Chapter 4 that man can go to hell!

Chapter 4 that man can go to hell!

Ladapha clenched her fists tightly, exhaled deeply as she rubbed her face, and paced back and forth in the small square bathroom. She was trapped, unable to leave just yet. Minutes ticked by as she repeatedly checked her phone, glancing at the time and the incoming messages. Yet, people kept coming in and out, making it impossible for her to open the door without being seen. 

Ten more minutes crawled by. Sitting on the closed toilet lid, Ladapha sighed heavily and set her phone and documents down on the tank behind her. Standing up, she pressed her ear to the door, straining to hear the footsteps outside. 

Suddenly, the sound of a faucet turning on caught her attention. She crouched slightly to peer at the shadows moving beneath the door, waiting for them to leave. 

She held her breath as the shadow passed and finally disappeared. Silence followed, filling the bathroom. 

She stayed frozen, waiting a little longer, ensuring there wasn’t another sound to disturb.

Ladapha grabbed her bag and carefully cracked the door open, peeking through the small gap. Seeing no one around, she quietly pushed the door open and stepped out. However— 

“Whoa…!!” 

The sudden exclamation made Ladapha jump in shock. Without looking up, she instinctively lowered her head, spun around, and bolted out of the bathroom. 

In her panic and embarrassment, she failed to pay attention to her surroundings and collided head-on with someone who was just entering the bathroom. 

“Did I… go into the wrong bathroom?” the man asked, equally startled. 

The young man asked in a puzzled tone as he stepped back to double-check the sign on the bathroom door. Meanwhile, the woman who had bumped into him froze in place, utterly mortified. Her face burned with embarrassment, and all she wanted was for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.  

“N-no… it’s not… I’m sorry,” she stammered, barely audible, her voice trembling. Without daring to look up or meet his gaze, she quickly ducked her head and rushed out of the bathroom, leaving the bewildered man standing there.  

Ladapha raised her hand to lightly smack her own forehead in embarrassment. From the moment she had walked out of the men’s bathroom until she reached the bus stop, her mind was a whirlwind of shame. How many times had she made this mistake in moments of nervousness? 

She reached into her bag to retrieve her phone, fumbling for it for quite some time. Slowly, her face turned pale as realization struck—she had left her phone and the important documents in the men’s bathroom. 

*Heaven help me! Do I really have to go back and get it?! 

Biting her lip, Ladapha furrowed her brow, pacing back and forth in a small circle as she debated her options. Finally, she came to a decision. There was no choice but to retrieve them. 

Clapping both hands against her cheeks to steel her resolve, she turned and started heading back toward the company she had just left, hoping against hope that no one had discovered her forgotten items.

Ladapha stood in front of the tall building, taking a deep breath before stepping inside. She stopped near the entrance to the men’s bathroom, glancing nervously at the doorway.

There was no way she could walk in confidently. She waited for nearly twenty minutes, making sure no one was going in or out, before mustering the courage to rush inside.  

But it wasn’t there.  

She searched every stall in the bathroom, but her phone and documents were nowhere to be found.  

“What am I supposed to do now?!” she muttered, running her hands through her hair in exasperation.  

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard voices and footsteps approaching. Panicked, she bowed her head, mumbled an apology, and bolted out of the bathroom.  

Now she had persistent bad luck. She leaned against a large column nearby, exhaling. Turning to glance at the bathroom again, she muttered bitterly,

“Who could’ve taken my things?” 

Of course, Ladapha didn’t give up easily. She went to the reception desk to ask about her belongings, but they had no record of anything being found. Embarrassed and empty-handed, she made one last attempt by calling her phone multiple times, but no one picked up. 

Defeated, she finally gave up and took the bus home, feeling utterly crushed. 

No job, and now my phone is gone too!

Heaven is truly against me, she thought bitterly.

As soon as the workday ended, Tharatchanan packed up her belongings and walked out of the office. Her coworkers glanced at her curiously but said nothing. It didn’t take her long to drive to the cafe where she had arranged to meet her boyfriend. Today, she was determined to face him, to say what needed to be said, and to end their relationship for good.  

She chose a quiet corner of the cafe, one with the least amount of people, and ordered a drink to occupy herself while waiting. 

