Denied Love

Chapter 13 The One Who Loses Must Heal Their Own Wounds

8:00 PM was usually the time Wasin prepared for bed, ensuring his health stayed in top condition. But tonight, due to certain events, he was still seated on the living room sofa, waiting for a call from his personal secretary.

Soft classical music played in the background as he immersed himself in a book.

It wasn’t long before the expected call came through. “What is it, Nakun?”

“The rumor I spread about Praenarin's real husband—people have stopped speculating that it’s Mr. Kiri now, Chairman.”

Wasin smiled in satisfaction and reminded him to keep Khemjira identity a secret. If his daughter didn’t wish to reveal it, and Khemjira had no issues with that, he had no intention of meddling in her life further.

"Good. Be careful not to slip up—if she doesn’t want people to know, we keep it that way. And what about the other task I assigned you this evening?"

“Boss Rin is on her way home now, sir.”

“Where was my daughter today? I want every detail.”

Wasin listened to his secretary’s report calmly. He wasn’t surprised that Praenarin had met with that woman again—he already knew today was her ex-lover’s birthday. In the past, they had celebrated together every year.

But he hadn’t expected that this year, the woman would return on her birthday, only to abandon his daughter once again. He couldn't help but question—if this was how it was going to end, why did she bother seeing Praenarin at all?

Praenarin drove home as fast as she could, arriving a little after 9:00 PM.

She had just been left behind, but having endured heartbreak so many times

—so deeply that she once questioned whether life was worth living—she no longer felt as devastated as before.

She did feel numb. But she didn’t feel like crying.

Carrying the bag with the birthday cake—one that bore no specific name— she stepped into the house, immediately meeting eyes with her father. He was lounging in the living room, listening to music, with every light in the room still on.

“Dad, you’re not in bed yet? Why are you staying up late tonight?”

Unaware that she was the reason for his wakefulness, she approached him casually. Seeing that he hadn’t even taken his evening shower yet, she thought.

Has my father finally eased up on his strict hygiene routine?

“Where have you been, Rin?”

“I went out to eat. Didn’t Khem tell you?”

“She did. After she told me, she went to sleep somewhere else. You’ll have to sleep alone tonight.”

Wasin said it like it was completely normal, just like when his wife would casually tell him,

“Honey, I’m going to get my nails done today.”

But his daughter didn’t seem to feel the same way.

“Sleeping somewhere else? What do you mean? And why does she have to sleep somewhere else? Who is she with?”

The young woman fired off her questions, her brows furrowed in confusion at her temporary husband.

“She said she was hurt, sad, and upset, so she wanted to stay somewhere else for a night. But she didn’t tell me exactly why. You don’t mind, do you?”

He got up, acting as if nothing was wrong, completely indifferent to his daughter-in-law’s reaction. After all, to Praenarin, this was probably the best news—she was more than happy to have Khemjira out of her sight.

“Rin doesn’t care.”

But now, he noticed the trembling uncertainty in his daughter’s eyes, the one who was his precious girl. As she spoke coldly, he could tell her gaze was telling him something—that she was feeling the weight of the words she had just said, in contrast to her own.

“Go sleep wherever you want. If she wants to act strangely, that’s her problem, isn’t it?”

Praenarin acted like she didn’t care, though deep down, she really wanted to know what was going on with Khemjira, why she was suddenly sleeping

elsewhere for such a reason. Just before, Khem had said she was going to make an omelette for her. So what happened? Was it her time of the month or something?

“That’s the strange part. After being betrayed and treated like that, you still want to love her? I know where you’ve been, Rin. That cake is probably for

that woman’s birthday, right?”

When her father said this, Praenarin immediately understood what he meant. It had to do with Khemjira going to sleep somewhere else, no doubt.

Don’t tell me she followed her? That bad-mannered girl was stirring up trouble for her again.

“Did Khem tell you where I’ve been? She really has a loose tongue. Just wait, when I get back, I’ll make her pay.”

