Chapter 7 - Move forward

Orm rested her head on the desk, eyes shut, trying to block out the spinning in her head. She felt awful—her head throbbed, her mouth was dry, and her body felt sluggish from all the alcohol. The cold metal of the desk provided little comfort, but at least it stopped her from feeling like she was about to fall off the earth.

A gentle tap on her shoulder made her groan.

"Miss Sethratanapong, your ride's here," the officer informed her.

Orm barely lifted her head. "Can I just stay here until I'm sober?" she mumbled.

The officer sighed. "We've got enough on our hands tonight. You need to leave."

With great effort, Orm forced herself to sit up. The room swayed slightly, making her stomach churn. She squeezed her eyes shut before standing, slowly making her way toward the exit.

And then she saw her.

Lingling.

Standing there, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. But Orm knew that look—she was furious.

Shit.

Without a word, Lingling turned on her heel and walked toward the exit. Orm swallowed hard and followed, trying her best to walk straight.

Outside, Lingling pulled open the passenger door of her car and glared at Orm. "Get in."

Orm hesitated for a second before slipping inside, carefully fastening her seatbelt. She was too drunk to argue.

Lingling got in and started the car without another word. The silence between them was thick, suffocating.

Orm stole a glance at Lingling. Her grip on the steering wheel was tight, her jaw clenched. The tension in her shoulders was visible.

After what felt like forever, Orm finally muttered, "Thank you."

Lingling's eyes flicked toward her for a second, her glare sharp. "Don't."

Orm winced.

They drove in silence until Lingling suddenly pulled into a gas station. She parked, unbuckled her seatbelt, and turned to Orm with fire in her eyes.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped.

Orm shrank back slightly. "I—"

"Do you have any idea how reckless that was?" Lingling cut her off. "Driving drunk? You could've killed yourself, Orm!"

Orm looked away, ashamed. "I know."

"Then why did you do it?"

Orm sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know. I just... I needed to get out of my head."

Lingling let out a bitter laugh. "So your brilliant idea was to drown yourself in vodka and then get behind the wheel? Jesus, Orm."

Orm didn't respond.

Lingling ran a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply. "And then I get a call from the police, asking if I know you." Her voice softened slightly, but the frustration remained. "Do you have anyone else to call?"

Orm hesitated. "...No."

Lingling shook her head, gripping the wheel again. "Unbelievable."

After a long pause, Orm asked quietly, "Why did you come?"

Lingling stiffened.

"You could've ignored it," Orm continued. "But you didn't."

Lingling's grip on the wheel tightened. "Because I'm not you."

Orm flinched at the words.

Lingling sighed, rubbing her temples. "Let's go. I'm too tired for this."

Orm closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Lingling didn't answer. She just drove.

Orm's phone rang, snapping her out of her haze. She blinked multiple times as if the sudden call could sober her up. Squinting at the screen, she saw her mom's name flashing.

Shit.

She cleared her throat and answered. "Mom?" Her voice was hoarse.

"Where are you?" Koy's concerned voice rang through the phone.

Orm rubbed her temple, willing away the headache that had already started to form. "I'm on my way to my office."

Koy sighed. "Orm, don't lie to me. It's the middle of the night. You sound drunk."

Orm rolled her eyes but softened her tone. "I just needed to do something for tomorrow's meeting. Don't worry, I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

"You're not fine. Do you need me to—"

"I love you, Mom," Orm interrupted, trying to end the call before her mother pressed any further.

Koy sighed again, clearly not convinced. "I love you too. Call me when you get to your office."

Orm ended the call and exhaled sharply, rubbing her face with both hands.

Lingling, who had been silent the whole time, scoffed. There is no way in hell she's fine.

Orm turned to her, blinking as if trying to remember where she was. "Where should I take you?" Lingling asked, her tone flat.

Orm shook her head slightly, her thoughts sluggish. "My building."

Lingling let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Sure."

When they arrived at the building, Orm struggled to open the car door. The second she stepped out, her legs wobbled, and she lost her balance, landing on the pavement with a thud.

"Shit," she mumbled, attempting to push herself up using the car door for support. "I'm okay," she claimed, though the way she swayed said otherwise.

Lingling sighed, stepping out of the car. "Yeah, right," she muttered under her breath before moving beside Orm. Without a word, she grabbed Orm's arm and looped it over her shoulder, supporting her as they walked toward the entrance.

