False Alarm

It was a peaceful morning in the Kwong-Sethratanapong penthouse.

The sun was streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the stock market was in the green and Lingling was savoring her espresso while flipping through the latest reports from Kwong Corps.

All was well in the world.

And then—

"LING!"

Lingling barely flinched as Orm shot upright in bed with all the urgency of someone discovering they were being chased by the FBI.

She calmly turned the page of her report. "What now?"

Orm clutched her stomach like a telenovela protagonist. "Ling... I think I'm pregnant."

Lingling, a woman who had faced ruthless boardroom negotiations, corporate espionage and the horrors of delayed shipments, was not prepared for this. She choked on her coffee, coughing so hard that some of it nearly went up her nose. Slowly, she set the mug down with the measured patience of a woman barely holding it together.

"I—what?"

Orm, oblivious to her wife's rapidly deteriorating sanity, nodded gravely. "I'm pregnant," she repeated, her voice filled with the kind of dramatic disbelief reserved for daytime soap operas. "Ling, I have all the symptoms! I've been craving sweets, I'm tired all the time, and last night I nearly cried because we ran out of soy milk!"

Lingling pinched the bridge of her nose. "Orm, darling, my love, my headache—you do realize that's literally just you being you?"

Orm gasped as if she had just been betrayed by her own wife. "Ling! How can you say that?! This is different! And," she added, eyes narrowing suspiciously, "we've been very... intimate these past few weeks. A lot."

Lingling raised a brow, unimpressed. "And?"

"And that's how babies are made!" Orm declared, waving her hands like she had just cracked the meaning of life.

Lingling inhaled deeply, summoning patience from the depths of her soul. "Babe. We. Are. Both. Women. That's not how that works."

Orm hesitated for exactly two seconds. Logic seemed to be creeping in. Then—

"Wait." Her eyes widened. "What if I'm the first case ever? Oh my god. What if I made medical history? What if I have—supernatural fertility?!"

Lingling stared. Stared into the abyss. Considered whether it was legally possible to file for a temporary separation over one conversation. "You are not medically groundbreaking, Orm. You just need a nap and probably less sugar."

Orm ignored her wife's blatant truth and pressed on. "No, no, this makes perfect sense! My body knows we're in a happy, stable marriage, and it's like, 'Time to make a baby!'"

Lingling placed her head in her hands. "That is not how reproductive science works."

Before she could deliver a much-needed Biology 101 lesson, Orm grabbed her phone and started typing furiously.

Lingling groaned. "Oh for the love of—"

"OH MY GOD!" Orm gasped so loudly the dog downstairs started barking.

Lingling actually flinched. "What now?"

Orm stared at her screen like she had just unlocked the secrets of the universe. "It says here that bloating, mood swings, and fatigue are early signs of pregnancy!" She whipped around to face Lingling, horrified. "Ling. That's me!"

Lingling lunged, snatching the phone. "You're looking at a WebMD page! That site once told me I had six months to live because I had a headache!"

Orm, however, was too far gone. "We need to buy a pregnancy test."

Lingling groaned. "You need to buy some common sense."

But Orm grabbed Lingling's hands, deadly serious. "Ling, if I am pregnant, we need to prepare. Are we ready for this? Do we have a nursery plan? Are we going for Montessori or traditional schooling? We need to set up a college fund—"

Lingling ripped her hands away. "You know what? Fine. Let's go. I refuse to spend the next 48 hours listening to you spiral about your miracle conception."

Lingling, billionaire CEO, business mogul and the picture of sophistication, was currently standing in the checkout line holding a pregnancy test.

In her designer coat. And oversized sunglasses. Looking like she was attempting to buy it in disguise.

Behind her, a couple whispered loudly.

"Is that Lingling Kwong? The CEO of Kwong Corp.?"

"Oh my god, why is she buying a pregnancy test? Did she—?"

Lingling clenched her jaw so tightly her teeth ached. If this made the tabloids, she was going to commit crimes.

Meanwhile, Orm was thriving in the drama, clutching Lingling's hand like they were in some tragic love story. "Ling, whatever the test says, we'll face it together."

Lingling exhaled sharply. "I need a vacation."

