"Happy Birthday, Fong." I extended my hand to greet him. "Tine has told me A LOT abot you. By the way, you have such a unique name — Fong. Very, very unique and interesting."
Sarawat's POV
We entered the dimly lit bar which was mostly packed people in suits. I thought I felt out of place in the parking, but I was so wrong. This is where I felt completely out of place — Surrounded by people in suits and work attire in just my shirt. We were quickly seated on a table in the corner which was seemingly reserved for us and it seemed like Tine already knew the staff there.
I finally whispered. "Hey, Tine, is there like a dress code for this place? Why are most people here in a suit and tie?"
"Its a usual place for lawyers. There are a lot of law firms around the area. We have been coming here for a long time."
"Oh..."
"I am ordering shots for everyone" Fong interrupted our conversation before I could speak any further.
"YES!" screamed everyone.
Tine still seemed a bit nervous, and I was hoping I wasn't the reason behind his nervous. So, I intertwined our hands under the table and tried my best to get along with his friends. It turns out, Ohm worked at the Prosecutor's Office while Puek and Fong both worked together at a big law firm — The same law firm that Tine supposedly worked at, before he had to quit because of that jerk of an ex.
"Tine..." Ohm got up from the table. "Look, Attorney Dim is here too, didn't you want to discuss that ongoing case with him?"
"I did... but" Tine looked at me, squinting his eyes.
"Go. It's okay. I am all good here. I have my drinks."
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
Peuk got up just as Ohm and Tine were leaving the table. "Wait up guys, I'll come with you as well. I have a case against him next month, might as well just talk now."
And with that, there was only me and Fong at the table. We stayed silent for a while, taking a shot each when Fong finally spoke up.
"I am sorry for the whole confusion last week, Sarawat. I had no idea what Tine was planning. He just told me to drive to your office. He only told me about his plan after we had driven off."
"Ah. Yeah. That's okay. I don't mind. I really, really needed some push to ask Tine to date me." I chuckled.
"Honestly, I am glad you are dating, Tine. I know we have only met for the first time, but from all that Tine has told me about you, I think you are exactly what he needed."
"Now, I am really curious to know what Tine told you about me."
"I don't want to get into the details, because Tine would kill me. But I'll tell you this — I have never seen talk about anyone the way he talks about you."
"I am not so sure about that.. " took a big shot of tequila, hoping and praying what Fong said was true. "How long have you been friends with Tine?"
"We are from the same hometown, but we weren't close back then. It was only when we ended up going to the same college in Bangkok did we become close friends."
"Does that mean you also knew Green?" I sighed. I shouldn't have asked that question because I wasn't sure about what kind of answer I would get. But I needed to know more about it because Tine wouldn't say anything and I didn't know how to protect him from that jerk.
"Oh yes, I knew Green. I knew him too well and I absolutely hated him for what he did to Tine.
Tine was a mess when they broke up, but I am glad they finally broke up." Fong took a shot in frustration.
"Really? Tine was a mess when they broke up? But wasn't it Tine who initiated the whole break and Green didn't want to leave? Was Tine-- was he in love with Green?"
"What? No! Of course not. Tine was a mess because of how Green treated him. First, he blackmailed Tine into dating him, followed him everywhere like a damn stalker, and then he constantly belittled Tine. That asshole made Tine think he was nobody without Green.
Green made Tine think he wasn't a good lawyer. Like Tine had no talent and he couldn't possibly go ahead in his career without the support of Green and his dad."
"His dad? Was Tine close to Green's family?"
"Green's father is a judge at the Bangkok High Court and Tine interned with him during college. That's how he met Green.
Tine was so close to Green's family, but Green made him think that if Tine wouldn't agree to date, he would lose all relationship with Green's family. Tine looked up to his Green's father — He was like a mentor in Tine's life.
Green manipulated Tine and basically implied that if Tine wouldn't date him, he would severe all relationship between Tine and his father. It would have affected Tine's internship and his whole career.
It was Tine's dream to work under him. He couldn't muster up the courage to go up to his biggest mentor in life and tell him his son physically and emotionally abused someone."
"WHAT? Are you seriously saying Green has tried to hit Tine before?"
