CHAPTER EIGHT - ABRIDGED VERSION
The sun was burning their naked skin. Ploy woke up and poked at Jessadaporn. “Je, wake up, your butt is going to get sunburned.”
Jessadaporn stirred lazily, “I let you slept in last morning. It was your fault last night; you keep wanting to be on top.”
“If you wake up, we can experiment in the sea.”
Just like that, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked all darkly handsome with shaggy hair and his poking through facial hair. He was suddenly all energized. He stared at her naked flawless body imprinted with his love marks. “I’m awake.”
Ploy stood up and walked into the warm sea. Jessadaporn ran in after her. They ended up laughing and chasing each other to indulge in their passion with the waves imitating their movements.
A few days later. “Are you feeling okay?” He stoked her back, trying to sooth her nausea.
Ploy rinsed her mouth, “Yeah.”
Jessadaporn looked at her like he just figured out a secret. He folded arm and stood very macholy in front of her, “If I can remember the times we have made love, I would say you’re pregnant.” Her brain registered the word and slowly, she looked at Jessadaporn like he was God giving her a revelation. Ploy jumped and hugged Jessadaporn. He laughed, knowing what her actions meant. “So, how many months?”
Ploy broke the embrace and full of smiles she knew exactly when. “5 weeks.”
Jessadaporn walked her to sit on the bed, “I’m going to call Grandma and tell her the good news. And we should get you to a doctor for a checkup.” He froze for a while, just looking at her. He hugged her again, “I can’t believe I’m a dad.” He felt a proud balloon inflating inside of him, expanding. Jessadaporn cuddled her, “I love you.”
Ploy’s heart exploded. In the last few days since his amnesia, everyday have passed so fast and she have completely given her life to him and he did too. She stared at him, “Say that again.”
He held her right in front of him. “I love you Ploy.”
Ploy cried on his chest and clung to him, “Je, I love you.”
Those words brought a strange bolt of lightning through him, and it brought back to him the remaining series of heartbreaking memories in his life. Suddenly, he realized what the last few days was. Jessadaporn quickly pushed her away. “Don’t dare utter those cunning words to me!!!”
Ploy was shocked at his sudden change of attitude. She reached for him, but he shook her off. “I remembered everything, Ploy. How can you let me--?” He grabbed her. “Fuck. You screwed me over again. You took advantage of my memory lost and condition me to love you. You even think you can trap me with this bullshit made up story of you being pregnant?”
“I knew that you would get your memory back, but I thought that what we had the last few days can prove to you that I’ve changed. Tell me that you do not love me right now.”
Jessadaporn opened his mouth, but he failed to produce those words. He looked at her flat stomach. “I applaud at the length you went this time. But the last few days only proved one thing—and that is time you’re even more cunning than before. This time you even fashioned up a pregnancy when we both know best that you had a hysterectomy.”
All of the color washed off Ploy’s face. This new piece of information is going to blow her covers. “Ploy can’t ever be pregnant.”
“Yes, you never had any plans for a family. You made that very clear after the marriage. You’re selfish.” He had that killer look in his eyes again. Jessadaporn threw her on the bed and quickly caged her.
Ploy hit him. This can’t happen. “Je. You can’t do this to me. Please! I BEG YOU!!!”
Jessadaporn quickly ripped the one shirt she was wearing off and he had her at his access. “Let’s continue where we left off.”
Ploy pushed at his chest. “OKAY! You want the divorce. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt me.” Her hand stroked her tummy, but she quickly covered her movement by pulling her ripped shirt around her.
Jessadaporn climbed off her. “This was too easy. You got to be plotting another plan.”
Ploy clenched her shirt tails closer at her belly. She needed to think fast. “I came back because I knew United Thai Bank’s values increased. So I regretted you. I thought I can come back, but you changed, so I used Grandma. At the moment Grandma named me CEO, I was going to cash out. But then she gave me all the Pholdee assets too, so I decided to stay until she dies to cash out in one shot, but you caught me.” He seemed satisfied with her confession.
Ploy played the last card, “I will go if you give 500 million US dollars.”
“That’s a big chunk, Ploy.”
Right now, she has to walk off safely with her baby. She had to be credible. If she just walked off not demanding anything, he would be suspicious. “It’s nothing compare to what I will get if I wait out to cash out at the end. I don’t want to wait 10 years for her to die? If I cash out now, I can get back on the market rich already. I’ll grab famous flings and get the lifestyle I desire.”
“At the end, your true colors have shown. You’re right. 500 million. That’s nothing to me.” Jessadaporn grabbed her off the bed, “Let’s settle this with lawyers before you change your mind.” He pulled out his smallest short and one of his plain grey jogging shirt to her, “Dress up, we’re going right now.”
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She fumbled with her hands sitting on her lap, but in reality, she was self-consciously hugging her tummy. “Jessadaporn, can you drive more carefully?”
“Want me to drive slowly, so you can have the time to think of a way out.”
“No! Can you please play attention to road please! I don’t want to get in a car accident.”
“Don’t want to die before you can celebrate your 500 million?” He slowed down, “I’ll slow down. It doesn’t make a difference. We’re only going into the city. I had Lawyer Ton flown in. We’ll be there in 10 minutes.”
They entered the bank branch in Phuket and lawyer Ton was waiting for them.
“Hello, Lawyer Ton.”
“Hello, Khun Jessadaporn.” He turned to Ploy, “Khun Ploy.”
“Ploy has settled to divorce.”
“Khun Ploy, is this true?”
“Yes, I asked for a 500 million settlement, and Khun Jessadaporn has agreed. And I don’t wish to be CEO anymore.”
“I described the provision to you already. Did you revise the divorce papers?”
“Khun Jessadaporn. I heard you had some slight memory loss, are you consciously making these calls?””
“Yes.” Jessadaporn sated firmly.
“This is unfortunate. Your Grandma is happy at home. She called me to set a trust fund for her great grandson, announcing that out this trip away, Khun Ploy will return with child. You’re not pregnant, right Khun Ploy, because that will change everything?”
All of the oxygen in her swooshed out, and she felt lighted headed, but she responded, “No.” She felt like it was the fattest lie she ever gave.
“That matter is impossible.” Lawyer Ton handed the documents to Jessadaporn. He signed it and he passed the papers to Ploy. Ploy signed quickly. He looked at her with a triumph smile, “I’ll transfer the money to your bank account.”
“You got what you want. I’m leaving.” She can’t believe that at the end, she failed to bring her Jessadaporn back. But she couldn’t risk him finding her out. He’ll hate her even more and be colder. At the least, she will have the last few days of memories to keep and also gets a little piece of him to keep. Maybe they were not meant to be.
A sad smile spread across her face. At least, in this last moment, she can send her message to him that he had never given her the chance to. “Grandma waits for you every day. Being number one in business cannot be measure in profit. There’s no point of you making a dollar, if you take a hundred homes from the poor, kill a thousand in the process, or bulldoze over a million dreams. The Jessadaporn I know is intelligent, laughs openly, and strives to make the world a better place.” Ploy walked out and in the elevator, she stroked her tummy. “Je, this is all I want.”