2009

Kongpob sat in the corner of the room with his head between his legs. Mild wrapped one arm around him hugging him from the side. They've been here since 6 am in the morning. Kongpob has barely eaten in the past three days. The only thing keeping him going is the person next to him. At times, he can't even make out what people are saying to him. 'This can't be really happening', he kept telling himself. 'This must be a dream, a nightmare of some sort. I just need to wake up', he told himself.

The tissue in Kongpob's hand has already started to crumble into bits and pieces getting all over his black mourning suit. The reality of his father's death has not sunk in yet. Even at this very moment at the monastery hall for his funeral, it is still too surreal. He was playing golf just last week with his father. His father had high blood pressure, but he had been very diligent in taking his medication, and exercised regularly. How could this have happened? His tears have gone dry already, and now it's just dry heaving. He continued to internally argued with himself like it would make a difference, but he knew it wouldn't.

Mild got up to get Kongpob some water. Kongpob hasn't been eating or sleeping. She wished there was more that she can do for him, but all she can do is stay by his side. She tried to comfort him as much as she can. She made sure he at least took a few bites every meal. She watched Kongpob go to sleep the past few nights since Uncle Kerklai passed away before she went home. Her playful and handsome prince is no longer smiling, and she doesn't know what to do.

The adults are gathered around tables whispering, eating, and drinking. The employees and their families have also come to pay their respect, and bid their beloved boss a last farewell. The boss that was never too good to eat with them in the factory, never too good to roll up his own sleeves to help fix any machine that was broken, and never too busy for a troubled employee. Everyone was going to sorely miss Kerklai Suthilak.

Sonya: How dare you show you face here? My husband's body is not even cold yet, and you want me to sell the company?

Keith Suthilak: Sister, please don't make me sound like a monster. I'm just trying to help. We should sell the company while it is still worth something. Without Kerklai around anymore, who will be able to handle the company?

Sonya: Kongpob is the heir. He will take over soon. I will help manage in the meantime. You have no right to make this request. You have sold most of your share over the years to competitors, and we've had to struggle to buy it all back. Just because Kerklai didn't expose you, doesn't mean I don't know about your awful deeds.

Keith Suthilak: It's within my rights to sell my share to anyone I want. I'm just trying to cut my losses. Kerklai just never knew when to give up. If he would have agreed to sell the company a few years back, we would have made a handsome profit. My father always just favored that weakling. This is his fate. He's a weakling himself, and he married another weakling. Now they can meet in hell. Watch, his kid won't be much better.

SMACK

Sonya: How dare you talk like that here? Get out before I have someone drag you out.

Keith Suthilak: You haven't heard the last of me.

Seething, Keith Suthilak left announcing that Siam Polymer was on the brink of bankruptcy. Everyone should dump their stock as soon as possible. Rumors started to spread, and investors started to panic.

Two days after the funeral. That's all the time the investors gave to Sonya Suthilak. They came knocking on Sonya's door for financial clarity. They demanded to see all documents on their assets, and launched an investigation for internal fraud based on the claims of Keith Suthilak. No one gave the widow time to grieve. She needed to protect the falling empire, and watch over her son. She would be damned if she would let it all crumble in her hands.

Sonya let go of her pride, and went to Kongpob's biological mother's family, the Ruangroj to borrow money. The Ruangroj family is powerful across Asia for their political ties and old money. They only had two daughters, Lyla and Nina. They never liked Sonya because they saw her as the reason that kept their heir from returning to them.

Kongpob is the sole heir to the Ruangroj family since Nina Ruangroj also has a weak heart like her sister Lyla. Nina can lose her life if she tried to carry a baby. Therefore, the Ruangroj fortune is also awaiting for Kongpob Suthilak.

The investors gave Sonya one week to buy back their shares. Otherwise, they were going to dump it into the market. Some of these investors were Kerklai's so called old time buddies. Sonya was ready to get down on her hands and knees to beg. Luckily, the Ruangroj family did not need her to do so. They helped simply because their daughter Lyla would have wanted them to. Also, they were helping their own grandson.