Fong took a deep breath and drank another shot. "Tine has ended up in a hospital because of Green many times before. Each time was worse than the last."
"FUCK!!" I took another shot to calm down all the anger inside me. "Fong, explain this to me because I completely can't understand. How can Tine, a 6-foot man with a bulky body like that, just get beat up by someone like Green and not even fight back? I have seen Green and I know for a fact that Tine could knock him out in a single punch if we wanted to."
"Don't you get it, Sarawat? Can't you see it?"
"See what?"
"Tine is scared of Green. I know he can fight back. You know he can fight back. But in Tine's mind, he doesn't think he can fight back. Green picked on Tine and manipulated him for months. He took away all of Tine's self-confidence and self-worth — little by little.
When Tine finally left the apartment, he shared with Green and came at my doorstep at 4am in the night, he was a mess. He had nightmares every night, he could hardly eat, he lost his job, and he never thought he could be a lawyer again.
It took three months for him to start building himself up again, get a new job and a new house. He poured everything into his job because he wanted to prove to himself that he could be a good lawyer. And to be honest, work ended up being a good distraction for him. He stopped thinking about his past altogether. But now Green is back, threatening everything." Fong took a shot and slammed the glass on the table in anger.
I drank the last shot in front of me and stared at the empty glasses, trying to make sense of everything Fong had just told me. "What's the way out, Fong? How do I make Green stop bothering Tine? I am asking you because clearly you know much more about this situation than I do, and I am completely out of ideas here"
"The only way to stop Green is by going to Green's father. No matter how toxic Green is, his father is one of the kindest people I know. And I know for you sure that he will believe every word that Tine tells him."
"Come on, it can't be that easy. If it were really that easy, Tine would have done it already."
"No he wouldn't. Because that would mean outing Green to his father. And you know Tine could never do that even to his worst enemy, after everything that happened with his own father."
"What--What happened with Tine's father?
"You.. you don't know? Tine never told you?
"I-- no. Tine never talked about his family. He told me about his hometown, his school, and his college. But he never ever talked about his family. I just assumed it was a difficult topic for him."
"It is a rather difficult topic for him, which is why I shouldn't be the one telling you about this. It should be Tine"
"COME ON, FONG!" I pushed the table in sheer anger and some of the glasses fell on the floor. "Fong, I watched Tine have nightmares all night sleeping pills, and then throw up yesterday. I don't want Tine to suffer anymore. I want to help him and I just want all of this to be over."
"Why is he is taking medication again? He shouldn't even have those with him. The doctor said he didn't need those medicines anymore. Sarawat, you need to get the pills out of the house and take him back to this doctor if this happens again"
I sighed. "I already hid the pills the next morning. Though, now I will definitely throw them away and you need to send me the contact of Tine's doctor.
But Fong, just--just tell me what happened with Tine's dad?
I love him, Fong and it breaks my heart to see him suffer like this. I only want him to be happy."
"Tine's dad had a heart attack a few days after he came out to his family"
/
/
/
Tine's POV
The prosecutor wouldn't stop talking and we ended up staying at his table for over half an hour. When we were finally able to get up, I practically raced down to our table because I was scared Sarawat might give Fong a hard time over what happened the last time.
But when me, Ohm, and Puek reached our table, we found Fong and Sarawat smiling and hugging.
"Tine, what just happened here?" Ohm asked.
"I have no fucking idea..."
That's when Sarawat noticed me and smiled. "FONG, MEET MY BOYFRIEND, TINE!"
"OH MY GOD, What a coincidence, my best friend is also called Tine"
"WHAT?!?!? Wow. That's so weird."
"Seriously guys, I was away for like 20 mins. How did you even get drunk this quickly? What even happened here?"
---
A/N: In an alternate universe, Sarawat and Fong are best friends.
Took me a while to write this chapter because Tine's back story was all too triggering for me -- but also necessary for the story. Grief is a peculiar thing. You finally think you are past it, that you have finally gotten over their death, and then it all it comes back to you in big waves. It makes you do things that you never thought you would do and it stops you from doing things that you always wanted to do.
I am sorry if you have been grieving too and this chapter was triggering for you. Sending all my hugs across your way