As soon as they stepped inside, memories flooded Lingling's mind. This building.

She used to work here. She used to walk these halls every day as Orm's assistant. The feeling of nostalgia was so strong that it almost made her sick.

Orm lazily pressed the button for the top floor, leaning heavily against the elevator wall.

"You changed offices?" Lingling asked, breaking the silence.

Orm shook her head slowly. "No."

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Lingling guided Orm out, taking in the unfamiliar office space. This wasn't Orm's old office.

Her breath caught in her throat when she realized why.

This was his office.

Oct Sethratanapong's office.

Lingling glanced around. The room was filled with framed photographs of Orm with her parents. Her father's name was still engraved on the desk plate.

Orm staggered toward the couch and collapsed onto it, exhaustion and alcohol dragging her into unconsciousness almost instantly.

Lingling remained standing, her eyes scanning the room. She expected Orm to have made this space her own, but everything was exactly as her father had left it.

Orm hadn't changed anything.

Lingling's gaze softened slightly. She knew how much Orm idolized her father. His sudden passing must have shattered her.

A soft sound pulled her attention back to Orm.

Sobs.

Lingling's chest tightened. She stepped closer. Orm was asleep, her breathing uneven. Tears silently slipped down her cheeks.

Then, barely above a whisper, she muttered, "Dad."

Lingling froze.

She didn't know what she expected to feel seeing Orm like this. Maybe anger, maybe indifference. But instead, all she felt was an ache in her chest.

Without a word, she dimmed the lights and slowly turned to leave, letting Orm rest in the space she clearly hadn't been able to let go of.

___________

Orm sat at the head of the long conference table, her fingers lightly tapping the surface as she pushed through the lingering headache from last night. The tension in the room was thick, board members whispering among themselves, waiting for the meeting to begin.

She exhaled sharply. "Alright, what's the issue now?"

One of the executives, Mr. Anuwat, spoke first. "There's a problem with our newest product line—the frozen ready-to-eat meals. The FDA flagged concerns about preservatives exceeding the allowable limits."

Orm's expression hardened. "How the hell did that happen?"

The head of quality control, Ms. Suthida, cleared her throat. "It looks like the approved formula from R&D was altered during mass production. Someone decided to increase the preservative content to extend shelf life. The lab results only came back yesterday, and now the health department is involved."

Orm gritted her teeth. A potential product recall could cost them millions—not to mention the damage to the company's reputation.

"What are we looking at? A full recall?" she asked, her tone sharp.

"We're waiting for the final report, but if the violation is severe, yes, we'll need to pull everything off the shelves," Anuwat responded.

Orm inhaled deeply, trying to rein in her frustration. "Who authorized this formula change?"

Silence filled the room.

The R&D director, Mr. Niran, hesitated before speaking. "It was a joint decision between the production team and supply chain management. They were trying to cut costs on storage and distribution."

Orm's patience was wearing thin. "So they risked consumer safety to save a few baht?"

Ms. Suthida interjected, "We need to get ahead of this. If we don't act now, the media will. A food safety scandal could ruin our brand image."

Orm leaned back, rubbing her temples. Just my luck. As if my personal life isn't already a mess.

She straightened in her seat, pushing her emotions aside. "I want a full investigation into this. Halt all shipments immediately. If a recall is necessary, we do it before the government forces us to. Legal and PR need to work together on a public statement. I expect an update in three hours."

The board members nodded, quickly taking notes.

As the meeting resumed, Orm remained composed, issuing orders and strategizing damage control.

But no matter how much she tried to focus, she couldn't shake the memory of Lingling's furious glare last night.

________

Lingling adjusted her blazer, forcing a smile as she greeted the passengers boarding the flight to Japan. Despite her usual cheerful demeanor, exhaustion weighed her down.

She barely slept last night. Instead of getting proper rest before her early morning shift, she had spent the night dealing with a drunken Orm.

As she walked into the galley, her fellow flight attendant, Junji, leaned in and whispered, "You look like shit."

Lingling groaned, rubbing her temples. "I barely slept."

"I figured," Junji said with a smirk. "Did Miss Attorney keep you up all night with some action?"

Lingling shot her a glare. "No, I had to babysit my ex, that's what happened."

