Tine's POV
Sitting on the dining table, I clinked my fork on the empty plate in front of me again, feeling the weight of the brand new ring on my skin.
I had been sitting there for almost an hour or even more — I couldn't quite remember. When Marie left, I tried to forget about what she told me, I really did. But before I knew it, I had already called Sarawat's number and I was yelling at him.
It was only when I put down the phone did I realise what I had done.
This marriage was an agreement and we both get something out of it but that doesn't mean he is my actual husband who needs to report everything to me-- No that's not the point. He should have at least told me he was leaving. I would never make him stay, I never even asked him to stay. He was the one who said he would stay. May be he shouldn't be making promises he can't keep, or may be that's who he is--
"Who's that?" I turned around and heard a car stop in the driveway. I heard the car doors open and close. Did Sarawat send someone to get his stuff?
Before I could even get up, I heard footsteps in the house, gradually getting closer.
"Hey.." And there he was, standing at the dining room entrance. The man who married me in the morning and then disappeared like a ghost, looking completely surprised as if he didn't know I was living in his house. "Hi.. sorry I didn't think I'd find you here."
"Where else would I go leaving your mansion, Mr Guntithanon?" I laughed sadly. "If I went out alone and people found out we got married today, they'd start to suspect things, wouldn't they? At least one of us has to do the smart thing."
"Right..." He said, as he walked closer to the dining table, leaned over it "I—I am sorry for today. I should have told you I was leaving town."
"No, you don't have to be sorry. Its fine." I looked away. "Just because we got married and signed a few papers doesn't mean I have to know everything about your life and you have to know everything about mine. We can just live our lives the way we used to. I am the one who should be sorry."
"No."
"What?" I finally looked at him, confused.
"No I don't want that, Tine. I am very sorry for today. I should have told you — No I should have just come home instead."
I stared down at my empty plate again, may be I should have had dinner earlier instead of overthinking everything in my head. "Nevermind Sarawat, I don't care--"
"Fuck I forgot it in the car.."
"What?" I looked up but before I could finish my own sentence Sarawat had suddenly turned around and ran outside. I heard the car open and close again. A few seconds, later I heard Sarawat's footsteps getting nearer.
When he came back in the dining hall, he was holding a bouquet of blue-colored flowers.
"What.. is this...?" I finally stood up from my chair, still confused.
"Its for you." Sarawat put in my hands. "I am sorry."
I stared at him, and then back at the flowers."What... are ... those?"
"Purple hyacinth."
"They look blue to me."
"They are purple. Blue hyacinths are different."
"Do you like these flowers?" I asked.
"Not too much, I suppose."
I stared at the bouquet for a long time, waiting for him to explain more, but he never did.
"Then why are you giving it to me?" I asked again.
"Because I am sorry."
I looked at him and then at the flowers again, and that's when it dawned on me -- He's trying to apologise with these flowers.
I bit the inner side of my cheek to stop myself from smiling. This man and his obsession with flowers.
"Okay... apology accepted." I shrugged my shoulders. "Did you just come back to give me these flowers? Are you leaving now?"
"No, I am not."
"I thought you had a very, very important work trip."
"It's not that important. I won't be going — anywhere"
I nodded, still trying my best not to smile. "Have you had dinner yet?"
"I did.." Sarawat yawned loudly. Who allowed him to be this cute? "Sorry I haven't slept much... and yes, I already ate on my way back."
"You should go and sleep then. I was just about to sit down for dinner."
"Its okay. I can keep you company while you eat." He smiled and it activated a million butterflies in my stomach. No Sarawat, just leave. I forgave you. Lets put it past us and go back to being two strangers sharing a house. Don't be so nice to me, it makes me think things I don't want to think.
"I am sure you are very tired with all the travel, and honestly.. I am very used to eating alone. I have become a sort of pro at it." I laughed as I got up from the table and moved to the kitchen to heat up the food.
And.. Sarawat, he just followed me to the kitchen, staring at me with his hauntingly deep eyes. When the microwave beep went off, he took out the food and started walking back to the dining hall.
"Come on. You should eat."
"Sarawat..."
I called him out but he only stopped when he put the plate on the dining table. He put the plate at the end of the table — where Sarawat usually sat. Instead, of sitting on his usual seat, he took the chair near it. "Let's eat."