“Khem didn’t say anything. I figured it out on my own. I had Nakun secretly follow you, and found out you were still meeting that woman. Khem saw it too. She stood watching you with that woman for a while, then left. Have you ever thought about how your wife must feel, watching you keep loving someone else when they don’t even love you back? She left you alone and walked away without even blowing out the birthday candles you prepared for her.”

His words were long, pointed, and hit the mark. Realizing that everything he said was true, Praenarin slowly lowered herself onto the couch, setting the cake down on the table, defeated by the evidence.

“I didn’t know.”

“Please, Rin. Stop thinking about this and don’t go see that woman again. Stop hurting yourself. Do you want to go back to the way things were? If you don’t love yourself, think about how I feel as your father.”

" "

“Do you know why I want you to marry Khem? It’s because Khem loves you. I know that girl will never break your heart like that again. I believe that true love will make you stronger and hurt less. Please trust me just this once.”

This time, he spoke to her in a pleading tone. The young woman lowered her gaze, avoiding her father’s eyes. She still remembered how she had

been before. She was the cowardly girl who had been dumped in the pouring rain, nearly struck by lightning and killed.

At first, it didn’t seem so bad, but as the days passed, she began to shock

herself with how she reacted. She tried to contact Phrapai, wanting to meet her as if she had lost her mind. When they couldn’t meet, she kept calling friends to drink and get drunk until she blacked out.

The worst part was finding every way possible to numb the pain she felt. She tried to drown herself in a swimming pool, but luckily her father came in time to save her, allowing her to keep living until today.

Even after that, she kept crying, drinking, and sleeping through the cold nights, eventually needing to take a break from her work. Though she had improved lately, she still held onto the pain, and that’s when her father brought Khemjira to marry her.

It’s no wonder he didn’t want her to see Phrapai again. What father would want to watch his daughter slowly die inside like that?

It was just minutes away from midnight, and Khemjira was still sitting at a small table in the park next to a convenience store, eating instant noodles and sipping cold plain water.

She had packed some clothes and essentials for the day and the next day, then came to the hotel near her sister’s place, wanting to meet the other person.

Even though she already knew what her sister thought of her and had known for a long time, she understood well that her sister always managed her feelings perfectly. There was never a moment when she showed anything beyond being a sister to her.

“Are you feeling better now? Eating this much so late, you should be careful. Acid reflux might come knocking.”

“If it does,P' Rin, please tell it Khem isn’t here,”

Khemjira laughed at the teasing remark before asking a serious question. “Has Khem’s fear of cars gotten any better recently?”

The person being asked paused for a moment, then put down the bowl of noodles, nodding. Khemjira knew that P'Rin was the only one who understood her the best because they had lived together for years.

“It’s better now. Just as long as no one drives aggressively or honks the horn too close to me.”

“But you’re still waking up early to go to work, right?”

Khemjira nodded. P'Rin was the only one who knew why she left for work before six in the morning even though her shift didn’t start until eight. She knew well that after the accident, she had developed a fear of driving.

If someone were with her in the car, she would feel more at ease, but when she had to drive alone, the steering wheel felt heavier, and the air inside the car felt stifling. If she had to hurry because she was racing against other cars, her hands would shake.

“You’re afraid that later in the morning there will be more traffic, and you’ll have to rush, right? That’s why you wake up early. Will this be okay for

you?”

“I’m fine. Maybe a little scared, but it’s not really a big problem. Aunty Malai makes my breakfast lunchbox. I’ll make one for you too, P'Rin,”

Khemjira confirmed with a calm face. Understanding, P'Rin then glanced at the clock and realized it had already passed midnight by several minutes.

“Are you full now?”

The other person nodded. She then turned her attention to the road, which had fewer cars now, a sign that things were getting better. She knew

Khemjira was scared, but she still made the effort to drive here.

She was trying to overcome it. But inviting her to sit and chat until it was already a new day might be because she had used up her daily quota of courage.

“But now the roads are clearer. I think you should head back to the hotel so you can wake up early for work tomorrow. And please don’t go out like this again. That house has a bedroom for you. If you’re not ready to face Khun Rin, just stay in there. Running away like this doesn’t help.”

Khemjira nodded, understanding. It was her own stubbornness that pushed her to be in that situation, even though she knew the owner of the place had reserved a space in their heart for their ex-lover only.

