," Lingling admitted honestly.
Mint smiled warmly.
"When did you get here?"
"Last night," Mint answered casually. "I was supposed to meet friends later today, but then I saw a ridiculously handsome woman eating alone."
Lingling laughed quietly despite herself.
A real laugh this time.
And the sound alone made Orm unconsciously glance toward them.
Then freeze.
Because she remembered Mint immediately.
The lawyer.
One of the beautiful women who openly admired Lingling years ago.
The same woman who attended Lingling's birthday in Khon Kaen.
The same woman who shamelessly flirted with Lingling the entire night.
The same woman Orm remembered leaving and kissed Lingling afterward.
Back then, Orm told herself she had no right to care.
No right to feel jealous.
After all-
she was the one who's blind and at fault.
But seeing Mint again now-
standing so close to Lingling-
made something ugly twist painfully inside her chest.
Lingling immediately stood up and pulled a chair for Mint.
"Sit."
Mint smiled teasingly.
"So gentlemanly like always."
Lingling only shook her head softly before calling the waiter.
Without even asking, she ordered Mint's favorite breakfast and coffee exactly the way she liked it.
Mint noticed immediately.
And so did Orm.
Because Lingling remembered.
After all these years-
Lingling still remembered the smallest details about people she cared about.
That realization hurt Orm far more than it should have.
"When did you come back from New York?" Lingling asked softly once they settled down.
"Three days ago," Mint replied. "I visited my grandmother in Paris first before flying here. I dropped by to your house, but Auntie told me you got home to attend Junji's wedding."
Lingling nodded quietly while listening attentively.
And Orm hated how natural they looked good together.
How comfortable Mint seemed around her.
How Lingling's eyes softened while listening.
Meanwhile beside her, Liam innocently ate pancakes completely unaware his mother was slowly dying inside.
Then suddenly—
Mint glanced toward Orm's table.
Recognition flashed across her face almost instantly.
A brief flicker of surprise crossed her features before it softened into understanding.
"Oh."
Before Orm could even process what was happening, Mint pushed her chair back and rose gracefully from her seat.
"Excuse me for a second."
Lingling looked slightly confused but nodded anyway.
"Sure."
Mint offered a small smile before walking away.
Straight toward Orm.
And with every step she took, Orm felt her stomach tighten a little more.
Her fingers curled around the edge of the table beneath the linen cloth.
Beside her, Liam continued eating happily, completely unaware of the storm building inside her chest.
Mint stopped beside their table.
"Hi, Orm, right?" she greeted warmly. "Lingling's best friend."
The title hit harder than it should have.
Best friend.
Not the woman Lingling loved.
Not the woman Lingling waited for.
Not the woman Lingling once planned a future with.
Just her best friend.
Orm forced a smile.
"Hi, Mint."
Mint's eyes immediately softened when they landed on Liam.
"And this must be your son?" she asked gently. "He's adorable."
Liam beamed instantly.
"Tank you, Miss Pwetty."
Mint laughed softly.
The sound was warm and genuine.
Orm reached over and brushed Liam's hair back affectionately before answering.
"Yeah."
Her voice came out quieter than intended.
"This is Liam."
She glanced briefly toward Sean.
"And his father, Sean."
Sean offered a friendly wave.
"Nice to meet you."
"You too," Mint replied politely.
Then silence settled between them for a moment.
A small pause.
A dangerous one.
Because there was only one question Orm truly wanted to ask.
And she hated herself for wanting to know the answer.
Still—
The words slipped out anyway.
"You're here with Lingling?"
Mint glanced over her shoulder toward Lingling's table.
Toward the woman who was absentmindedly checking her phone while waiting.
Then Mint smiled lightly.
"Oh, no."
She shook her head.
"I just happened to see her eating alone."
Something inside Orm relaxed.
Only for a second.
Then Mint continued.
"We occasionally meet in Paris whenever I visit my grandmother there."
Her smile widened slightly.
"So we've stayed very close."
Very close.
The words were simple.
Harmless.
Casual.
But they landed inside Orm's chest like a knife.
Very close.
Four years.
Four years of absence.
Four years of missed birthdays.
Missed celebrations.
Missed heartbreaks.
Missed ordinary mornings.
Four years where someone else had been there while she wasn't.
Orm swallowed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
"I see."