I sighed. There is no going around it, is there?
"That's your chair. I'll sit on the other side." I said trying to pick the plate from where it was and moving to a different seat. I remembered Sarawat always sat at the edge of this massive dining table, the chair reserved for the head of the house. I knew because that's where my father always sat and he refused to give up the seat to anyone else. I always assumed it was some kind of a power move that made my father feel better about himself — May be it was a businessman thing, who even knows at this point?
"Just sit here Tine." Sarawat pulled the plate from my hands and put it where it was. "Its not my chair. I just sat here because there was no one else here with me and its just closer to the kitchen." He shrugged his shoulder, pulling out the chair in question and asking me to sit there with pleading eyes.
Okay, the quicker I sit down, the quicker I eat, and the quicker I can get away from Sarawat. Let's just get it over with.
Finally, I sat down and started to eat — still feeling the gaze of Sarawat on him.
"Is the house to your liking? We can get anything and everything changed — if you want."
I looked up. "Why would I want to change your house, Sarawat? Its your house."
"Its our house." He said sternly. "We'll live here together for a long time. So, if there is anything you don't like, we can change."
I stared back at him, remembering that I will be living here for a long time actually. Three years to be exact. Not more, not less. "No. No. Its all fine."
"You don't really use my Study. I saw your books in the library. Should we make a separate Study for you to work in?"
"I like the library." I went back to my food. "If all goes according to plan, I won't have to work from home for too long."
"It will. I am sure it will all go according to plan. I have already sent the marriage certificate to my lawyers and they have contacted the solicitor for your mother's will — Everything seems okay but there is one issue. Well its not really an issue but could be."
"What?"
"You gave me is a copy of the will. I have been told the original is with the solicitor."
"I know that. I got that copy when mom died. I think they will give me the original when I inherit everything."
"Right.. but my lawyers told me some pages of the will are missing and we have no idea what might be in those pages. The will states your mother has left you three kinds of assets — the liquidated cash that was in her bank accounts, the commercial property that you already know about, and some stocks."
"Yes I know that and I know about the missing pages." I sighed.
"But ..." Sarawat said. "It does not state any details about these assets."
"The will clearly states that all the assets combined, at the time the will was made, were worth a few million. Of course, with appreciation on the property and stocks in the last 10 years, the final inheritance payout would be a bit higher."
"Few millions? Tine, its 15 million."
Was it 15 million? I didn't even remember the number may be because I never cared enough about the money. I didn't think I would have to care about the money.
"But Tine... " Sarawat continued. "The will never gives any bifurcation. How much is in the bank accounts? What banks are those accounts in? What stocks? The will should ideally mention all of the details."
"Of course it should. You're right. The solicitor told me that was intentionally not shared to protect mom's assets. She didn't want anyone to know where her bank accounts were or what stocks she had invested in. If you read the will, you'll also notice that the address of the property was also nowhere mentioned. I know where that property is, because the will mentions the property belonged to my mother's grandfather and it has been in my family for a long time."
"Oh — That's actually very smart of your mom, I guess. Your father might have already filed a claim on those bank accounts and stocks if he knew about the information."
"Yeah. I know." My eyes were started to get glassy just thinking about the day I received the will. I looked away, blinking incessantly, to pull all of it back. I put my hand down the table, trying to calm all the chaos in my head.
"When the solicitor gave me the will copy... It had only been a month since mom died and dad had already gotten married by then, brought his secret family home. There was-- it also had a letter from mom. God.... " I took a long breathe. "I never even cared to check how much money she had left me or why there weren't any details about her assets, until years later. I never even thought I would have to think about the inheritance that she left me.
Mom always said she prayed to the 'Lord' that I would marry someone who loved me as much as she loved me. She prayed so I could have a happy marriage, unlike hers — And here I am doing all this just to get the little money she left for me."
Sarawat puts his hand over mine, and our rings clinked together in the rather quiet dining hall. "Then I suppose I'll have to keep her word and keep you happy."
We sat like that in silence. Just Sarawat holding my hand and me.. unable to meet his eye. All I could feel was the warmth of his skin against mine.