Seeing that reality made her unable to bear it, and she ran away. It didn’t feel like her at all.

“Thank you so much for coming to sit with me. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know where I’d go. I was going to sit and talk with my dad at the temple, but I was afraid there would be too many people.”

“It’s fine, we rarely get to meet. Think of it as a way to relieve stress from work.”

Khemjira smiled contentedly. P'Rin’s place was just a few steps away, and the hotel she had booked was only a few kilometers away from here too.

The reason she left wasn’t because she had given up and didn’t want to face her wife. She just wanted to let her know that she too could lose sometimes, and that this loser wasn’t good at facing things head-on.

.

.

Today was the last day of the week that Praenarin had to work as CEO. It was already past 5 a.m., but the one who had to sleep alone woke up before the alarm clock, unable to sleep well.

She didn’t know why, but she had been tossing and turning all night until now. When she woke up and realized no one was lying next to her, it felt disorienting, as if Khemjira had already become a normal part of her life.

When she couldn’t fall back asleep, the young woman reached out to turn on the bedside lamp and picked up her phone to turn off the alarm she had set. Her fingers lightly swiped the screen to check messages. There were no new messages from anyone.

Phrapai, P'Kiri, who had usually sent texts asking about things or seemed to want to get to know her more, or even her good-for-nothing husband, who had been silent all night. The message she sent last night asking where

Khemjira had gone to sleep still hadn’t been read.

Praenarin sighed and put her phone back down, then picked up the stuffed toy that Khemjira had sewn for her, holding it as if it were a stand-in for her wife.

"What's wrong with you? Is your period coming? Why did you go sleep somewhere else?"

She made a pouty face at the toy before placing it back down. She was right

—she might be close to her period too. Normally, she had some minor issues with her cycle, sometimes it wouldn’t come because her hormones weren’t quite regular.

But since Khemjira came into her life, it felt like the other woman made her moods swing as if she were always on her period.

You said you loved me. If you love me, why would you leave me to sleep alone?

.

.

She shook her head to clear her mind and decided to get up, even though it was still early. Today, she was going to talk to Khemjira and find out where

she went to sleep. If it was with Khwanrin, she’d make sure to scold her wife so badly that she wouldn’t even remember her way home.

.

.

At the Research and Development department, the development team was lively. Khemjira had managed to pull herself together after the conversation with P'Rin the night before.

A good night’s sleep at the hotel and a nice breakfast had made her feel much better, so this morning, she stopped by a Japanese bakery and brought a big bag of pastries to share with her team.

"Good morning, P'Jay, P'Balloon,"

She greeted when her two senior colleagues entered the office ten minutes before the workday started.

"Hey, what's that bag?"

P'Jay asked, noticing the unfamiliar paper bag on Khemjira’s desk. She leaned in and saw that it contained pastries, and the room was filled with the sweet smell of baked goods.

"Oh, I bought some pastries for the team," Khemjira explained.

"And this one... I’m taking it to someone else. They’re in a different department than us."

"Do you have friends in other departments?"

The older colleague asked casually, not really expecting an answer, then turned back to see the others picking out pastries.

Khemjira responded softly, "They're not friends,"

Referring to her wife, the highest-ranking executive. The two mentors

didn’t seem to pay much attention, as they quickly set their things down and headed toward the central table to pick out pastries. It was clear they were enjoying the treats that had been brought in.

"Hey, Khem," someone called.

At the same time, Ji, who had been observing the office atmosphere for a while, walked up to her desk. She seemed to have something to say, but just as she was about to speak, Khemjira received a phone call. She gave Ji a look, signaling for a moment, then quickly answered the phone.

"Yes, Ma'am... I understand,"

Khemjira replied as her boss, Ma'am Mai, informed her that the beautiful boss would be calling her in for a meeting after lunch.

When Khemjira hung up, a voice from behind her interrupted, "You’re not going around buttering anyone up, are you?"

The woman, wearing a dress and high heels, leaned against the edge of the table and spoke loudly, causing the atmosphere in the room to change. The lively mood that had filled the room just moments ago became tense as

everyone seemed to be listening intently to their conversation. "I don’t do that,"

Khemjira replied, her voice steady.