Junji gasped dramatically, nearly dropping a tray of drinks. "You have an ex? Since when? Why am I only hearing about this now?"

Lingling rolled her eyes. "Because it's irrelevant."

Junji crossed her arms, grinning. "If it kept you up all night, it's very relevant. Spill the tea."

Lingling sighed, realizing there was no escaping her curiosity. "Fine. Her name is Orm. We dated years ago. She... disappeared. No calls, no texts, nothing."

Junji's mouth fell open. "She ghosted you?"

"More like vanished off the face of the earth," Lingling muttered.

"And now?"

"She's back. Drunk. And my problem, apparently."

Junji whistled. "Oof. That's a lot to unpack. Do you still—"

"No," Lingling cut her off quickly. Too quickly.

Junji raised an eyebrow. "Right."

She turned to focus on the passengers, but Junji's words lingered in her mind.

Did she still have feelings for Orm?

No. Or Maybe.

_________

As the flight prepared for takeoff, Lingling glanced at her phone.

One unread message from Orm.

"Thanks and sorry for last night. Are you still good for that lunch once you're back?"

Lingling stared at the screen for a moment before typing a short reply.

"Yes."

She locked her phone and tucked it away, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in her chest.

________

Days had passed, and Lingling was finally back in Bangkok. The moment she landed, she felt the weight of exhaustion settle in. The Japan trip had been busy, but now, something else occupied her mind—her planned lunch with Orm.

She stood in front of her closet, debating what to wear. Why did she even care? It was just lunch. Nothing more. But deep down, she knew it wasn't just that.

After some hesitation, she settled on a simple yet elegant black dress. Nothing too flashy, but enough to make her feel confident.

Meanwhile, Orm had already arrived at the exclusive restaurant she had booked. She checked her phone, making sure Lingling had received the address. She adjusted her beige dress—perhaps a little too revealing, but she wanted to look good. It had been years since they sat across from each other like this.

When Lingling finally arrived, Orm stood up, offering a small smile. "Hey."

Lingling nodded, her expression unreadable. "Hey."

They took their seats, and for a moment, neither spoke. The silence was deafening, filled with years of things left unsaid.

A waiter arrived. "Would you like something to drink?"

Orm glanced at Lingling. "Thai iced tea?"

Lingling nodded. "Sure."

Once the waiter left, Orm cleared her throat. "So... how was Japan?"

"Busy," Lingling answered shortly, looking down at her menu.

Orm sighed. "You look well."

Lingling didn't reply. Instead, she took a sip of her tea when it arrived, trying to focus on anything but Orm's presence.

Orm exhaled. "Ling, I—"

"Why are we here, Orm?" Lingling interrupted, her tone calm but firm.

Orm hesitated. "Because I wanted to see you. I wanted to talk."

Lingling let out a quiet laugh, though it lacked any humor. "Talk about what?"

Orm swallowed. "About what happened. About us."

Lingling set her glass down, finally meeting Orm's gaze. "There is no 'us,' Orm. Not anymore."

Orm felt her chest tighten. "I know I hurt you."

Lingling exhaled sharply. "Hurt doesn't even begin to cover it."

The waiter returned with their food, momentarily breaking the tension.

Lingling picked up her utensils. "Let's just eat."

Orm nodded, but she knew the conversation was far from over.

Orm remained quiet as Lingling asked her to, focusing on her food even though she had lost her appetite. The air between them was thick with tension, and the clinking of utensils against plates was the only sound filling the space between them.

But midway through her meal, Lingling suddenly stopped, setting her fork down. She exhaled sharply before looking up at Orm, eyes burning with unresolved emotions.

"Why, Orm?" Her voice was steady but laced with hurt. "What the hell happened?"

Orm's grip on her fork tightened before she finally put it down. She hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I got scared, Ling," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Really scared."

Lingling scoffed, disbelief flashing in her eyes. Her fingers curled into fists as she suddenly hit the table, the impact causing their drinks to tremble. "Scared?" she repeated, her voice rising. "Are you being serious right now?"

Orm flinched at the outburst but said nothing.

Lingling's breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling as she tried to control the storm brewing inside her. "I went to China that day because I thought you needed me," she said, her voice shaking. "I dropped everything because I thought you wanted me there." Her eyes darkened with pain. "And what did you do? You ignored me like I was nothing. Like I didn't even exist."

