After rain comes the clear sky (Kaoearth)

44. Ex

“I just wish that I could get the attention of one of the young masters in the party.” A girl in a black dress spoke.

“Me too.” Another girl in a maroon dress said adjusting her clothes to reveal more of her spilling cleavage.

“Girls, we better gear up tonight. I heard that the heirs of the top families of Bangkok will be attending the party today. If we even manage to get the attention of one of them, at least for a night, it will be worth it.” the newcomer in deep blue dress said.

The girl tagging along with her spoke. “I heard that the second young master of the Dechaphatthanakun family will also be here tonight.”

The name made the silent girl of the group who was stirring her drink, think of her ex-boyfriend. He too had the same surname.

“Hey Shelly, what are you thinking of so much?” Carrot nudged her friend.

Shelly snapped out of the daze and looked at her friend “Oh? What did you say?”

“Where has your attention been all day? I have been talking to you for almost an hour now.” Carrot huffed.

“Sorry na. I was a little distracted.” Shelly apologized.

“You are being distracted a lot these days.”

Shelly could only smile at her friend’s remark. She has indeed been spacing out these days. Mainly because she was thinking back to the time when she was dating Kao.

She had known Kao since their high school days. Even though she was only attracted to his good looks and athletic body, she later started developing feelings for him after having interacted with him for a while.

She chose to be his friend in the beginning as Kao was dating someone else. Their friendship grew deeper so did her feelings for Kao. She fell harder for him when she saw the way he treated his girlfriends. Yet she remained silently by his side as a friend waiting for him to break up with those girls.

Kao had two girlfriends before her. She was somehow involved in those girls leaving Kao as they were jealous of her friendship with Kao. Not to mention, Up’s presence in Kao’s life.

Despite knowing that Up was gay and was interested in men, Kao didn’t push him away. they were inseparably close best friends. She often doubted that the duo had some under-the-table relationship that couldn’t be brought to light.

Only when she started dating Kao in the third year of their university did she know that Kao was completely oblivious to Up’s feelings for him. For Kao, Up had remained nothing more than a best friend while she, who gathered her guts and showed her interest in him became his girlfriend.

Shelly dated Kao for more than six years and that had been her longest relationship ever. But with time her feelings for Kao started changing. She wasn’t head over heels for Kao after all those years. Maybe because she had become a woman from a lovestruck teenage girl.

Kao had always treated her well and he could be called the boyfriend every girl would dream of having. He was caring, supportive and at the same time hot. He had never raised his voice against her and gave in to her most of the time.

If not for her parents being against their relationship and introducing another man to her, she wouldn’t have left Kao. Her parents didn’t want her to marry a mediocre person like Kao.

Internally Shelly knew that her parents weren’t the only reason she left Kao, she was so sick of the stableness of the relationship. She wanted adventure, highs and lows which her relationship with Kao didn’t offer her.

The first time she cheated on Kao was when she hooked up with a stranger in a pub when she was away for a business trip. She found it exciting. It became a routine to her. But as time passed, she wanted the old stability back. Then, Kao got too busy to pay attention to her and she ended up hooking up with one of Kao’s rivals.

She was unaware that her new lover only approached her because she was Kao’s girlfriend. Once she got caught with him and Kao broke up with her, her new lover threw her away like a used tissue.

Shelly started feeling apologetic to Kao. She tried to contact him again to reconcile but was unable to do so as he had blocked her on all social media platforms. She even visited Kao’s place but he was not there.

She only stopped her efforts after learning that Up had backstabbed Kao and the latter’s company was going bankrupt. She was unwilling to board a sinking ship.

“Shelly” Carrot shook her again to get her attention. “Stop spacing out, will you?”

Shelly smiled and nodded at her friend.

A loud commotion attracted the attention of the girls.

“Look, it's Second Young Master Alan. OMG, he is so handsome” Shelly heard the girls scream.

“It’s a pity that he is going to get married so soon.” Another girl spoke.

“He is going to get married. Not married. So, we still have a chance. Even if he is married, he can still get a divorce”

Shelly shook her head at the conversation. She couldn’t believe that she had become one of those girls who would throw themselves at men for money. She grabbed a glass of champagne and started sipping it.

“Swadee Khrab.” A male voice sounded next to her.

She whipped her head to see Alan standing next to her. “Swadee Kha” she waied back.

“Are you Shelly?” Alan asked

“Kha”

“It is a pleasure to finally get to meet you in person.” Alan smiled widely making Shelly confused.

People around them started whispering to each other about how the Second Young master of the Dechaphatthanakun family knew Shelly.

“Oh, my bad” Alan chuckled at Shelly’s confused expression. “I forgot to introduce myself to you. I am Alan. I am Kao’s cousin.”

“Oh,” Shelly was suddenly enlightened.

“You and Kao had been dating for a long time and he never brought you back home. All of us were eager to meet my cousin’s mysterious girlfriend. Especially my Khun Yay and Pa. They really wanted to meet the next mistress of the Dechaphatthanakun family.”  Alan said with a sly smile. He was sure that Shelly would fall into his trap.

Loud gasps were heard through the crowd as the information was given out.

Shelly was shocked to hear Alan address her as the next mistress of the Dechaphatthanakun family. She had no idea that Kao was actually the First Young Master of one of the wealthiest families in the nation. Had she known she would have held on to him desperately no matter how adventurous she wanted to be.

Alan caught the change in Shelly’s expression. Her smile seemed forced.

“If you don’t mind, can I have a word with you in private?” Alan asked.