"I’m not a dog, and besides, I haven’t even passed my probation yet. If I were going to butter someone up, it’d be the person with the power to

decide whether I stay or go."

The look in her eyes was sharp, and she could see the disdain in the other woman’s gaze. Khemjira pretended not to care, but it was clear the other woman had come to take a subtle jab at her, likely because she joined the

company at a time when her partner was fired, and she was a new employee who always received praise from the department head in meetings.

"Who knows, lately I’ve seen Mrs. Mathura calling you a lot," The woman continued, her voice dripping with mockery.

"Don’t forget, you're married now. It wouldn’t be surprising if you’re playing with older women, but you should be aware of your own position."

She was loudly criticized, drawing the attention of others who didn't know what was going on. Khemjira, still seeing the other person as her superior and the team leader, lowered her voice and responded with a calm expression so only the two of them could hear.

“I know I'm married, but you don’t need to lecture me about this. I know right from wrong. You should also act like an adult. If you keep bullying younger people like this, it won’t look good if others find out.”

The younger employee, who was almost ten years younger, glared at her fiercely. Khemjira showed lno signs of anger, and it left Ji no choice but to stomp back to her desk, quietly sitting down with her friend playing the role of a client.

“What did that kid just say to you? Why were you whispering to each other?”

“That brat dared to talk back to me. What should I do about her, Hong?”

“I heard that kid tell her nanny that before she came to work here, she was in a car accident. Her father died on the spot, and she was hospitalized for several days. Oh... and I noticed she’s too scared to take the regular

elevator. If she needs to take one alone, she always walks to take the glass elevator.”

“Scared to take the regular elevator alone?”

The team leader smirked with a plan in mind. The glass elevator is in the middle of the lobby, and it’s farther than the regular elevators. Plus, there

are only two, so you have to wait longer. If that kid is too scared to take the regular elevator alone, maybe she’s afraid of tight spaces.

All day long, Praenarin had been waiting to see when her wife would show up. She had instructed her secretary to call for her, but after lunch, she still didn’t come. Instead, she only left a bag of snacks on the desk, and the person who brought it disappeared. Now, it was already time to finish work.

Praenarin sat, staring at the paper bag with snacks that her wife had left on her desk, along with a sticky note, before she stood up to gather her things and decided to go home. If she wanted to see her, she could come to her, but if not, it was her business.

“Are you leaving already?”

Before she could finish packing, the heavy door was opened, and an

impolite person barged in without knocking. But Praenarin didn’t care about the manners, as she had a question for the other person since the night before.

“Where did you sleep last night? Who were you with? Tell me now.” “Somewhere else,”

Khemjira replied casually, as though it wasn’t a big deal, while subtly locking the door behind her and sitting comfortably on the sofa. But that seemed to annoy the wife even more.

“Somewhere else? Where?”

“A place that’s not home,” Khemjira answered. “Khem!”

Praenarin snapped, clearly not pleased. Khemjira didn’t understand why her wife cared so much when she didn’t even want to sleep with her in the first place.

Praenarin herself wasn’t willing to admit she was upset that her wife had gone to sleep elsewhere, and didn’t even tell her where or with whom.

“Why would you want to know where I slept or with whom?” Khemjira asked.

That question made Praenarin pause and gather her thoughts. She then acted as though she didn’t care, though deep down, she was dying to know if

Khemjira had slept with her former nanny or not. If it wasn’t her former nanny, Khemjira, the daddy’s girl, might have slept with someone else.

“Where else could I go?”

“I’m just asking, not like I really want to know that much,”

Praenarin said, standing with her arms crossed, gazing out the window through the thick glass wall, trying to appear unfazed.

“I went to see P’Rin,”

Khemjira replied from behind.

Praenrin turned her head sharply, her expression one of disapproval. Her body felt strangely hot, as if the room didn’t have the usual cool air conditioning. It was a sensation she wasn’t particularly fond of.

