Arthit and Nina is on their fifth course of their meal. Although, Arthit has no clue what he is eating. This deconstructive food concept makes no sense to him. There was literally one course that was a tiny dish filled with green foam and one tiny mushroom in it. He can't believe what people pay for this. But honestly, he wouldn't be able to enjoy his food even if it was wagyu or Maine lobster when Kongpob is very much still MIA.

Nina and Arthit have been staring at the empty table across from them for the past hour. Arthit had texted Kongpob casually, but his text hasn't even been read. Nina has asked the manager if that table had been cancelled for the evening, but the manager said it wasn't.

So, Nina did want she hated to do. She called Sonya.

Ring. Ring.

Nina: Good evening Sonya. I'm at Attitude, and I don't see Kongpob. Do you know where he is?

Sonya: Of course I know where my son is. You should just go home. He is not going to Attitude tonight.

Nina: Wait. Where is he?

Sonya: Don't worry. I have someone watching them. I will let you know if anything happens.

Sonya ended the call.

Nina frustratedly tosses the phone on the table.

"Is everything okay? What did Sonya say?" Arthit asked anxiously.

"I don't know. Sonya won't say. She just told us to go home." Nina pouts.

Arthit is worried. Where did Kongpob go with Mild? He promised it was just dinner, so why didn't he show? Kongpob hasn't even read his text.

Arthit picked up his phone. He debates if he should call Sonya himself. Just the mere thought of Sonya gives him the shivers, but it seems like she is the only one who knows where Kongpob is.

So with much hesitation, Arthit dialed Sonya's number that he got since the auction night.

Ring. Ring.

Sonya: Hello Arthit. I thought you would never call.

Arthit: Hello Sonya. I'm at Attitude with Nina. Do you know where Kongpob is?

Sonya: You went to Attitude? That's not the right way my dear. Kongpob would not like that. He doesn't like sneaky. You need to leave, and go home.

Arthit: I will, but can you tell me where he is?

Sonya: I have Thak watching them. They are at a park, but I advise against you going there. Just go home. I trust that you trust my son, and even if you don't trust him, you can trust me. I won't let anything bad happen to my son.

Arthit: I do trust him, and I will go home now.

Arthit ended the call, and looked up to see Nina staring at him like he grew a third eye.

"What did she say? Your conversation sounded much more pleasant than mine." Nina asked.

"Uhm, we should just go home. Sonya has Thak watching them. So, Mild won't be able to try anything on Kongpob. Let's go before we get caught." Arthit said as he flagged their waiter over for the check.

