19

BRIGHT'S POV

I don't know how we got through the family dinner, Ton seems fine but all of us were quiet except for mom who was trying her best to act like everything is fine. They were catching up like nothing happened. 

When I finally had my father alone, I decided to finally talk to him. 

"Don't you dare bring Win into this mess" I told him. 

"If you're loyal enough, I might just not bring here into the mess he's walking into" He said and smirked at me. 

"I told you, when mom and Ton comes home I am done with your businesses." I firmly said. 

"None of you are done. I didn't built my empire alone, that's why a lot are jealous, they'd fight tooth and nail to get what I have, you are and will always be in bloodline." He said. 

"Not if we're all dead." I said and left him alone. 

We went back home and rested, I had to attend classes today and I made sure I make it before Win leave his university as well. 

"Win!" I called him right when he walked out of the gate. 

"Is there something I can do for you? Is this about the business?" He asked. 

"Can we talk in the car?" I asked. 

I walked to my car first and I watched him walk slowly towards it, he's still as perfect as used to. I miss him, but it still does actually hurt. 

"Can we make this quick, I also have meetings in a while." He said. 

"It's not about the business, it's about my dad, Win... he is dangerous, his business can do you and your family harm." I told him. 

"So? You mean I should pull out of your business?" He asked and arched his brow. 

"You have to stop making deals with my father, before it's too late." I told him. 

"Why do you care? Is this because we had something in between of us? Is it still that, I told you, it was a case of bad timing, what else did you want to hear? I didn't love you? Okay then. I didn't loved you Bright, I just used you to know what to do with our family business. Now I know what I'm doing and for pete's sake. I'll request another representative of your company if you cannot put your personal business aside" He said and left me. 

I wasn't able to say something when he left. My mind didn't like to process what he just said. So it was all a lie? He used me? I couldn't think straight and I sat there parked by the side of the road, it's like the world was played in full speed around me and I couldn't pause. 

I couldn't do it anymore so I went home and took some stocked liquor to my room. I locked myself up and decided to drown my demons once again. I got messages from my classmates, we have some plates to do but I barely got the interest to do them. I heard someone knocking on the door, I ignored it until I heard keys jangling and someone turning the knob open... it was my sister, Ton. 

"Ton, I'm not really in the mood right now... maybe we could talk later?" I asked her. 

She stood and looked at me for a while and then she closed the door and sat in front of me. 

"I always wondered how you deal with our family, I know it is hard. Sometimes I ask myself if I was just dreaming, I hear mom most of the time when I pretend to be asleep, she cries and she curses dad. I know how terrible it is all now, after it almost got me killed." She said. 

I decided to stop drinking for a little while. 

"We will never let anything happen to you again, Namtan and I will do everything for you, to at least keep the four us together. We need to help mom..." I told her. 

"You have to pass, so that when you have a life of your own, you can prove Dad that we don't really need him so bad anymore." She told me. 

"Alright, I'll go do my plates, wanna watch?" I asked. 

Ton stayed with me until I was about to do my third plate. 

"What happened to you and your boyfriend?" That question got me. 

"I don't know... maybe it was bad timing, maybe we just needed the company." I told her as I fought the urge to breakdown. 

"You two seems like soulmates, I'll be waiting for both of you to find your way back to each other." She said and left me. 

I sighed when she left. I also started drinking again though it hurts my stomach when I remembered I skipped lunch. 

I got way too much alcohol in my system, my body is gonna give up on me soon, but maybe, that'll bring me the peace I wanted. 

NAMTAN'S POV

I got very busy tangled with my work and the work that I have been doing for my father. It was exhausting pretending that everything is fine when I'm at home even though I am already breaking. 

"Our brother hasn't come out of his room and talked to us for three days already, I know he is trying to avoid us but the way he consumes all the alcohol is getting very concerning." Ton said as she walked into my room. 

"He's just stressed and all, he had to pull out from a big client." I told Ton.

Dad was enraged when Bright stopped the drug deal between him and the Opas-iamkajorns. Mom tried fixing that mess but Dad was still mad. I know Bright's term has ended, he hasn't told us about his grades or whatever. 

I wanted to give Bright the time and space but everything will eventually get to his mental health, I mean, I know it already has but I didn't wanna wait for him to deteriorate before I approach him. 

I tried knocking on his door and twisted the knob, it was open so I peeked and found him packing. 

"Where are you going?" I asked. 

"I told mom, I would be going to the island for a little while. I needed the break. I'll send my grades to all you through email when I get them." He said. 

"You sure you want to be alone?" I asked him. 

"Very much." He answered. 

I left him to pack but it didn't give me peace of mind so I decided to reach out to Win.

Win Metawin

Hey Win?

I just wanted to ask for a small favor. 

You once pulled Bright out of the very dark spot he was in,

he is there once again, I know things aren't clear with both

of you, I could set you up a flight to the island if you want.

just leave me a message. 