“After we talked, P’Rin went back to her room, and I drove back to the hotel. I had already booked a room, but today, I’m coming back to sleep at home. Sorry for making you sleep alone. Were you lonely?”

“I’m not lonely. I sleep just fine without you. It’d be better if you stayed at the hotel for the full two years,”

Praenrin replied, turning her face away, checking her neck like a proud cat, which made her wife feel a bit jealous. Khemjira, catching the hint, smiled to herself, pleased.

“Water drops on stone every day, and the stone still wears away. As for you,

I follow you every night and tell you I love you several times a day. If that doesn’t move you, then you must be too strong,”

Khemjira thought to herself, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

“No, I don’t want that. I miss my wife. I’m coming back to sleep with you,”

Khemjira said, standing up and walking over to hug her from behind. Praenarin, who had been giving her the cold shoulder, didn’t resist.

“I went to see my ex. Why does it seem like you’re not upset? Yesterday, I went to celebrate Phrai's birthday, you saw that, right? You were heartbroken and went to sleep somewhere else. Why does everything seem fine today?”

Khemjira was surprised that her wife knew she had been watching, but right now, nothing mattered more than making up with her.

“I only have two years to love you. If we count it again now, it’s already less than two years. I don’t want to waste any more time,”

Khemjira said, her voice soft as she sat down on the chair beside her wife’s desk, feeling determined.

“If you want to sleep.. just sleep. But just remember, I’ll never love you,”

Praenarin said coldly, uncrossing her arms and gathering her things into her bag. Khemjira, the one who enjoyed playing games, followed her and sat down on her wife's chair.

“Really? You don’t love me?”

Khemjira asked with a hint of surprise. “Admit it, you like me, don’t you?”

Khemjira raised one eyebrow playfully, pulling her wife closer into her arms.

“I don’t… Ah!”

Praenarin's body was gently dropped onto her wife's lap, and strong arms wrapped around her waist. Praenarin felt frustrated as Khemjira kept teasing her non-stop.

“Is my lap soft?”

Khemjira asked with a mischievous tone. “Khem! Let me go!”

Praenrin growled, but that didn’t make Khemjira let go.

The young woman removed her ID badge from around her neck and placed it on the desk. Then, she leaned in and kissed the side of her lover’s neck, showing how much she had missed her, especially after holding herself back for so long, resisting the urge to come see her as promised. She didn’t want her wife to think she had the upper hand.

I can control her.

"Don't be so loud, okay? If someone hears us, they'll know we're up to something in here."

"Let go, you psycho kid. What are you doing? I'm going home now."

"Why? What's there to be afraid of if a wife and wife want to be sweet to each other? The door is locked, and besides, work is over."

Praenarin struggled until she stopped on her own because she was tired. The young woman turned her face to look at the person sitting like a cushion for her and scolded her.

"You're really the brat I thought you were. Why does my dad want you to be his daughter-in-law? There are so many better people than you. Why choose you?"

"Because we were born to be together, right? Beautiful people with beautiful people... they have to be together anyway, no need to find any reason for it."

Khemjira locked her waist and lifted her up, adjusting her so she could look into her face without having to turn too much and get hurt. Once in a good

angle, her cold palms rested on both her cheeks, and they locked eyes compellingly.

"Khem, listen to me,"

Khemjira fell silent and listened intently as the other person requested. "I will never love you. I can never be shaken. So stop thinking about it

yourself. You won’t get hurt so much, understand? It hurts so much. Trust me.”

Thinking about it yourself?

For her, just because she let her do her homework and was also upset that she went out to sleep somewhere else without telling her, that meant everything was starting to become possible.

She was already shaken by her, even though she was stubborn.

"Then, should we try to prove that Khun Rin will never be shaken by Khem?”

When the other party looked at her and fell silent, Khemjira gathered all her strength, lifted her wife's slender body, and placed her on the sofa. Then,

she pressed her knees between her wife's legs, before resting her palms on the backrest and straddling her body.

"What are you going to do?"

Praenarin leaned back against the cushion, her beautiful sharp eyes looking at the other person. Both of her palms lifted and rested on that small but warm forest.

"Well, it's to prove whether Khun Rin will shaken or not."