Nina was flabbergasted that Sonya said so much to Arthit.

~~~~~~

"So, why are you back?" Kongpob asked as he ate his chocolate ice cream cone, and watched kids kick a ball around.

"Kongpob, I'm so proud of the man you have become. I always knew you could do it."

"Then why did you leave? You couldn't wait so long, huh?"

"Kongpob, I didn't choose to leave you. I had no choice."

"Mmhmm. And you couldn't have even let me know that you were leaving. Right." Kongpob continued licking his ice cream.

"I didn't have a chance." Mild turned to Kongpob.

Kongpob sighed. "Can you just say what you came to say? I'm about to be done with my ice cream."

Mild looked down at her feet, and started her story. "On the day that I left you, I had just got home from school. Everything at home was packed away. My parents had packed and sold everything the few days I was busy between school and taking care of you. The moment I stepped foot in the house, my mother ushered me to leave. My father had lost big money in the stock market crash in 2008, and the debt had finally caught up with him.

My mother sold everything we had to try to repay the debt, but the interest from the loan sharks kept doubling up. I had no idea until we were on the run. My parents bought tickets for Burma, and said a long distant relative will help us once we get there. Everything happened too sudden. I really wanted to call you, but my father took my phone away." Mild stopped to take a breath.

"Ten years, and your father must still have your phone. Funny, you had time to get married, but no time to call me." Kongpob said sarcastically.

"Kongpob, let me finish. Please."

Kongpob didn't say anything while he wiped his hands with a paper napkin.

"My parents and I was stopped at the airport before we were able to check-in for our flight by the loan shark mobsters. They took us to go see their boss at a warehouse on the outskirts of town. I was so terrified the whole time. They grabbed me wherever they wanted too. My mother tried to protect me, and they slapped her until she was unconscious. They beat my father, and broke his leg for running."

Kongpob finally turned to look at Mild, but she still had her head down, and tears were streaming down her face.

"And then what happened?" Kongpob asked.

"I had passed out at some point from all the anxiety and screaming. When I woke up, I was so afraid that the worst had happened. I was afraid that my parents were hurt, and then I was afraid what may have happened to me."

Mild pulled her dress down a little further, and hugged herself.

"I found myself lying in a foreign bed in an empty room. I got up scared, and walked out the room to go look for me parents. But what I found was a young man, sitting in the living room reading a magazine. He told me my father was being looked after by a doctor, and my mother was with him there. His name is Neo Jenmana. He was very nice to me, and he took me to go see my parents.

For a moment, I thought he was some hero that came, and saved us from our nightmare. However, I was so wrong. My nightmare had only just began. He turned out to be the boss's son. His father said to me that if I was willing to marry his son, then he would let my parents go, and erase my father's debt.

At first, I had refused. I told him that I already have someone I love, and I can't accept Neo. His father threatened to kill my father, and throw his body in the Chao Phraya River. My mother cried silently shaking her head, and got slapped till her lips bled. So, what choice did I really have?

My parents and I were kept in captivity for two weeks before we were wedded. The whole time, I couldn't understand 'why me?' Later on, I had learned that Neo was a junior of ours in high school. He had been obsessed with me before we even started dating. He told me that it was his father's idea for the marriage, but he sincerely loved me. After the wedding, we all moved to Singapore. I was so scared the whole time. I cried and screamed for over a month every time he came near me.

But he was patient with me, and over time I got used to his presence. He started courting me even when he didn't have to. And after awhile, I accepted my fate." Mild wipes her tears with her palms.

"Why didn't you try to contact me afterwards? You know I would have done everything I can to save you." Kongpob held onto his knees so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Kongpob, I had no access to any type of communication devices for months. You and your family were going through a lot already without me adding to your burden. And I was already...touched by someone else. How could I even face you again? I just kept you in the safest place possible. I'm my heart and my memories."

"I searched everywhere for you for over two years, and then I heard you had gotten married two weeks after you left me. So, I gave up. Maybe, I should have kept looking for you." Kongpob said looking down on the ground.

"No. At the two year point of our marriage, I was actually at peace with my life. Although, I never loved him, Neo was very good to me. I had a child at that point, so I wouldn't have left even if you had found me. But everything changed when his business started going downhill. He became very aggressive, and possessive. I was basically a prisoner for years until he was killed in a car accident. Sometimes, I think maybe he had committed suicide because he was drunk driving, and he crashed into a ditch."

"So, this is just recent? I was told that he had divorced you years ago?"

"Yes. He had divorced me to rid me of his financial burden in case anything happened. But he had never let me go. At least not until he died."

Kongpob doesn't know what to say to all this information. He can't believe he had failed so miserably.

"Kongpob, I just wanted to tell you the truth before it's too late. I don't want you to think I would ever willingly leave you." Mild said as she wiped another tear.

"After a couple of days you hadn't contacted me, I had gone out to look for you. I even broke into your house hoping to find you. When I found the house empty, I really did think you had just left me. And then the news of you being married made me really think you left me for someone with more money. I'm sorry I had failed to save you. I never knew your family was in trouble." Kongpob said as a tear of his own slid down his cheek.

"Kong, it's not your fault. No one could have saved me. I don't blame you. Even I didn't know my family was in so much debt." Mild put her hand on Kongpob's wrist.

"So, now what do you plan to do?" Kongpob asked.

"You are one of my reasons for coming back. I wanted you to know the truth. I actually had written you a letter many years ago, hoping that I would be able to mail it to you without it being detected. But at the end, I changed my mind. I didn't want to drag you into my messy life. I knew you were doing well, and I was happy for you. I knew if I had contacted you, you would try to come save me."

Mild sighed, and folded her hands in her lap.

"My other reason for coming back is my child. I will be leaving soon, and I want him to be with his grandparents."

"What about the mob boss? Doesn't he want his grandson?"

"He died of a heart attack five years ago, and Neo didn't want the dirty side of his father's business, so he gave the power away. And I'm so glad he did. He said he didn't want the next generation dirty.

"Then where are you going? Why would you leave your child?"

"My parents were allowed to come back to Thailand a few years ago, seeing that I wasn't going to runaway. Neo, had left the Singapore house under my name before we got divorced. So I sold it, and bought our old house back for my parents. I wouldn't leave my child if I had a choice. Just like ten years ago, I don't have a choice now either."

Mild sighed again. "Kongpob, did you really hate me? I'm really sorry you know. I really loved you, and I would never have wanted to hurt you."

"I did hate you. No matter the hate was rightful or not, I did. However, time has made that hate go away too. But now that I know what had happened to you, and us, I just feel sorry."

Mild smiled. "I'm glad you don't hate me anymore. I didn't want to go to the grave knowing that you still hate me."

Kongpob turned to look at Mild. "Mild, what do you mean go to the grave?"

"Kong, I have stage four cancer. I'm dying. And before I go, I just wanted you to know the truth. I am sorry I chose this way to tell you, but I knew that if I had tried to contact you, you would have refused to meet me."

Kongpob nodded to that. It's true. If Mild had tried to contact him after all these years, he would have refused to ever speak to her again. Kongpob wrapped his arm around Mild's shoulder. He wished they had met again under different circumstances. A matter of fact, he would prefer that he still hated Mild, and she was actually a gold digger if it would mean she would get to live.

"Have you asked for a second opinion? Have you explored all your treatment options?" Kongpob asked.

"Kongpob, did you ever think I was dumb? Of course I have tried everything. I want nothing more than to live to see my child grow up. I don't know what I did in my past life, but I hope I have redeemed myself for the next." Mild tried to laugh.

"If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know." Kongpob said as he squeezed Mild's shoulder.

"This is more than enough. Letting go of a ten year burden is cathartic. I feel peaceful. Be happy Kong."

~~~~~~
AN: So how does everyone feel? This pretty much closes Mild's chapter in Kongpob's life. Tell me what you think of the story I weaved. I will work on improving it in the future. I need some fluff in the next chapter. This was pretty heavy for me. I'm weak. 😓