A contract bride, a father's life saved, but she hides a heartbreaking secret: a son, the spitting image of him. How will a year-long contract end when the shadow of old vengeance threatens to expose the truth?
View MoreThe vibrating ring of her mobile phone beside the bed jolted 'Linin' awake from her reverie. Her grogginess vanished instantly when she saw the hospital's number. The screen glowed in the dim darkness of her small, cramped rental room.
"Is this Ms. Linin?" The voice on the other end, a nurse, sounded urgent.
"Yes, it is."
"Mr. Thana has been admitted to the hospital. His condition is very critical and requires immediate surgery."
When she heard the words 'father' and 'critical condition,' it felt like a sledgehammer striking her heart. Linin nearly collapsed, her voice trembling. "What... what happened to my father!?"
"A ruptured cerebral artery. If he doesn't have surgery immediately, he might not survive."
BOOM!
Linin's entire world shattered in an instant. Her father... the only anchor in her life was about to leave her? She had only recently been through the worst period of her life. Her family had gone bankrupt, her father's business had been completely swindled, and even her mother had vanished with some secret.
Her small feet carried her swiftly to the hospital. The atmosphere of the emergency room made her heart pound. Her father lay motionless on the bed, his body covered in tubes and wires, his face alarmingly pale. The attending doctor approached with important documents.
"The surgery cost is approximately five million baht. If he doesn't have surgery tonight, his chances of survival are very low."
Five million baht!
A colossal sum Linin never thought she'd have to face. It was an amount she had no way of finding right now. All of her family's assets had been seized. She was left with only her body and her breath.
Large teardrops fell, splashing onto the floor. "Doctor... isn't there any other way?"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Linin," the doctor replied calmly.
Despair gripped Linin's heart tightly. She walked out of the emergency room in a daze, the pressure so intense it was almost suffocating.
Just as she was about to sink into darkness, a deep, cold voice she hadn't heard in years sounded behind her. "You want the money to save your father, don't you, Linin?"
Linin spun around. A tall, imposing figure in a dark suit stood before her. His sharp eyes stared at her coldly, as if piercing through her very soul.
'He'... the man who should never have re-entered her life...
'Phupha', the influential young CEO, who, in the past, had been involved in an incident that caused her to disappear from his life with a great secret.
"Mr.... Phupha!" Linin gasped in surprise, mixed with fear in her eyes.
Phupha smirked, but his smile was full of unreadable emotions. "I have an offer for you... an offer you can't refuse."
Linin looked at him, confused, her heart filled with worry and turmoil. Old feelings she had tried to forget surged back.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Marry me for one year in exchange for five million baht to save your father's life," Phupha said calmly. His eyes remained cold, yet there was an unspoken meaning in them that Linin couldn't grasp. It was like vengeance... or something much deeper.
Linin's eyes widened. His offer almost stopped her breathing. Marriage? With this man? How could she, when she had a secret she had hidden from him for four years... a secret that was wandering not far from this very hospital?
Linin's breath hitched. She knew she had no other choice. Her father's life was in his hands.
She had to accept this offer, no matter the reason... even if this marriage would drag her back into the nightmare of the past and potentially expose the secret she had kept hidden for four years.
That secret was... her son.
This was the only choice she had left: to save her father's life and to protect the only secret she had.