The bathroom door slammed shut. Lingling sat on the bed, rubbing her temples, whispering a silent prayer to any higher power listening.

Inside, Orm was taking the test like she was conducting a high-stakes government experiment.

Minutes passed.

Then—

"LING—LING!"

Lingling's heart actually skipped a beat. "What?! What does it say?!"

The bathroom door flew open. Orm stepped out, holding the test like it was the Holy Grail.

"Negative."

Lingling collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion. "Of course it's negative. Because we are two women."

Orm frowned. "So you're saying... I'm not pregnant?"

Lingling sat up so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. "Babe, I love you, but if you say one more dumb thing, I am locking you out on the balcony."

Orm sighed dramatically, flopping onto the bed beside Lingling. "Well. That was stressful. You know what this calls for? Ice cream."

Lingling groaned. "No. No more cravings. I'm done."

Orm grinned, batting her lashes. "But you love me, right?"

Lingling grabbed a pillow and smothered her own face. "I am going to need therapy."

Meanwhile, Orm grabbed her phone and opened the group chat.

Orm: Almost made medical history today, but turns out I'm just dramatic.

Becky: Just dramatic???

Freen: Is Lingling still alive or has she fled the country?

Orm: She's still here. She's fine. Mostly.

Lingling peeked over the pillow. "Who are you texting?"

Orm grinned. "Just letting the group chat know you're still my loving, supportive, future co-parent."

Lingling groaned, rolling over. "I need a vacation."

Orm giggled. "I'll book one! But only after we get ice cream."

And just like that, Lingling sighed and accepted her fate.

It was a beautiful morning in the Kwong-Sethratanapong penthouse.

The sun was shining, the city skyline sparkled, and Lingling was fully prepared to start her day like the composed and efficient CEO she was.

Then her phone started buzzing.

And kept buzzing.

And kept buzzing.

She squinted at the screen.

672 new messages.

Her stomach dropped. That number was never a good sign.

Still groggy, she scrolled through her notifications. Her work group chats were exploding. Her personal inbox was a nightmare. Her mother had called six times.

And then she saw it.

The article.

BREAKING NEWS: LINGLING KWONG SPOTTED BUYING A PREGNANCY TEST... BUT WHO'S THE OTHER WOMAN?!?

[Trending #1] #LinglingKwongScandal

[Trending #2] #WhoIsShe

[Trending #3] #KwongCorpAffair

Lingling's eyes widened in horror.

She clicked the article.

And there it was.

A high-definition, perfectly timed photo of her in the pharmacy checkout line, sunglasses on, pregnancy test in hand, looking like she had seen her entire life flash before her eyes.

But the real kicker?

In the background, Orm was standing beside her, holding her hand lovingly, but thanks to the angle and the oversized hoodie she had been wearing, no one recognized her.

Which meant...

The internet had assumed Lingling was cheating on her wife and got another woman pregnant.

Lingling almost threw her phone across the room.

She sat up so fast the blanket slid off her. "OH. MY. GOD."

Orm, who had been sleeping peacefully beside her, groaned and turned over. "Mmm... what's happening? Why are you yelling? It's too early for capitalism."

Lingling whipped around, waving her phone. "I have been framed for adultery!"

Orm blinked. "Huh?"

Lingling thrust the screen in her face. "Look!"

Orm squinted at the image, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Then she scrolled down to read the comments.

@GossipGuru: CEO Lingling Kwong spotted buying a pregnancy test... but that's NOT her wife Orm Sethratanapong beside her!! WHO IS THE OTHER WOMAN?!?

@DramaDetective: So Lingling got another girl pregnant? Oh wow, this is some rich people scandal-level drama.

@Investigator99: I KNEW their marriage was too perfect. There had to be a secret affair.

@HotTea69: This is WILD. Who's the side chick? We need names!!!

Orm read it all carefully.

Then—

She BURST out laughing.

Lingling stared in betrayal. "WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!"

Orm rolled onto her stomach, kicking her feet in amusement. "They think you cheated on me?!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh my god. They think you had an affair and got some mystery woman pregnant! This is so good."

