~[Chapter 10] A fresh start~
I didn't sleep that night.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, Santa's words replaying over and over in my mind.
It was her. Ploy filmed you and Liya.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. Smiling at me across the library table. Laughing at my jokes. Holding my hand at the botanical garden.
Had it all been fake?
Or had it been real, and I'd just been too blind to see what I was doing to her?
By the time the sun came up, I'd made my decision.
I needed to talk to her.
I found Ploy in the courtyard near the art building.
She was sitting alone on a bench, earbuds in, scrolling through her phone. She looked... tired. Like she hadn't been sleeping either.
I stood there for a moment, watching her, trying to find the right words.
There weren't any.
"Ploy," I said.
She looked up, and the moment our eyes met, I saw it—guilt. Fear. And something that looked almost like relief.
She pulled out her earbuds slowly.
"Maya."
"We need to talk."
She nodded, her expression resigned.
"I know."
We walked to a quieter spot—a small garden behind the language building where hardly anyone went.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Finally, I said,
"Why?"
Her hands clenched in her lap.
"Maya—"
"Why did you do it?"
My voice was steady, but my hands were shaking.
"You were my friend. I trusted you. So why?"
She looked up at me, and I saw tears gathering in her eyes.
"Because I'm a coward,"
she said, her voice breaking.
"Because I was madly, stupidly in love with you, and you chose her."
I opened my mouth, but she kept going.
"I tried to be okay with it,"
she continued, her voice rising slightly.
"I tried to be the good friend who just supports you from the sidelines. But every time I saw you with her, every time you looked at her the way I wished you'd look at me, it killed me."
Tears were streaming down her face now.
"And then to make matters worst, you just... tossed me aside," she said. "Like I meant nothing. Like all those weeks we spent together didn't matter."
"Ploy—"
"I tried to reach out,"
she said desperately.
"So many times. I called. I texted. I told myself if you just answered, if you just talked to me, maybe I could handle it. Maybe I could move on."
Her voice cracked.
"But you never responded. You were always with her. Always choosing her. And I just... I ran out of patience."
She covered her face with her hands, sobbing.
"I didn't plan it,"
she said through her tears.
"I came to your apartment that day to talk to you. To tell you how I felt. But when I got there and saw you two together..."
She looked up at me, her expression broken.
"I lost it. I was so angry. So hurt. I just... I wanted you to feel what I was feeling. I wanted you to lose her the way I'd lost you."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't mean for it to get this far."
I stood there, watching her cry, feeling my own heart break all over again.
Because I understood.
God help me, I understood exactly what she was feeling.
"I'm sorry,"
I said finally, my voice quiet.
She looked at me, surprised.
"I'm sorry I hurt you,"
I continued.
"I never meant to. I was so wrapped up in my own feelings, in Liya, that I didn't see what I was doing to you."
I took a shaky breath.
"You deserved better than that. You deserved honesty. You deserved someone who could love you back the way you loved me."
"Maya—"
"But what you did,"
I said, my voice hardening slightly,
"—destroyed everything. You didn't just hurt me. You hurt Liya. You exposed us to the entire world. You put our company in jeopardy."
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Because of what you did, liya's gone,"
I said, my voice breaking.
"She's on the other side of the world now. And I don't even know if she's ever coming back."
Ploy looked down at her hands.
"I know. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"I know you are,"
I said quietly.
"But that doesn't change what happened."
I took a step back.
"We can't be friends anymore, Ploy,"
I said.
"I can't trust you. And honestly... I'm scared."
She looked up sharply.
"Scared?"
"Yes. Scared. Scared that if I hurt you again, even by accident, you might do something worse,"
I said honestly.
"You were in pain, and you lashed out. I get that. But I can't put myself in a position where that could happen again."
She stood up, reaching for me.
"Maya, please—"
"I forgive you,"
I said, stepping back.
"I really do. But I can't be your friend."
Her face crumpled, and she sank back onto the bench, sobbing into her hands.
I stood there for a moment, watching her, feeling the weight of everything we'd lost.
Then I turned and walked away.
______
That evening, I sat in my condo, staring at my phone.
I'd been avoiding it all day, but I finally opened Instagram.
I searched for Liya's account.
User not found.
My stomach dropped.
I tried Facebook. Twitter. Even TikTok.
Nothing.
She'd blocked me. On everything.