I know it was a far fetched idea but it was all I could think of. They were perfect for each other and they understood each other so well. I hope my dad doesn't have anything to do with this, because it's pretty fucked up to mess with Bright when all he does was to keep us all alive, letting himself drown.

----------------------

It has been days since Bright left to go to the island, he told all of us he'd keep his phone open and we could leave him a missed call whenever we need something urgent. I made myself busy with work and also helping my mom gather everything she needs to go against my dad. 

"Is this all?" I asked when I handed her the medical records of Ton. 

"I might need Bright's psych sessions as well, can you run that one for us as well?" Mom asked. 

"I can." I said and smiled. 

I was about to leave but then Ton was at our living room sitting looking so bored. 

"Hey, you wanna go with me? I have an errand to run, but I can bond with you today." I asked her. 

"Yeah sure." She said and quickly got up. 

We headed for the psych clinic where Bright has visited before, we paid the charges that the doctor required in exchange of his records. 

"Isn't that Win? The ex-boyfriend of our brother?" Ton asked. 

"I forgot that you knew, who is that he's with?" I asked as we saw a girl with him inside the pizza parlor. 

"I didn't see him as the cheating type, I saw our brother the one who would mess things up with how shitty our family is... but this?" Ton said. 

"We don't know the whole story... let's not judge too quickly..." I told her and started the car engine. 

"Are we telling our brother?" Ton asked. 

"Maybe soon... Let's keep this one for our self first." I told her and drove away. 

I brought her to have ice cream and drove to the spot where Bright brought me to watch the sunset. 

"I can't stop thinking if there was a third-party involved with their break-up." Ton muttered as we sat and watched the view. 

"We can ask Bright, if the wound isn't fresh anymore." I told her trying to change the topic but Ton just won't let it go. 

"I know they were perfect, the way our brother told stories about him and how everything just fell into place with him, sometimes I wanted to get so mad at dad, but the trauma is there, that there is always danger around him. He is psychotic. I mean, I use to understand why he'd go for extreme measures to save us, but he will save himself and his money, not us anymore." She said. 

I closed my eyes, I should be protecting my siblings and now they both have traumas and unresolved issues haunting them. 

I took Ton home just before the sunset, we had dinner and mom was busy again, I decided to go out, I lied about seeing my friends, reality is I wanted to drink alone, I didn't wanna be at home, I just need some time to breathe. 

I sat on a bar stool and ordered some shots. It took a while when I saw this familiar face across the bar, it was Win, he just arrived and he did ordered a fair amount of shots for himself and downed them one by one. 

"Win... " I said when I made my way to the other side of the bar table. 

"H-hey..." He said obviously shocked. 

"How have you been?" I asked. 

"Bright hasn't told you?" He asked. 

"I know... About the break-up, that's why he pushed us all away and he did run away again..." I said and sighed. 

"I'm sorry..." He said and looked down. 

"I think I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to..." I said and took a sip from my drink. 

He suddenly told me all of his reasons and when and where it all went wrong between them. I felt the pain as he was telling his stories. I heard the side that Bright could not hear... I felt so sad for them, they were both sacrificing for each other. 

We talked a little more until I realized that my mom has already flooded me with messages. Win took the courtesy to assist me until I got into my car but before I could open my car door, my phone rang and it was noisy so I put it in speaker so that I could hear. 

"NAMTAN! IT'S BRIGHT..." My mom said from the other line. 

I was frozen when I heard that, I didn't know what to do when I saw Win and he shook me so that I'd go back to my body. 

"W-what happened?" I asked. 

"Your grandma called, he overdosed..." Mom said barely audible from the other line. 

I heard cries and muffled words until Ton spoke. 

"Please come home, we will be seeing him in the hospital in few, they flew him here to the city." Ton said while her voice was breaking as well. 

The call ended and I was in shock in panic. I know tears were falling from my eyes. 

"Is he alright? Are you alright?" Win asked as I tried to catch my breath. 

"I don't know, I-I'll let you know." I said. 

"You can't drive like this..." He said. 

"I have security detail. I can make them drive me home, I'll message you." I said before walking to my security team and got inside of my car. 

I was floating all the way home. I broke down with my mom when I entered the house. This was never good for Ton's recovery so I tried to stop myself from crying. 

"Mom, we need to go, we have to see him." I told her and picked her up. 

The driver brought us to the hospital. I held tightly to Ton's hand as we were escorted to the ICU by the nurse. 

"He is stable for now, we are still trying to push the alcohol and medicine out of his body, but we're afraid if he doesn't wake up he could end up in coma..." She said which made me close my eyes as tears streamed down my face. 

WIN'S POV

Just when I thought everything was falling into place... it gets worse.

My world stopped spinning as I read the message from Namtan...

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Thanks for reading! <3