"No, it is not good!" Lingling snapped, pacing the room. "My reputation is in flames! My mother has called six times! People think I am a homewrecker in my own marriage and that I am OUT HERE IMPREGNATING WOMEN LIKE A MEDICAL MIRACLE!"!"

Orm grinned. "Babe. This is hilarious."

Lingling dramatically collapsed onto the bed. "I am going to have a heart attack."

Orm gasped. "Wait! Should I also start pretending to be mad? You know, for dramatic effect?" She sat up, putting a hand over her chest. "HOW COULD YOU, LINGLING?! Betraying me, your beloved, loyal, beautiful wife! With a mystery woman, no less!"

Lingling groaned into her hands.

Orm continued, absolutely thriving in the chaos. "All these years, and this is how you repay me? Is she younger than me?! Is she funnier?!"

"ORM, STOP."

But Orm was unstoppable. She grabbed Lingling's pillow, clutching it to her chest like she was in a K-drama. "I can't believe this. My own wife, stepping out on me! And now—another woman pregnant?!"

Lingling flopped onto the bed in defeat. "I am going to fake my own death."

Orm rolled on top of her dramatically. "Oh no, you don't! You can't escape your RESPONSIBILITIES, LINGLING KWONG!"

"I gave you my heart!" Orm clutched a pillow to her chest like a heartbroken K-drama protagonist. "And you—YOU WENT AND STARTED A SECRET FAMILY?!"

"I DID NOT START A SECRET FAMILY!"

Orm threw herself dramatically onto the bed. "I hope she was worth it."

Lingling flopped onto the bed, face-first, and screamed into the blanket.

Lingling let out a muffled scream into the blanket.

Then, her phone rang again.

She didn't even need to look at the caller ID.

She knew.

Taking a deep breath, she answered.

"Lingling Kwong!"

Yup. Mom.

"What is this nonsense I am seeing on the internet?!"

Lingling rubbed her temples. "Mother, I—"

"You have disgraced this family!"

Lingling blinked. "WHAT?! I literally didn't do anything!"

"Oh, so you're saying the internet just made up a pregnancy scandal about you?"

"YES!"

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"YES, BECAUSE IT'S TRUE!"

Her mother huffed. "*Do you know how embarrassing it is to have my friends send me these articles?! Your aunties are messaging me nonstop!

Lingling groaned. "Mother. I did not cheat. I did not get anyone pregnant. It was just a misunderstanding because no one recognized Orm in the photo."

A pause.

"...Wait. That was Orm?"

Lingling sighed. "YES."

Another pause.

Then—

"*Ohhhhhh.**"

Lingling threw a pillow across the room. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN THINK IT WAS REAL, DID YOU?!"

"Well, I had my suspicions, but the drama was too good to ignore."

Lingling wanted to die.

Orm leaned into the phone. "Hi, Mom! It's me, the secret mistress."

Her mother sighed dramatically. "Orm. I should've known."

"You really should've!"

Lingling dropped her phone onto the bed and flopped back down.

Orm patted her shoulder. "Babe, don't worry. This is nothing. The internet will forget in like, two days."

Lingling peeked at her. "Will they?"

Orm opened Twitter. "Okay, fine, it's worse than I thought, but hear me out—what if we don't correct them? What if we lean into it? You could be a scandalous CEO with a mysterious past!"

Lingling sat up, grabbed her phone, and immediately started typing.

@LinglingKwong: I did not cheat on my wife. The woman in the photo is my wife. Please get a grip.

Within seconds, her tweet had 100K likes.

Then—

@HotTea69: Wait. That's ORMMMMMM?!??!!?

@DramaDetective: ...so we ruined this woman's life for NOTHING???

@Investigator99: The way I spent five hours trying to find the mystery woman just for it to be her WIFE.

Lingling put her phone down, sighing. "There. It's over."

Orm grinned. "Well, that was fun. What's next?"

Lingling gave her a look. "I am never going outside with you again."

Orm giggled, pulling her into a hug. "You love me, though."

Lingling sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."

Orm beamed. "Then let's go get ice cream!"

Lingling let out a long, long sigh. Then grabbed her keys.

Because at the end of the day, she was still whipped, and there was no escape.