Or maybe she'd deleted her accounts entirely.
Either way, the message was clear, she didn't want me to find her.
For a moment, I felt that familiar panic rising in my chest—the fear of abandonment, the certainty that I'd lost her forever.
But then something shifted.
I set my phone down and took a deep breath.
Maybe Liya was avoiding me. Maybe she needed space. Maybe she'd decided that loving me wasn't worth the pain it caused.
Or—maybe, just maybe—she was protecting me the only way she knew how to.
Who knows.
I looked around my condo. At the textbooks scattered across my coffee table. At the course syllabus I'd been ignoring for weeks.
I'd spent so much time and energy on other people, on Liya, on Ploy, on trying to navigate everyone else's feelings.
I'd lost myself in the process.
But not anymore.
_____
I pulled out my laptop and opened my university portal.
Upcoming exams. Final projects. Graduation requirements.
I had eight months left until graduation.
Eight months to pull my grades back up. To finish strong. To prove to myself—and to my father—that I was capable of taking over Sĩrĩ Navari.
Because that was the only way forward.
If I had power—real power, not just the illusion of it—I could make my own choices. I could fight back against my parents' control. I could build a life on my own terms.
And maybe, just maybe, I could find my way back to Liya.
But first, I needed to find my way back to myself.
I opened a blank document and started typing.
Business Strategy Final Project Proposal
For the first time in months, I felt something other than pain or fear or exhaustion.
I felt determination.
The next morning, I woke up at 6 AM.
I made coffee. I reviewed my notes. I mapped out a study schedule for the next eight months.
Santa called to check on me.
"Hey," he said. "How are you doing?"
"Better," I said honestly. "I talked to Ploy."
"And?"
"And it's over. We're done."
He was quiet for a moment. "Are you okay?"
"I will be," I said. "I'm focusing on school now. On graduating. And taking over the company."
"That's... ambitious," he said carefully.
"It's necessary," I replied. "If I want any control over my life, I need power. And the only way to get that is to prove I can run Sĩrĩ Navari."
"What about Liya?"
I swallowed hard. "I think she blocked me. On everything."
"Maya—"
"It's okay," I said quickly. "I mean, it's not. But I understand why she did it. And maybe... maybe this is what we both need right now. Space. Time to heal."
I took a deep breath.
"When she's ready—if she's ready—she'll come back. And when she does, I'll be ready too. I'll be stronger. I'll be in a position to actually fight for us."
"And if she doesn't come back?" Santa
asked gently.
The question hung in the air.
"Then at least I'll have built something for myself," I said finally. "At least I'll know I tried."
Over the next few weeks, I threw myself into my studies.
I attended every lecture. Participated in every discussion. Stayed up late working on projects and presentations.
My professors noticed. A few even commented on the change.
"Miss Chantasiri,"
one of them said after class one day.
"Whatever you're doing, keep it up.
This is the best work I've seen from you all semester."
I nodded. "Thank you, Professor."
I stopped going to the canteen during lunch. Too many people. Too many whispers.
Instead, I found quiet corners of the library or ate in empty classrooms.
Santa still checked in regularly, but I kept our conversations brief. I appreciated his support, but I needed to do this on my own.
I saw Ploy once from across the courtyard.
She was with a group of friends, laughing at something someone said.
She looked lighter somehow. Like a weight had been lifted.
I was glad.
I turned and walked the other way.
One evening, after class. I was in my condo reviewing notes for an upcoming exam when my phone buzzed with a news alert.
BREAKING: Former Finance Director Arrested in Sĩrĩ Navari x Chai Luxury Atelier Tax Fraud Case.
I clicked on the notification immediately.
Bangkok —Ronkai Rattanakorn, 47, former senior finance director at Sĩrĩ Navari, has been arrested in connection with the tax fraud investigation. Authorities confirm Rattanakorn was solely responsible for embezzling funds and falsifying documents over two years. Both Sĩrĩ Navari and Chai Luxury Atelier have been cleared of wrongdoing. Stock prices for both companies rose 12% following the news.
I set my phone down, feeling something loosen in my chest.
It was over.
The tax scandal that had been hanging over both families for months—the crisis that had added fuel to the fire when my video dropped—was finally resolved.
I wondered if my father felt relieved. If the Wongchais did.
I wondered if this changed anything.
My phone buzzed again, it was Santa.
