Arranged... With Love...

20. Ex Boyfriend

Cade splashed cold water on his face. He was hoping to clear his head.

He stared at the reflection of himself in the washroom mirror. "He was only talking nonsense. Nonsense. Don't fall for that again Cade." He muttered to himself. "You already have a lot on your plate. Don't let his words get to you."

Grabbing a few napkins, he dried himself and walked out of the washroom. He wasn't expecting Oye to be waiting for him outside the washroom.

Cade walked past him, pretending to be a stranger.

Suddenly, Oye grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, making him turn around. "Cade" He greeted. "Swadee"

Cade looked at the wrist that was being held by Oye.

Oye immediately let go of his hand.

"Swadee Khrab, Khun Oye," Cade said with an indifferent expression.

"Cade, are you still mad at me?" Oye asked looking pitiful.

Cade internally scoffed. If Oye's fangirls were to see him like that they would melt. Those might as well accuse him of hurting Oye, like in the past.

Thankfully, the washroom was at the end of the corridor and there wasn't anyone around.

"Khun Oye, I don't think we are that close to going around accusing each other that casually." No matter how affected Cade was, he would never let Oye find out about it.

"I know you are mad at me Cade. That's why you are talking like this," Oye said as if he was making a compromise.

Cade started wondering what he saw in this total piece of shit that he was head over heels for him for years. 'I must have been out of my mind' He thought. 

He looked at his wristwatch and said "Khun Oye, the rest of the functions are about to start I better hurry back to our stall."

He was unwilling to waste another minute on Oye. He had already wasted so many years. No more.

Cade turned to leave without waiting for a reply from Oye.

Oye quickly blocked his way. "Cade, I was being serious when I said that I want another chance with you." 

Cade looked straight into his eyes. "I am not interested. You should go look for someone else."

They had broken up around the time Oye's first book was about to be published. Oye wanted to curry favor from the editor of the publishing house. In order to do that, he had slept with her. Not once but several times.

When Cade discovered traces left behind by the editor in the condo he shared with Oye, he questioned his then-boyfriend angrily.

Oye didn't even have a sense of guilt or remorse while being confronted. He shamelessly accepted that he had been sleeping with the editor to have his novel published.

He asked Cade to put up with the fact as it was just a sexual transaction with no emotions involved.

Cade was completely broken by Oye's attitude and left the condo with his things. Oye didn't even try to stop Cade from leaving as he knew how much Cade loved him and the latter couldn't bare to break up with him.

Even when Cade didn't return to the condo for over two months and had cut contact, he never tried to reach out. Instead, he had his first book being contracted to publish.

Months passed by and the book was finally published. Oye now came looking for Cade to reconcile.

Cade however refused his offer. This made Oye angry. As one of the popular guys of the university he had both fangirls and fanboys.

Oye publicized that Cade had left him. This made his fans hate Cade.

The fans left no opportunity to bully Cade. Thanks to Oye, his last one year in university was hell.

If not for Jeffy who took him under her wing, Cade himself didn't know what he would have done.

"Cade, I have no relationship with her anymore. I am well established author now. Many publishing houses want me. If you and I start dating again, I am willing to sign under K Publishers." Oye said magnanimously.

Cade almost laughed out loud. "You don't have to do that Khun Oye. K Publishers can still go on even if you didn't sign under us. Thanks for the offer though."

"Cade, I know you still love. I have asked around. You haven't dated anyone else since we broke up." Oye said expectedly. It wasn't easy to find someone like Cade. He wasn't going to let go this chance that easily.

"I indeed haven't dated anyone after you. But that has nothing to do with you Khun Oye."

Oye chuckled. "You want me to believe that, Cade? I know you haven't moved on from me."

"I am really sorry to break your bubble of inflated ego, Khun Oye. The reason why I am not dating anyone is because I am married." Cade stated.

"Married?" Oye stiffed for a second. He eyes fell on Cade's fingers. "If you are married, then why is your fingers empty. Where is your wedding ring?"

Cade smirked and pulled out the chain around his neck. He had put his wedding ring as a pendent on his chain. "Here. Take a look."

Oye hurriedly grabbed the ring for close examination. The initials RTJ were engraved in it. "What is this RTJ?" He asked gritting his teeth. He didn't believe that Cade was actually married.

"RTJ? Of course, that is my spouse's initials." Cade grabbed the ring back from Oye's hand. "This kind of ring is not something you can afford Khun Oye," He leaned forward and whispered "even if you sell yourself."

Oye was thunderstruck. Cade had never talked to him like this before. Cade had never looked down on his family background.

He was aware that Cade came from a rich family and was the only child of his parents. This was one of the reasons he wanted to get back together with Cade.

Cade left the shocked Oye at the washroom door and walked away, only to encounter Imm who was looking at him with teary eyes.

It looked like she had heard the whole exchange.

Cade sighed internally. He was relieved that he hadn't actually used Raya's name while talking to Oye or else he would have been in a larger mess at the moment.

"Khun Imm, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at our stall?" Cade acted as if he didn't understand anything.

"I- I saw you leave the ceremony like that and that Khun Oye was following you..." She trailed off.

"So you followed him?" Cade completed the sentence for her.

Imm nodded lightly. She had followed the two of them because she was worried about Cade. She wasn't planning on eavesdropping on them.

"My business with him is done. Let's go back to our stall. I am sure that there must be crowd there and Tanu and Nara won't be able to handle on their own." Cade didn't want Imm to ask him any questions.

Imm grabbed the hem of Cade's sleeve, making him pause. "Khun Cade, I- is it t-true that you a- are m- married?" Her heart was wrecking as she asked the question.

"Yes." Cade answered honestly.

"Then... why didn't anyone in the company tell me?" Imm asked, holding back her tears.

"Other than Nara and Tanu, no one in our company knows that I am married. I hope that Khun Imm can keep it a secret for me as well." Cade replied. He didn't want to give the girl anymore hope.