The empty package lay on the table beside the bed. I stared at it as if it were a terrifying living thing. The small teddy bear that Nong Time loved so much, and the short message card, "Always thinking of you... daddy," still haunted my thoughts, over and over again."Phupha... he's coming now," I murmured to myself, my voice trembling. The fear that had been hidden deep inside now fully surfaced. It wasn't just the fear of being caught, but the fear that Phupha would take Nong Time away from me.Nong Time was fast asleep on the small bed, his breathing steady. His innocent face, adorned with a smile from yesterday's new toy, was still etched in my mind. I gently stroked my son's hair, tears falling onto his cheek. I couldn't let Phupha harm my son's happiness.My hands trembled as I picked up the phone. I had to call Kaew again."Kaew..." I whispered, trying not to wake Nong Time. "I received the package... Phupha knows my address now."The other end was silent for a moment before K
Days in Chiang Mai slowly progressed for me. I tried my best to build a stable new life for myself and Nong Time. The work at the coffee shop, though tiring, provided just enough income to get by day to day.I began to familiarize myself with the city's routes, and Nong Time started adapting well to the new environment. The boy often played in a nearby park with new friends he had just met."Sister Linin, there's a package for you," Pim, a colleague at the coffee shop, said.I turned to receive the small brown box. It was an ordinary brown box, with no sender's name, but my name was listed as the recipient."What package is it? There's no sender's name," Pim asked curiously.I, too, felt surprised and uneasy. I told Pim to attend to the customers first, then carried the package to a quiet corner of the shop. My hands trembled slightly as I opened the box. Inside was a small teddy bear. This teddy bear seemed strangely familiar to her, as if she had seen it somewhere before.Then my ey
Days in Chiang Mai passed slowly for me. I tried to adapt to a life that was drastically different from before. From living in a luxurious mansion, I now had to live in a small room with just my son and me. There were no servants, no extravagant possessions, only the love and care I gave Nong Time as my anchor."Mommy... I want to play over there," Nong Time pointed to a small playground in a park. I nodded. I tried to take my son out for activities often so he wouldn't feel bored or lonely.I started seriously looking for a job, through the recommendation of Kaew's friend who helped connect me. Even if it was small work, like a part-time job at a coffee shop or cleaning services, I never gave up. I knew I had to be strong for my son."You just started working here, didn't you, Khun Linin?" A sweet voice from a young woman around my age spoke up. She was one of the coffee shop employees I had just started working with."Yes, just a few days ago," I replied with a faint smile."My name
Early morning in Chiang Mai was cool and peaceful. I stood by the window of the temporary room that Kaew's friend had kindly offered. Nong Time was fast asleep on the small bed provided. I looked out the window, seeing ancient rooftops interspersed with modern buildings. A feeling of loneliness gnawed at my heart. I never thought my life would come to this point, where I had to flee with my son from everything familiar.One day had passed since I arrived here. Kaew called me many times to ask about my well-being and to try to help me find work. I appreciated my dear friend's kindness, but deep down, I was still worried about the dark future ahead."Mommy... I'm hungry," Nong Time's small voice broke the silence, making me turn to look at my son. The boy had woken up and was rubbing his eyes on the bed.I quickly walked to my son and hugged him gently. "Are you awake, clever boy? Are you hungry? Mommy will find you something delicious to eat."I took Nong Time to buy breakfast at a mar
The tour bus slowly pulled into Chiang Mai bus terminal. The dim light of early morning streamed through the large windows. I held Nong Time's small body, fast asleep, resting on my shoulder. I could feel the exhaustion gnawing at both my body and mind. The overnight journey was filled with apprehension; I kept looking out the window, as if fearing someone's shadow would appear before me."Mommy... are we there yet?" Nong Time slowly opened his eyes, his round eyes still hazy with sleep."Yes, my child, we're here," I forced a smile, gently stroking his curly hair. "We're on a trip."I tried to tell a big lie to the four-year-old boy, but my heart was filled with guilt. I didn't know how to start a new life here, with so little money and the gnawing fear of when Phupha would find me.The last image before I decided to flee was still clear in my head: Phupha's furious, booming voice, his sharp eyes glaring at me as if to burn me to ashes.I led Nong Time off the bus. A feeling of lonel
The bus slowly pulled away from the terminal. I watched as the lights of Bangkok gradually faded into the darkness behind us. The pain of being abandoned and accused still gnawed at my heart, but I tried to stay strong for my son, who was asleep in my arms.I booked a ticket to Chiang Mai province, reasoning that it was the largest and most developed city in the North. I didn't choose this for myself, but for my son's utmost comfort. Choosing another province might make my son's life difficult, and being in a city with complete facilities would probably be best for Nong Time. I hoped no one would find me there, and that I could start a new life with Nong Time peacefully.Throughout the long journey, I didn't sleep at all. My eyes were fixed on Nong Time, who was fast asleep, his small face looking gentle and innocent. I could only pray that he wouldn't have to know about the painful past of adults.When the bus arrived at the terminal in the early morning, I led Nong Time off the bus.
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