Orm clenched her jaw, unable to hold Lingling's gaze.

"I tried to be patient," Lingling continued, her voice cracking. "I waited for days. Weeks. And God knows how long I held onto the hope that you'd at least say something." She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "But I never heard anything from you, Orm. Not a damn thing."

Orm felt her chest tighten painfully. Her vision blurred as she blinked away the tears threatening to fall. Then, finally, she whispered, "I am so sorry, Ling."

Lingling let out a sharp breath. Her nails dug into her palms as she fought against the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

"Sorry?" she echoed, her voice filled with fury. "Fuck you, Orm."

Orm swallowed hard, her tears now falling freely. She had known this confrontation would happen one day, but nothing could have prepared her for the raw anger and heartbreak in Lingling's voice.

Lingling clenched her jaw and looked away. "You don't get to just say sorry and expect everything to be okay."

"I know," Orm whispered, voice trembling. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I just—I need you to know that leaving you wasn't easy for me."

Lingling let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, right. So you leaving me and pretending I didn't exist was hard for you?" She shook her head, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Do you even hear yourself?"

Orm didn't respond. She couldn't.

Lingling inhaled deeply, pushing back her chair. "You know what? I don't even know why I agreed to this." She grabbed her bag, standing up. "Enjoy your lunch, Orm."

Orm panicked, her heart pounding. "Ling—"

But Lingling had already turned on her heel, walking away without looking back.

Orm rushed after Lingling, her heart pounding. "Ling, will you please stop?" she begged, grabbing Lingling's arm just before she could open her car door. "I'm sorry. Please, just listen to me."

Lingling turned sharply, her eyes blazing.

Without a second thought, she slapped Orm across the face.

The sound echoed through the parking lot.

"That's for leaving me," Lingling spat, her voice shaking with emotion.

Orm barely had time to react before the second slap landed.

"And that's for breaking my heart."

Orm stood still, swallowing the lump in her throat. She didn't flinch, didn't fight back. She only looked at Lingling with tears welling in her eyes.

Lingling's hands trembled as she glared at her. "I've heard enough of your bullshit," she said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to see you ever again, Orm."

Orm's breath hitched.

She reached out again, but Lingling stepped back, shaking her head.

"No," Lingling said firmly. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to hurt me and then expect me to listen to your excuses."

Orm's lips parted, desperate to say something—anything—to make Lingling stay.

But Lingling had already turned away.

She got into her car, slamming the door shut.

The engine roared to life, and within seconds, she was gone.

Orm stood frozen, watching the taillights fade into the distance.

She wiped at the tears streaming down her face, but it was useless.

She had prepared herself for anger. She had expected resentment.

But nothing could have prepared her for the pain of watching Lingling walk away for good.

__________

Lingling gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her hands were shaking. Her whole body was.

She didn't mean to slap Orm.

She didn't mean to let her emotions take over.

But she did.

And now, she wasn't sure if she regretted it more because she hurt Orm or because she had let herself feel again.

Orm's words echoed in her mind.

"I got scared, Ling. Really scared."

Lingling scoffed bitterly through her tears. "Was she expecting me to buy that?" she muttered to herself. "I waited for her. I begged for her. And she was scared?"

The pain in her chest tightened, an unbearable weight pressing down on her.

She pulled over to the side of the road, unable to keep driving.

And then she broke.

She sobbed into her hands, her body shaking as she gasped for air.

She had imagined this moment a thousand times. If she ever saw Orm again, she thought she would be composed. Maybe indifferent. Maybe even cold. But not this.

Not falling apart all over again.

Lingling clutched her chest, trying to steady her breathing.

Why did it still hurt this much?

Why did Orm still have this power over her?

She hated this.

She hated that no matter how much time had passed, no matter how much she tried to move on, Orm still made her feel like that same heartbroken girl who waited for a message that never came.

Lingling sniffled, wiping her tears away.

She wanted to turn back.

A part of her wanted to run back to Orm, to ask her why.

But she couldn't.

Not now.

Not again.

So, with one last deep breath, she put her car back in drive and forced herself to move forward.

**********

PS: I will be back next week. 🫡🫡 but I'm reading comments thanks besties for reading. I really appreciate it