It was all she could manage.
Mint smiled politely once more before excusing herself and returning to Lingling's table.
And that should have been the end of it.
It should have been nothing.
A normal conversation.
A simple encounter.
But the damage had already been done.
Because for the rest of breakfast—
Orm couldn't stop looking.
No matter how hard she tried.
Her eyes kept drifting across the room.
Again.
And again.
And again.
She noticed everything.
Every little detail.
The way Mint leaned closer whenever she spoke.
The way Lingling listened attentively.
The way Mint easily made her laugh.
The way Lingling's shoulders relaxed around her.
The way their conversations flowed effortlessly.
Like they had spent years learning each other's rhythms.
Years learning each other's silences.
Years learning each other's stories.
And somehow—
That hurt even more than seeing them laugh together.
Because laughter could be temporary.
But comfort?
Comfort was earned.
Comfort took time.
And Mint had that.
The easy familiarity.
The effortless understanding.
The privilege of being present in Lingling's life when Orm wasn't.
A painful lump formed in Orm's throat.
She looked down at her coffee.
It had long gone cold.
Yet somehow her chest felt like it was burning.
The worst part wasn't even the jealousy.
It was the realization that Lingling looked happy.
Not pretending.
Not forcing a smile.
Not carrying that sadness Orm remembered seeing years ago.
Lingling looked lighter.
Freer.
As if life had finally stopped hurting her.
As if she had learned how to live without Orm.
And maybe that should have made Orm happy.
Maybe she should have felt relieved.
After all, wasn't this what she wanted?
Hadn't she spent years convincing herself that leaving was the right thing to do?
That Lingling deserved better?
That Lingling deserved a future untouched by all the complications Orm brought into her life?
So why did it hurt so much?
Why did every smile Lingling gave Mint feel like another piece of her heart being ripped away?
Why did every laugh feel like proof that the world had continued moving while Orm remained trapped in the past?
Why did she suddenly feel like she couldn't breathe?
Her eyes began to sting.
She blinked rapidly.
Not here.
Not now.
Not in front of Liam.
Not in front of Sean.
Not in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
Across the room—
As if sensing something—
Lingling looked up.
Their eyes met.
Just for a second.
One brief, fragile moment.
The noise of the restaurant seemed to disappear.
The clinking glasses.
The conversations.
The footsteps.
Everything faded.
There was only Lingling.
And those familiar eyes.
Eyes that once knew every version of her.
Eyes that once looked at her like she was home.
Orm's chest cracked open.
But reality arrived just as quickly.
And Orm looked away first.
Because she knew if she kept staring—
she might completely fall apart in front of everyone.
—
Thirty minutes later, breakfast finally came to an end.
Lingling dabbed the corner of her lips with a napkin before standing from her seat.
Mint rose beside her.
The two women gathered their things and prepared to leave.
As they passed by Orm's table, Mint smiled politely.
"It was nice seeing you again."
Orm returned the smile.
"You too."
Liam waved enthusiastically.
"Bye Miss Pwetty!"
Mint laughed.
"Bye, sweetheart."
Lingling looked at Liam and offered him a gentle smile.
"Enjoy the beach, okay?"
"I will!"
The little boy grinned.
For a brief moment, Lingling's gaze shifted toward Orm.
Neither of them said much.
Neither of them knew what to say.
Four years was too much silence to fit into a single conversation.
"Take care," Lingling said quietly.
Orm forced herself to smile.
"You too."
Then Lingling turned away.
And somehow that hurt more than if she had stayed.
Orm watched as the two women walked toward the restaurant exit.
She should have looked away.
She should have focused on Liam.
Instead, her eyes followed Lingling's retreating figure.
Every step.
Every movement.
As if she was afraid that once Lingling disappeared from sight, she'd lose her all over again.
Near the entrance, Mint suddenly reached out.
She fixed Lingling's slightly crooked collar.
Then she smoothed a few loose strands of hair away from Lingling's face.
The gesture was so casual.
So natural.
The kind of thing people did when they had done it a hundred times before.
Lingling simply stood there and let her.
Comfortable.
Unbothered.
Used to it.
Then Mint hooked her arm around Lingling's.
The two women continued walking together.
Talking.
Laughing softly.
Close.
Far too close.
Orm felt something twist painfully inside her chest.
She couldn't hear what they were saying.