For five years, he had brought her happiness, but forgiving him was not something she could do. Not after learning that while he was with her, he had paraded other women around like she was a fool who would never find out.  

Nearly half an hour passed, and the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. Tharatchanan sat where she was, sipping her coffee slowly, but there was no sign of him.  

Did he even read the message I sent this morning? 

She sighed again, losing count of how many times she had already done so that evening. Looking out the window toward the street opposite the cafe, her gaze suddenly froze. 

Her chest tightened, her hand clenched into a fist, and her vision blurred with tears as she saw something—or rather, someone—that made her stomach twist. Her heart burned with a mix of pain and anger, her trembling eyes locked on the sight before her. 

Across the street stood a renowned, high-end Western restaurant known for its steep prices. Tharatchanan let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. She couldn’t believe she was facing this situation again—for the second time.  

He’s out having dinner with another woman while leaving me waiting? Is this some cruel joke to rub salt on my wounds?

Without hesitation, she stood up and walked out of the cafe. Leaving her car parked there, she crossed the street and headed straight for the restaurant. Her eyes scanned through the glass. And there he was—her boyfriend, smiling warmly at another woman. 

*Does he feel no shame at all?!*  

Tharatchanan took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of courage, and pushed open the restaurant door. Ignoring the staff’s polite greeting, she strode purposefully toward his table. 

“Well, you seem to be having a great time, don’t you, Art?” she said through gritted teeth, her gaze burning with anger as she looked at him and the woman sitting across from him. 

Art’s eyes widened in shock. He quickly stood up, scrambling to explain.

“Uh… this is… she’s a coworker!” he stammered.

Tharatchanan let out a bitter laugh. If she hadn’t caught him in the act of intimacy with another woman before, she might have believed his excuse today.  

“A coworker, you say?” she spat, glaring daggers at the woman in the pink dress seated across from him.  

“Y-yeah,” Art stammered, his voice unsteadies, silently praying she’d buy his story.  

“Did you know?” Tharatchanan’s voice trembled as she continued, “I messaged you earlier today to meet me this evening.”  

“Oh, uh… I was busy with work and didn’t check my messages,” he replied weakly, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. “I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”  

Make it up to me? How laughable.

Tharatchanan smiled sweetly, though her eyes were cold and piercing. “There’s no need for that,” she said, her tone sharp despite her pleasant expression. “It wasn’t anything important, really…”  

Art’s unease grew as he noticed her watching him closely, her tone dangerously calm. “… I just wanted to tell you something.”  

Maintaining her composure, Tharatchanan picked up the glass of water in front of her and, without hesitation, threw its contents straight into his face.  

“Ah!” The woman in the pink dress jumped up in alarm, quickly grabbing a handkerchief to dab Art’s dripping face.  

“Why would you do that to me?” Art hissed, trying to control his expression and temper as curious eyes from across the restaurant turned to watch the scene unfold. “I haven’t done anything!”  

Haven’t done anything

Tharatchanan laughed mockingly, crossing her arms. Her eyes burned with fury as she looked at him.  

“If that’s the case, then next...” she said, plus to take a deep breath, “you should break up with me *before* you started seeing someone else.”  

Her words were calm, but they hit with the force of a slap, leaving Art momentarily speechless.

“Wait, Rak, you’ve got it all wrong!” Art called out, but the woman beside him grabbed his arm, trying to stop him from following. He shook her off and hurried after Tharatchanan.  

“I’m not seeing anyone else; I swear!” he pleaded.  

“Not seeing anyone else? What nonsense!” Tharatchanan shouted back, her voice trembling with fury. “I heard it with my own ears, saw it with my own eyes! You and her—together—making enough noise to shake the whole damn room!”  

Her patience snapped. Embarrassment and restraint no longer mattered as the anger she’d held back came pouring out.  

“You know what? We’re done. Consider this the end—we don’t owe each other anything anymore!”  

“Rak, please, I—” Art tried to grab her hand, desperation clear in his voice.  

“Go to hell, you bastard!” she yelled, wrenching her arm free and storming out of the restaurant.  

The other patrons turned to stare, whispering amongst themselves. But Tharatchanan didn’t care in the slightest. For the first time in what she felt like forever, she felt a weightlift from her chest sense of relief she couldn’t quite explain. She had finally let it all out.