Chapter 8 The Haunting Shadow of the Past

Days after my father's condition worsened, each time I visited him, I spent as long as I could there. I wanted to be sure he was safe, and I tried to call Nong Time more often to fill the loneliness and longing that gripped my heart.

Life in Phupha's mansion continued simply, yet emptily. He and I barely spoke beyond absolute necessities. He usually spent his time in his study or went out, returning late at night.

The solitude in this house made me feel like a stranger, but I tried to spend most of my time reading or handling small personal errands to keep my mind from wandering.

One evening, I was sitting and reading in the library. The atmosphere was perfectly silent, with only the faint sounds of turning pages and my own breathing.

Suddenly, I heard the soft click of a door opening in the hallway. I looked up and saw Phupha's tall figure enter the library. He must have just returned from outside.

He walked directly towards the bookshelves deeper inside the room, not noticing me sitting in the corner. He picked out a book, then walked back to the desk in the center of the library, sinking into the dark leather chair, and opened the book to read.

I sat watching him from afar. The dim light from the desk lamp illuminated his face, revealing his sharp and perpetually solemn features.

Just then, a memory from the past flooded into my mind again: the image of the boy in the photo album, and the events of that day... the day I first met him.

At a party... the atmosphere was bustling with people, soft music playing in the background. I walked with my father, greeting many guests.

"Linin!" A familiar deep voice called out. I turned to see 'Phupha'. He stood there, with a small boy clinging tightly to his leg.

"Phupha... how are you?" I greeted him amicably. At that time, we were still friends; no complicated history had yet unfolded between us.

The small boy hid behind Phupha, a slight wariness in his eyes.

"This is 'Nong Pete,' my cousin," Phupha introduced. "He's not very comfortable with crowds."

I smiled at the boy, trying to start a conversation, but he only buried his face tighter into Phupha's leg.

Then, the unexpected happened. While Phupha had left Nong Pete with me to go talk business with an adult, someone suddenly bumped into a table where a flower pot was placed. The pot fell, shattering loudly. Nong Pete was so startled that his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor.

"Brother, help me!" Nong Pete cried out in fright, his eyes welling up with tears. He seemed particularly afraid of loud noises or something.

At that very moment, I was standing closest, trying to reach out and help steady Nong Pete who was about to fall. But in my shock, I couldn't do anything... I didn't fully help him.

"Linin... what have you done!" Phupha's voice was harsh, filled with rage. He rushed to Nong Pete immediately, then turned to look at me with the deepest disappointment and pain, as if I was the one who had hurt the boy.

The memory abruptly cut to Phupha's cold face in the present. He was still reading his book, not looking up at me.

The truth slowly began to piece together. I was beginning to understand that his anger and vengeance weren't solely from our personal past. They also stemmed from a misunderstanding of that day's incident, which made him believe I was the cause of Nong Pete's fright, or perhaps even injury.

I didn't mean to... I tried to help him, but everything happened so fast, and I didn't know what to do.

Guilt gnawed deeply at my heart. I didn't know how to explain this to him, or if I should just let him continue to misunderstand me.

I could only look down, clenching my hands tightly. The pain in my heart slowly built up. This was another shadow from the past that haunted me, and I had no idea how it would affect my nominal marriage with Phupha in the near future.