"And you aren't doing this for the money, Tine. You are doing this to make your dreams come true. You are doing this so you can finally own that piece of land which once belonged to your mother — Because that is the only substantial thing of hers you have now."
I looked down at the plate. "I just still don't know why mom was so obsessed with me getting married. She could have just given it to me without any conditions, and everything would have been so simple."
"You know I went through the three clauses listed in the will... and I realised something. Have you ever wondered about the order of those clauses?"
"What do you mean?"
"Her first clause was to give you her inheritance when you got married, second was up to your father's discretion. You could take the money out any time, with your father's approval. The third clause was to give you the inheritance when you turned 35, without needing a marriage or your father's approval.
Have you ever wondered that may be your mom just wanted to leave you this inheritance as a wedding gift for you?
She hoped she could give you a piece of her on the day of your wedding even if she wasn't there.
In the second clause, she left it at your father's discretion in case you and your father ever ran into any financial troubles. Of course she never thought your father would marry someone else so quickly and treat you so badly. Not to mention, you were still a minor when your mother passed away. Your father would have anyway had access and control over your money if you could directly inherit it without any clauses.
And then in the third clause, she gave you complete access when you would turn 35 — in case you didn't want to get married by that time. I think the third clause was just her way of telling you that even if you ended up not getting married at all, that would have been okay with her."
I stared at Sarawat, taking in his words. Everything he said made complete sense. She was always looking out for me. She had been looking for me.
"And I am doing all this just to get a wedding gift mom left for me in good faith." I sighed.
Sarawat squeezed my hand and I realised we had still been holding hands. It felt nice to have someone right there, to share all of my grief and my problems with — I had never talked about mom so easily with anyone, never.
"Tine, she made that will not knowing what might happen in the future. But think about it this way: She is still the one helping you and guiding you even after so many years. The only reason you could even think about getting out of your father's hold was because of her. She's still the one protecting you."
"Do you think we did the right thing by getting married, Wat?" I finally asked the question that had been lingering on my mind since I left the city hall with a ring in my hand.
"I know I am doing the right thing, Tine. What do you think?" Sarawat stared at me with only sincerity in his eyes. Every bone in my body was telling me to get up and kiss him. But I couldn't. I was too scared.
I didn't want to break the delicate friendship I had just built with Sarawat — my supposed husband. It felt like the first rare, genuine thing I had experienced in a long, long time.
"I think so." I said, looking down, realising I didn't have the strength to let go of Sarawat's hand even if I was too scared to take a step forward. It felt too warm. It felt too nice. "So when should we go see the solicitor?" I asked.
"Around 11am tomorrow.
"Tomorrow? That was fast. I thought it would at least take a few weeks. "
Sarawat smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment. Did you any other plans for tomorrow?"
"I was planning to go do some research on a case I am interested in. But I can easily move it."
"Okay, so lets go there tomorrow."Sarawat nodded. "Do you usually eat around this time?"
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When the dinner was finished and there was no more stalling, I finally had to let go of Sarawat's hand. I put the blue flowers he gave in a vase, next to the daffodils that he had given me in the morning. I couldn't help but smiles staring at the flowers.
We didn't talk the entirety of the dinner, we just fell into silence — a comfortable silence that made him feel oddly at home. Surprisingly, now that he was here, the house didn't feel cold anymore. It felt warm. It felt like home.
When Sarawat and I walked upstairs together, heading to our separate bedrooms, I realized, this would be the first time, since I had moved to this house that I wouldn't be alone. There was Sarawat, who would be sleeping right across the hallway from me.
While the house was big with half a dozen rooms on the ground floor, the first floor only had two rooms — Sarawat's room and my room, both on either ends of the hallway. Right in between those rooms was a passage that lead to the huge terrace garden overlooking the main house gates and the driveway.
As I climbed the last step of the staircase, reaching the first floor, the nervousness started to set in.
"Umm.. goodnight then.." I stared.
Sarawat stared at me, not saying anything at all.
"Do you want to have a beer?" He finally said after what felt like hours.
"Sure." I answered without giving it a second thought.
And that's how we found ourselves leaning against the railings of the terrace garden, drinking Sarawat's favourite beer — which coincidently was also my favourite beer for quite a while in college.