Sonya had to solve one crisis after another. Two days later after buying back the overinflated shares, Sonya came home to an empty house. Her son was nowhere to be found. She knew Kongpob wasn't handling his father's death very well, but she didn't have time to comfort him. She searched high and low. She called all his friends and their relatives. She had found out that he had gone missing for four days already. She cursed herself for letting the bodyguards go in hopes of cutting expenses.

Sonya hired two bodyguards back, and reported Kongpob missing to the police. Kongpob's friends all went out to help find him. Sonya finally found Kongpob three days later inside of Mild's empty house. Kongpob apparently broke into the house by climbing up the pipes near an open window on the second floor. She found him sitting in Mild's empty room in a pool of his own blood passed out. The sight broke Sonya's heart. She failed. She failed as a wife. She failed as a mother. And she failed her old friend.

~~~~~~

Kongpob woke up in his own room with bandages covering his wrist, arms and legs. He doesn't know how he managed to get home, or how long he has been sleeping. All he knows, is he doesn't want to be there. He will never be able to become what they expect of him. His father was a great man that was loved by all, but look what happened at the end. If his father couldn't keep the family business going, how was he supposed to? Maybe they should just sell it like his uncle said. It's probably better than letting it fail in his hand. Even his Mild has left him. So, why should he stay?

Flashback

Two days after the funeral, Mild had stopped visiting him. He was on leave from school, so he just thought maybe she was busy with school work. However, she didn't pick up any of his calls or texts. So Kongpob eventually went out looking for Mild. He couldn't find her at school, or at the bookstore where she worked at. The owner said she had resigned a few days ago. He called all her friends and family that he knew of, and nobody knew where she went. Her own parents were missing too. Mild had disappeared into thin air. No one knew where her family went.

After aimlessly roaming around for a few days, he had ended up back in front of Mild's house. He knocked and banged on the door to no avail. He swears they are just hiding inside. So he climbed up to the second floor's window that Kongpob knew had a broken latch on one side. He smashed the glass to the other side with his hand, and climbed in. The glass from the window had cut him pretty badly, but he was numb to the pain.

He walked around the house with his blood dripping, and tears running down his face. The house was completely empty other than a covered sofa, and a dining table with no chairs. How can Mild just leave him without saying a word? He loves her. Didn't she say she loved him too? They promised to be together forever. They were supposed to get married right after college. Where did she go? Three years, how can she just leave? She was his first for everything. Why? Did he do something wrong? He doesn't know how long he sat in Mild's room crying, and bleeding before he lost consciousness.

End of Flashback

Kongpob got up from his bed wobbling. He grabbed a duffle bag, and stuffed some clothes in it. He went to his drawer to get his passport, and any cash he had. He booked a one-way flight to Paris, Tokyo, and New York with no intentions of going to any of the places. He just wanted to throw his mother off. He left all his credit cards. He didn't want his mother to track him down by his spending.

He checked outside his room, and the coast was clear. He quietly walked down the stairs. Most of the maids and bodyguards were dismissed now to reduce expense, so he wasn't that worried. However, what he didn't expect was to see Sachi guarding the front door.

"Kongpob Suthilak! Just where do you think you are going?"

"Leave me alone Sachi. I'm leaving. It's for the best."

"The best for whom? What about your mother? Are you going to just leave her?" Sachi fumed.

"I'm going to find Mild."

Kongpob dodged Sachi, and pushed her aside to get through the door. However, the moment he crossed the threshold of the front door, he was grabbed by two men in black suits. They dragged him to his father's home office. Inside sat in his father's chair was his mother that he barely recognized. She seemed to have aged ten years in the span of a week. Her beautiful hair was not elegantly kept as usual, but simply tied back. She had on glasses that she only used when she was reading. And even though her eyes were behind glasses, her dark circles were still very visible showing the sleepless nights.

Kongpob stopped struggling, and the men let him go. Sonya waved her hand to dismiss the bodyguards. Kongpob stood there, and looked away from his mother's gaze. He thought to himself, I will just try again tomorrow.

Sonya got up from her seat. She walked over to Kongpob who was not meeting her eyes. It pained her to see her son in all those bandages. Images of Kongpob crying over little cuts and scrapes flashed across her mind. The baby she once held so dear is now defiant, and arrogant. It's all her fault. She spoiled him. Now, she must correct her mistakes.

"KNEEL!" Sonya roared.

Kongpob immediately dropped to his knees. Blood was slowly seeping through the bandage that covered his left knee cap due to the sudden pressure. Kongpob has never heard his mother speak loudly to him, let alone yell.

Kongpob raised his head ready to speak, "You can't kee...."

SMACK

Kongpob fell back from the unexpected hard slap. He placed his left hand over his cheek that was now burning. He was in shock. His mother has never laid a hand on him no matter how much he misbehaved. Only his father has ever disciplined him, and that was always just verbal. Kongpob raised his head when he saw a drop of water land near his mother's feet. He dared to look up. And what he saw, he will never forget. The anger, the disappointment, and the pain all mixed together in his mother's eyes.

With an angry, yet shaky voice, Sonya said "If you want to give up on your responsibilities, then you need to go and apologize to each and every one of the 6,000 employees before you can walk away. Then, you can leave and never step foot in this house again. You cannot use the Suthilak name. You will not tarnish your father's legacy."

Sonya stood there trembling, but the stress and exhaustion finally claimed her. She passed out hitting the ground.

Kongpob immediately scrambled to his feet trying to wake her. Kongpob sobbed uncontrollably. He was afraid that even his mother would leave him.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry mother. Please get up. Don't leave me. I promise to never do it again. Please. Help! Help! Help!"

Sachi and the bodyguards came running. "What's wrong? Oh my God. What happened to Madam?"

"Call an ambulance. Now!" Kongpob yelled while he cradled his mother.

Sonya recovered in a few days. She didn't speak to Kongpob no matter how hard Kongpob pleaded. Then one day, she went to the grave site to visit her husband. He was buried next to his first wife. Sonya had even bought the empty grave plot on the other side of her husband for herself one day. She kneeled in front of the graves, and apologized for her failure.

Kongpob secretly followed her there as he was afraid that she might pass out again. The doctor said her blood pressure and blood sugar was too low. She needed rest and proper nutrition.

However, what he heard and saw finally got through to him. He needed to pull himself together. He can't let his mother and father down. He won't let those assholes walk all over his mother and get away with it. His broken heart can wait. His mother can't.