Couldn't hear the laughter.
Couldn't hear the conversation.
Yet somehow she felt every second of it.
She watched until they disappeared completely from view.
Until there was nothing left to see.
And somehow that hurt too.
As if someone had closed a door she wasn't ready to let go of.
"Mommy?"
Orm blinked.
Liam was staring up at her.
His little brows knitted together in concern.
The sight almost shattered her.
"Awe you okay?"
The innocent question pierced straight through her heart
Because children noticed things adults thought they hid well.
And Liam had always been observant.
Orm immediately pulled him into her lap.
She kissed one cheek.
Then the other.
"I'm okay, baby."
Liam studied her carefully.
As if trying to determine whether she was telling the truth.
"You look sad."
Orm's smile trembled.
Just slightly.
"Mommy's okay."
Liam wrapped his tiny arms around her neck.
The hug was so pure.
So full of unconditional love.
That Orm nearly cried right there.
She held him tighter.
And for a moment, buried her face against his hair.
Thankful he couldn't see her eyes.
Because I'm not okay.
I haven't been okay since I saw her again.
Later that morning, the family headed down to the beach.
The ocean stretched endlessly beneath a cloudless blue sky, glittering beneath the morning sun like thousands of scattered diamonds. The waves rolled lazily toward the shore, their rhythmic crashes blending with the laughter of children running barefoot across the sand.
Music drifted from nearby resorts.
People lounged beneath umbrellas.
Couples walked hand in hand along the shoreline.
Everything felt bright.
Alive.
Beautiful.
It should have been relaxing.
It should have been perfect.
And for a little while, Orm tried to convince herself that it was.
She truly did.
She helped Liam build an elaborate sandcastle that leaned awkwardly to one side.
She buried his feet in the sand and laughed when he dramatically declared himself trapped forever.
She chased him through the shallow water while he shrieked with delight every time a wave nearly knocked him over.
Sean joined them eventually, rolling up his sleeves and allowing Liam to drag him into whatever game their son invented next.
From a distance, they probably looked like the picture of happiness.
A complete family.
A loving husband.
A beautiful wife.
A joyful child.
The kind of family people envied.
The kind of family people wished they had.
And maybe they were happy.
Maybe they had every reason to be.
Yet no matter how much Orm smiled, there was something lodged deep inside her chest.
A quiet ache.
A wound that never seemed to close.
An emptiness she had learned to live with but never truly healed from.
An ache with Lingling's name written all over it.
"Again! Again!"
Liam squealed as another wave splashed against his knees.
Orm laughed softly.
"At this rate, you're going to grow gills and become a fish."
Liam giggled.
Sean shook his head.
"Definitely takes after you."
Orm rolled her eyes playfully.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then completely by accident—
she glanced toward the rows of umbrellas near the resort.
And froze.
Her entire body went still.
Her smile disappeared.
Her breath caught painfully in her throat.
There.
Beneath one of the shaded cabanas.
Lingling.
And Mint.
The world suddenly became too quiet.
The laughter around her faded.
The music disappeared.
Even the sound of the waves seemed distant.
All she could see was them.
Mint was holding a bottle of sunscreen.
She was leaning toward Lingling, carefully applying it to her face while muttering something that looked suspiciously like a lecture.
Lingling sat there patiently, though Orm could see the familiar annoyance in her expression.
The tiny eye roll.
The reluctant compliance.
The silent surrender whenever someone fussed over her too much.
Orm knew those expressions.
God.
She knew every single one.
The sight shouldn't have hurt.
It wasn't romantic.
There was nothing intimate about it.
Just two people who clearly cared about each other.
Two people comfortable enough to exist in silence.
Comfortable enough to know each other's habits.
Comfortable enough to take care of one another.
And somehow...
that hurt even more.
Because once upon a time, that had been her.
She had been the one reminding Lingling to wear sunscreen.
She had been the one carrying extra water because Lingling always forgot to drink enough.
She had been the one fixing her hair whenever the wind ruined it.
She had been the one memorizing every little thing about her.
Now someone else occupied that space.
Someone else had become part of Lingling's softest sides.
Someone else knew the details that Orm once knew by heart.
The realization settled heavily in her chest.
A painful reminder that life hadn't stopped when they separated.
Lingling's world hadn't frozen.
It had continued.