I could see the red Bentley parked out in the driveway — exactly where I had left it. There was a proper parking lot for all of Sarawat's cars in the basement but I was too nervous after just getting married to care about parking the damn car in there.
"Please tell me you were joking when you said you bought that car for me." Tine said, half laughing, half nervous.
"Why would I joke about something like that? Of course I bought it for you." Sarawat said, taking a chug of his beer. He had left his coat downstairs in the dining hall and folded the sleeves up of his black shirt. He was standing too close to me, our arms almost touching, and the problem was — I liked it too much.
"Why?"
"You gave your car back to your father and you needed one. You obviously didn't like my driver taking you around."
"Because I don't need a car or a driver from you, Sarawat, I can travel by myself just fine. I can take the bus or the taxi. Whenever the inheritance money gets cleared, I'll buy a new car anyway."
"But you already have a new one. Why would you buy another one?"
"Sarawat—"
"Do you not like the car?"
"I like it. Its beautiful but..."
"If you like it, you should just keep it." Sarawat smiled.
I sighed. "I can't be a human rights lawyer driving around in a Bentley, Sarawat. It gives the wrong message to people. Imagine the number of pro bono cases I could take on with that money. Imagine the number of people I could help for free.
Thank you for the gift, it was very thoughtful, but I really can't accept. Its just a car, it takes you from one place to another. I could get a car with one tenth of the price of this one and that would serve the same purpose for me."
Sarawat's face suddenly changed. "I suppose you are right. I didn't-- I didn't think like that. I'll get this one out tomorrow and bring another one. "
"SARAWAT! That's not what I meant. I don't want any car from you."
"But you don't have a car and you just said, you want a car thats one tenth the price of this one — So I'll get you a car that is exactly one-tenth the price of this one."
"Oh god." I closed my eyes in frustration. "That's not what I said — I said 'I could' get a car."
"That's the same thing. So, I'll get you a car."
"You are not going to let it go, aren't you?"
"I can be pretty stubborn when it comes to things that I want." He said in a low voice that sent a weird tingling sensation through my spine.
"Okay, how about this?" I finally said in a calmer tone. "I'll use one of the least flashiest cars you have parked downstairs — for now. And then, when the inheritance thing is sorted, I will buy my own car. You return this car back tomorrow and do not, absolutely do not buy a new car for me."
"Hmmm.." He said scratching his chin. "Okay, you have got yourself a deal, Teepakorn."
Shaking my head, I took a sip of my beer bottle, turned around to look at the garden, and leaned more against the railing
"You have got such a beautiful and big balcony and terrace garden out here but there is literally no chair to sit. Do you never even come out here?"
Sarawat sighed. Rest his hand on the railing. "Rarely. I am usually so tired by the time I get home, I head straight to the bedroom and just sleep."
"That's a shame. I think this is one of my favourite places in the house. With some furniture the terrace garden would look so much better, and may be you would use it more."
"May be I could get the staff to put out some chairs here and may be... we could use it to share some beer from time to time. What do you say?" Sarawat clinked his bottle with mine.
I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. So, I just smiled and nodded.
Today was a good day.
Today was a happy day.
Today was the day I got married to Sarawat Guntithanon.
Not the way I thought I would spend my wedding night, but I had just found a friend in Sarawat, and it was nice to have a friend.
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A/N: Hello! Happy New Year's. Actually, there is nothing happy about this new year, but its still a new year I guess. My Christmas travel plans went down the drain with god damn Omicron, and my city is about to go into another lockdown, and I am just trying very, very hard to keep it together.
I spent the holidays reading some of the books on my TBR pile. My boyfriend and I were supposed to go to an NYE party but with more cases cropping up in the area, we decided to spend new year's with his parents instead. We had a quiet dinner at 9, we were in bed by 10. He watched a horror movie on TV, I read a murder novel — It was quite perfect. One of the best new years.
It also sort of inspired the ending of this chapter: Today was a good day. Today was a happy day.
This chapter was actually supposed to end on a cliffhanger, but I instead I decided to end the chapter on a more comforting and cosy note.
Like I mentioned, Sarawat's character is partly based on Hades, so there is going to be a lot of flowers and hidden meanings behind it.
Next chapter, Tine finally goes after his inheritance.