~~~~~~

Present

Arthit looked at Nina, and then looked at Sonya. Nina looked shocked. Sonya looked angry. Now, Arthit decided the appropriate reaction should be 'scared' for him. Whatever is going on must be scary.

He can't really see the woman's face clearly since she had her back towards the audience. But from what he saw when she walked pass them, she was pretty. Kongpob's expression was strange too. Kongpob's signature smile that was there moments ago is now missing.

Emcee:

"Hello lucky lady. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Mild."

"Well, Miss Mild you are the winning bidder for a romantic evening with the number one bachelor of Thailand. Please look at the camera for a photo together."

Kongpob didn't move as Mild came closer. Every hair on his body was standing. He couldn't even smile when the camera guy asked them to smile.

You may now return to your seat Miss Mild. Details of your prize will be given at the end of the evening.

Kongpob turned his heel, and walked away as fast as his legs would carry him.

Mild stepped down the stage only to be met at the foot of the steps with Sonya Suthilak glaring at her. "HOW DARE YOU?"

Nina got up quickly trying to run in her four inch heels to the back stage. It was too difficult, so she tossed her Christian Louboutin shoes. Arthit didn't know what was going on, but he followed Nina, and picked up her shoes behind her.

Kongpob didn't look back, and dashed out the back door. Nina came shouting after him, but he didn't stop.

Nina stood there slightly out of breath in panic. She turned around to see Arthit standing there worried and confused.

"Who is Mild?"