Roommates - Not in Bangkok anymore [completed]

Chapter 40

Didn't this all sound charming?

Can wondered whether Tin's father was the same – though in the few instances that Tin had talked about his family, his parents had sounded like the opposite of what Mr. Yaxley described: utter disinterest... but there was still always the threat to suddenly lose all favour arbitrarily.

"What made you go against him?"

Mr. Yaxley laughed before he answered. To Can, it sounded strange, to hear such a serious person suddenly chuckle.

"Love," he said, " well... not just for the woman I wanted to marry. It was also my passion for journalism. My father allowed me to work as a reporter initially, as a kind of frivolous hobby until I took over the family business. But I was expected to give up the career I had worked so hard to build at his whim. I couldn't have that."

Can listened up.

"Why couldn't you just marry Coach Lavinia right away?"

To his surprise, it wasn't Mr. Yaxley who answered, but Tin.

"Because... in our world, marriage isn't a matter of love. You marry for power, for influence, money... a business deal. For love, you keep mistresses, or lovers."

Can didn't like what he heard.

"Do you mean to say... your family will want you to marry some unlucky girl, but they are so tolerant they'll let you keep me as your personal trainer or something? They can forget that, I'm telling you right now. It's not gonna happen."

It took him a while to notice Tin's deadpan look.

"If they want to throw me out of the family, they can try that. I'll be prepared. But you know... marrying for love was actually my father's sin in the eyes of the family. That's why he prefers my brother over me. He married his mother for love; but they were forced apart, because she is a foreigner. After their divorce, he got married to my mother to further the family business. She brought in several profitable hotels in Ko Samui. Before that marriage, Medthanan Real Estate had always failed to enter the market there," Tin rolled his eyes, "a real winner."

Can noticed that Tin called her "my mother", not "mum" or "ma" or some other term of endearment. Usually, he got angry with people who didn't respect their parents, but in Tin's case... he honestly couldn't blame him.

"That's so messed up," Can could only shake his head, "it's like living in a cheap tv drama. Now I wonder why he agreed to the divorce like a coward... I suppose I should be happy... you wouldn't exist if he hadn't married your mum."

"Where do you think these dramas get their inspiration from?"

Fair enough, Tin might have a point there. Can had to give him that.

Tin's POV

It was already past midnight.

Tin was lying on the huge double bed in the Yaxley's guest room, his head propped up against the head board. He was busy trying to track down evidence that proved without a doubt that Tul had been the one orchestrating the attacks against him.

So far, all he had was his brother's drunken confession Tin had failed to record – it would be Tul's word against Tin's and everyone knew the odds he had at winning this without backup.

Meanwhile, Can was nervously pacing the room in front of him, peeking on his phone every few seconds.

He was waiting for a video call from his sister, who would then pass it on to his parents. In Bangkok, it was already Monday morning and the Kirakorns had agreed to talk to Can before they hurried off to work.