It had grown.
Without her.
A lump formed in Orm's throat.
She looked away.
Then looked back.
As if she couldn't help herself.
As if she was willingly pressing her fingers against an old bruise just to see if it still hurt.
It did.
It always did.
A few minutes later, Mint stood up with her phone.
She began taking photos.
One after another.
The sunlight seemed determined to worship Lingling.
Every picture looked effortless.
Every angle looked beautiful.
Every smile looked genuine.
Then Mint said something.
Lingling laughed.
And Orm felt her heart crack.
Because she knew that laugh.
She knew it better than she knew her own.
The sound had once been her favorite thing in the world.
The sound she had spent four years desperately trying to forget.
The sound she still heard in her dreams.
Then the camera shifted.
Now Mint was posing.
She slipped off her cover-up dress, revealing a stunning red bikini.
Several people nearby glanced her way.
Some openly stared.
Others whispered.
Admiring her confidence.
Her beauty.
Her presence.
Mint didn't seem to notice.
Or maybe she simply didn't care.
The two women spent the next several minutes taking photos and laughing together.
Existing in their own little world.
A world untouched by regret.
Untouched by the past.
Untouched by the woman standing several yards away with a smile on her face and a storm raging inside her chest.
Then Mint motioned for Lingling to join.
At first, Lingling immediately refused.
Orm could tell from the way she waved her off.
Mint insisted.
Lingling groaned dramatically.
Mint insisted again.
Eventually, Lingling surrendered with an exasperated laugh.
Mint reached over and tugged lightly at Lingling's oversized polo.
Lingling rolled her eyes but allowed it.
The shirt came off, revealing a black Calvin Klein sports bra.
And suddenly—
every head turned.
Not because Lingling was trying to attract attention.
Not because she wanted people looking.
But because she had never needed to try.
There had always been something effortlessly captivating about her.
The quiet confidence.
The calm presence.
The way she carried herself without ever demanding attention, yet somehow always receiving it.
The sunlight illuminated the defined lines of her abdomen.
The result of years of discipline.
Years of dedication.
Years of becoming someone stronger.
A group of women nearby immediately began whispering among themselves.
A few openly stared.
Others discreetly lifted their phones.
Lingling either didn't notice or pretended not to.
Mint proudly showed her the photos she'd taken.
The two of them burst into laughter again.
And Orm hated herself for how much that simple sound still affected her.
Because every smile on Lingling's face should have made her happy.
She should have been grateful.
Relieved.
Comforted.
After everything she'd put her through.
After everything she'd broken.
Lingling deserved happiness.
She deserved peace.
So why did it hurt so much?
Why did every smile feel like another goodbye?
Why did every laugh feel like proof that she was no longer needed?
The answer came before she could stop it.
Because Lingling had learned how to live without her.
Because the world had kept spinning after Orm walked away.
Because the woman she loved had survived her absence.
And perhaps...
had finally stopped waiting for her return.
That realization hurt more than jealousy ever could.
Because jealousy implied possession.
It implied hope.
It implied there was still something left to fight for.
But this?
This was grief.
Pure grief.
The devastating understanding that she no longer had any claim over Lingling's life.
She had lost that right four years ago.
The woman sitting beneath that umbrella no longer belonged to her.
Maybe she never would again.
A wave crashed against her legs.
Cold water splashed upward.
But it wasn't enough to pull her back to reality.
Nothing was.
Not when her heart felt like it was quietly breaking all over again.
"Mommy!"
Liam came running toward her, holding up a lopsided sandcastle with both hands.
His face glowed with pride.
"Wook!"
Orm blinked quickly.
She turned away from the cabana.
Away from Lingling.
Away from the tears threatening to betray her.
With practiced ease, she wiped the corner of her eye.
Then smiled.
The kind of smile mothers mastered.
The kind that hid everything.
The kind that convinced the world they were okay.
"Wow," she whispered softly.
"It's beautiful."
Liam beamed.
His entire face lit up.
And as he excitedly explained every detail of his masterpiece, Orm listened.
She smiled.
She nodded.
She praised every crooked tower and uneven wall.
She gave him all the attention he deserved.
But every few seconds—
her eyes wandered.
Back toward the umbrella.
Back toward Lingling.
Back toward the woman she had spent years trying to forget.
And failing every single day.