OBSESSED(Poohpavel)

Chapter 16 : REGRET

In the vast room of Naret's house, Tin lay confined, her head wrapped in bandages due to a severe injury. Blood seeped from the wound, a stark reminder of the gravity of her condition. Despite the danger, Naret's private doctor remained vigilant, keeping a watchful eye over her.

As the doctor tended to her wounds, they discovered hidden marks on Tin's head and waist. These scars were remnants of the trauma Tin had endured as a child, haunting reminders of her painful past.

Despite Naret's inquiries, Tin continued to deny knowledge of the scars, each denial adding to the sadness and tears, not only for herself but also for those who cared for her. The pain and tears lingered in the room, enveloping it in a veil of sorrow.

Despite Naret's own precarious state, he couldn't bear to leave Tin alone. Slowly, he laid down beside him, wrapping him in a comforting embrace. As Tin muttered something repeatedly, tears streaming down his face, Naret listened intently.

"Tin: Krit, my brother's name, don't forget," he whispered, his voice barely audible amidst his sobs.

With tears welling in his own eyes, Naret longed to ease Tin's pain. He held him tighter, feeling his agony as he begged for forgiveness, as though tormented by his own memories. In that moment, their shared anguish filled the room, suffocating them in a whirlwind of sorrow and regret.

Tin and Krit, twins bound by blood, shared dreams of following their family's legacy into the military. Krit aspired to soar high in the Air Force, while Tin sought to brave the dangers of bomb disposal in EOD. However, their aspirations shattered like glass against the harsh reality of a life-altering accident.

In the aftermath of tragedy, one sibling spiraled into the depths of criminality, while the other struggled to cling to a semblance of righteousness, driven by an unyielding desire to protect those they held dear. Yet, amidst the chaos, Tin felt an overwhelming sense of inadequacy, haunted by the ghostly echoes of their mother's accusations.

Memories long buried began to resurface, clawing his way back into Tin's consciousness, like tendrils of darkness creeping into the light. Tin recalled the piercing pain of awakening from a coma, the sharp agony of a tree branch impaling his waist, a physical wound that paled in comparison to the emotional scars left behind.

With each passing day, Tin grappled with the burden of guilt, the weight of a promise unfulfilled, as they raced against time to save their beloved sibling. Despite His valiant efforts, Tin's skills in taekwondo and survival proved futile against the merciless hands of fate, leaving them drowning in a sea of despair and regret.

Upon awakening, Tin was immediately seized by their mother, her grip tight and relentless, demanding answers about their missing sibling. Despite Tin's tears, their mother's interrogation persisted, each question like a dagger to Tin's already wounded soul. For months, Tin remained confined to the hospital, enduring endless examinations and reliving the agony of their sibling's disappearance.

In moments of desperation, Tin attempted to escape the confines of their hospital room, wandering aimlessly in search of answers. But the weight of their burden proved too much to bear, and Tin's exhausted body gave way, collapsing to the ground in a heap of despair. With every feeble apology uttered, Tin's heart shattered further, consumed by the guilt of his perceived failure to protect their family.

As time passed, Tin's memory began to fade, lost in the aftermath of his head injury and physical collapse. They became a mere afterthought to their mother, ignored, avoided, and even mistreated, locked away in his room for minor transgressions. Whenever their father was absent, Tin would often rationalize their mother's behavior, attributing it to mere exhaustion or a bad day.

Frequent visits to their mother's room revealed her inebriated state, where Tin would quietly clean and tidy up, offering solace in his futile attempts to comfort her. But their efforts were met with rejection, leaving Tin to retreat to a corner, tears his only companions, as they begged for forgiveness, though they knew not what they had done wrong.

Only the household staff showed any semblance of care towards Tin, prompting their mother to dismiss them all, leaving Tin alone and abandoned. Upon returning home one day, Tin overheard his mother's decision to remove his beloved nanny, Jeanette. Desperate to prevent her departure, Tin pleaded on bended knee, begging for forgiveness and refusing to let Jeanette go, only to be spurned and left kneeling as his mother walked away.

Left alone, Tin's heart shattered into a million pieces, tears flowing freely as they chased after Jeanette's departing car, crying out in confusion and despair. Lost and broken, Tin questioned his own worth, bewildered by the cruelty of their own mother's actions.

From then on, Tin begrudgingly acquiesced to being treated as if they were already dead by his mother, mirroring the indifference they received. Often arriving home late, Tin eventually moved out upon entering high school, seeking refuge in the condo provided by their father. It was at Jeanette's house, his beloved nanny, where Tin found solace, rarely returning home except for obligatory celebrations, always leaving swiftly thereafter.

The distance between Tin and his mother only grew wider, fueled by the lingering resentment from the accident in Dongo. Despite his strained relationship, Tin couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and confusion, wondering why his mother harbored such intense animosity towards them. Though they were filled with self-loathing, Tin knew they were powerless to change the past, resigned to the reality that they could never regain his mother's love.

With a heavy heart, Tin vowed to protect his sibling at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness. Even in his darkest moments, with death seeming like a welcome escape, Tin clung to the hope of preserving his sibling's safety, the only beacon of light in his otherwise bleak existence.

When Tin woke up, they found themselves embraced by Naret, tears streaming down his face as he recounted every word Tin had uttered in his dream. Sitting up, Tin and Naret faced each other, and Tin wasted no time in returning Naret's embrace.

"Tin: I remember everything now. I remember who was with me during the accident when I was a child. I remember it all. I want to go back to those moments, Naret, to save him and to change how Mama treated me. If I had truly fulfilled my role as a sibling, maybe I would have mattered. If only I had saved him. I forgot about him, I didn't even look for him, and I learned how much he struggled to live, while I lived without purpose. Mama was right. I am worthless."

As Tin sobbed uncontrollably, they held Naret tightly, refusing to let go, unable to bring themselves to meet his gaze. The pain and burden of his realization weighed heavily on Tin's heart, drowning them in an ocean of despair and regret.