"How's Dunk?" Was the first question I asked when we saw Joong standing in front of the operating room. He was with his family and Dunk's parents.
"The operation is still ongoing. Dunk's chances of survival are low," Joong replied, his voice breaking as he fought back tears.
"What happened?" Pond asked, clearly shocked.
"Dunk's car, your car, flipped on the highway while Dunk was on his way to the hotel he had reserved," Uncle Krist, Dunk's father, explained.
"How could that be? I just had the car checked this morning. Actually, Dunk even picked it up from the dealership," Pond said in disbelief.
"I'm having it investigated," Uncle Krist replied seriously. "And don't blame yourself, Pond. The accident was not your fault."
Pond simply nodded in response, so I grabbed his arm and gently squeezed it. Even though he didn't say anything, I knew he was slowly blaming himself for what happened. After all, it was his car.
Pond looked at me and smiled, then tapped my hand that was holding his arm.
"I'll call someone first. You stay with Joong," Pond said.
I just nodded. I let him go and watched as he walked away from me.
I sat silently beside Joong, feeling a mix of fear and anger. I didn't want to think about it, but my instincts were telling me that Aimee and her uncle, Mr. Pakphum, were somehow involved. I hoped I was wrong, because if they were behind this, it shouldn't be Dunk in that operating roomâit should have been me.
"How bad is Dunk's condition?" I asked Joong.
"He was barely breathing when they pulled him out of the car. But even before they could get him to the hospital, his heart stopped. They had to revive him when he got here. Luckily, his heart started beating again. They ran tests immediately. He has three broken ribs, a broken right arm, and a broken left leg. But what makes it even worse is the blood clot in his brain."
"You mean to say?"
Joong nodded. "The operation was to remove the blood clot in his brain. But his survival rate is low. The clot is in a very dangerous part of his brain. If the surgery is successful, there's a big chance Dunk will suffer from amnesia, or he could spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair."
I gasped, struggling to find the right words. The outcome of the operation seemed grimâeither Dunk would die, or he would live a completely different life.
"Is this some kind of joke, Phu?" Joong asked, his voice breaking as tears finally fell. "All we wanted was to celebrate our anniversary with all of you. With all the people who are important to us. "Can't we just do that?" Joong asked, his voice filled with pain and frustration.
"Of course you can." How do I comfort Joong? I can't find the right words to say. In this situation, silence and tears are the only safe options.
"I can't bear losing Dunk, Phu. He is my life, my breath, my everything."
I hugged Joong. I'm not good with words, and comforting someone is not my strong suit. Maybe a simple hug would be enough for Joong to feel my sympathy.
"I love Dunk, Phu. No matter what happens, I will always love him. It will always be him, no matter what."
I simply nodded. Although I didn't see the beginning of their love story, I could clearly see how much they meant to each other. I witnessed how Dunk was completely in love with Joong. For sure, Dunk would fight for his life for Joong. Everyone can cry, but not Joong. Dunk would never allow Joong to cry for any reason. Joong's tears were Dunk's weakness.
As for Joong, he's not a vocal person, but he's very expressive. I could see how much he loved Dunk. His eyes would sparkle every time he looked at Dunk. The way he admired and loved Dunk was always clear in his gaze.
In the situation now, I could feel his anxiety and fear. I just hope Dunk's operation will be successful.
"Phuwin." I turned to look at Pond. His eyes were darker than the rainy clouds, and the anger was so visible in them.
"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.
"I'm not. I want to kill someone, right at this very moment."
"Why? What happened?" I could feel Pond's anger, his hands trembling with rage.
"I spoke to the owner of the shop where I had my car and Dad's checked," Pond explained, his voice tight with frustration. "He told me that he was sure the car was fine before he released it. I trusted him because he's been the one checking all our cars. We've been going to him for years, ever since Dad became obsessed with cars."
"But..." I started, sensing something wasn't right.
"But before Dunk got into the accident, a womanâAimeeâthe fucking bitch â said that I asked her to check if the car was okay. She even showed her company ID to them, so they believed and trusted her. They were a little confused, though, because the car she checked was supposed to be the one Dad was giving to you, which, unfortunately, was the one Dunk ended up choosing."
I could feel the blood rushing to my head.
"How did Aimee know about it?" I asked, my voice tense.
"Well, ever since everyone at the company found out about us, Dad hasn't stopped being vocal about how happy he is for both of us," Pond explained, his voice thick with frustration. "He found another son in you, and he's also been open about how he'll accept you as his son-in-law. I haven't been able to call Dad yet to confirm if he mentioned anything about the car, but I think he did. Knowing how open he is about you and us, it wouldn't be surprising if he told someone about the car."
"So, the accident was meant for me. It was planned for me, right?"
Pond nodded, his eyes darkening once again. I grabbed onto him, my whole body trembling.
The accident was meant for me. Aimee's target was me, and unfortunately, Dunk was the one who got into the accident. It should have been me lying on the operating table inside that room.
"Do you know where Aimee is?" I asked.e?"
I was furious. So mad that I needed to confront Aimee once and for all. I had to put her in her place. She needed to know that she had pushed the wrong button with me.
"She's still at the office with her uncle."
And they hadn't left yet.
"The evidence?" I asked, my voice was cold with determination.
"Right here." Pond raised his hand, holding up a red USB. It was the same USB I had gifted him on our first anniversary.
I couldn't help but laugh. That was the USB I gave him because I couldn't think of anything else to give. He had everything, and I didn't have much money at the time to buy him something expensive. So I bought him the USB instead, thinking he could use it to save files for his schoolwork. But he never used it. He said that he want to used it in saving files files of our memories. Not until today. How ironic that he will used it to save the evidence we needed.
I stood up, taking a deep breath to calm myself, even just a little. Facing that bitch with a calm demeanor was crucial. Even though it seemed impossible to stay composed after what she did, I'd try my best. I didn't want to beat her to the jail.
"Let's go," I said to Pond.
"Where?"
"I'm going to talk to Aimee."
"Okay. I also need to talk to that old man."
I didn't ask why. Just a wild guess on my partâit probably had something to do with the missing funds in the company.