Santa: Did you see the news?
Me: Yeah. Just now.
Santa: My parents are celebrating. Yours too, probably.
Me: Probably.
Santa: This is good news, Maya. The companies are stable again.
I stared at his message for a long moment before typing back.
Me: I know.
I set my phone down and let out a deep sigh.
"I wonder if Liya is seeing this right now."
I said to myself.
"She'd be soo happy to know the issue had been resolved."
But then again, I knew the tax scandal being resolved wouldn't fix what was broken. It wouldn't bring Liya back. It wouldn't erase what had happened between our families.
It just meant one less thing standing in the way. I took another deep breath. Then went back to my book.
The next day, I was in the library when voices of two students talking faded in.
"Damn that's hard, but it's well deserving though"
"Right? Cause like how can you steal that amount of money from such a hug company, and expect to just walk out free. Even if he did, he'd have never been able to get a job somewhere better or even close."
"I think that was the whole plan, he wanted to retire, but he probably wasn't expecting getting caught this fast."
"Well I'm just glad Their stock price has gone up again and they're both back on track now."
"I heard one of them is planning some big collaboration with this big company."
I kept my head down, pretending to read, but my ears were locked on their conversation.
"No doubts it's Siri, I mean, who wouldn't want to partner with them after their stock price skyrocketed like that."
"I know right? But didn't the CEO's daughter get caught in that whole relationship scandal?"
"Yeah, Kamaya. She's in our faculty, actually."
"Really? Do you think they're still together though?"
"I don't think so. I heard Liya went back abroad or something like that."
"Damn. That's rough."
"Yeah poor them."
They moved away, and I let out a heavy breath I didn't know I was holding.
The tax scandal may have been over, but my scandal—our scandal—was very much still alive in people's minds.
I sat at my desk, working through a case study for my Strategic Management class when my phone lit up with an email notification.
It was from the university's Career Development Office.
"Dear Miss Chantasiri,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the Executive Leadership Track—a specialized program for students preparing to assume senior management roles in family businesses or corporations.
The program includes mentorship opportunities, exclusive workshops, and direct engagement with industry leaders.
Based on your recent academic performance, we believe you would be an excellent fit.
Please confirm your interest by responding to this email."
I read it twice.
Then I opened a reply and typed:
"Thank you for this opportunity. I am very interested and would like to confirm my participation.
Best regards,Kamaya Chantasiri."
I hit send before I could second-guess myself.
This was it. This was the path forward.
No more waiting for permission. No more hoping someone else would fix things.
I was going to build my own power.
________
Some weeks later, one cold evening after class, I decided to walk home. I needed some fresh air.
The streets were busier than usual, people rushing past with their heads down against the wind. I pulled my jacket tighter and kept walking, lost in thoughts about everything and anything—upcoming exams, the Executive Leadership Track, Liya.
Always Liya.
I got to a traffic stop and waited for the light to change. That was when I saw it.
A huge billboard at the center of the time-square, impossible to miss.
THAILAND LUXURY EXCELLENCE AWARDS RETURNS
The words were printed in bold gold letters against a black background, elegant and commanding.
Below it, in smaller text:
After a three-year hiatus, TLEA is back.
Thailand's most prestigious luxury brand competition resumes next year. Are you ready to prove your excellence?
I stood there, frozen, staring up at the billboard as people pushed past me.
TLEA.
The competition my father had entered years ago, back when I was little, when Jai was still alive. Sĩrĩ Navari had placed second in Heritage Craftsmanship. I remembered how proud he'd been. How it had elevated the brand's reputation almost overnight. I rushed home and immediately searched up more information regarding the competition.
The official announcement was everywhere.
Bangkok — The Thailand Luxury Excellence Awards (TLEA), the nation's most prestigious luxury brand competition, will resume next year after a three-year suspension due to money laundering allegations involving several participating brands.
"We are thrilled to announce TLEA's return,"
said Chairwoman Kanya Methavaree.
"After comprehensive restructuring and implementation of strict financial oversight protocols, we are ready to celebrate Thailand's finest luxury brands once again."
The competition will span two years, divided into four categories: Heritage Craftsmanship, Contemporary Design, Sustainable Innovation, and Market Leadership. Each category will last six months.
Year One will determine the top 20 finalists across all categories. Year Two will narrow the competition to determine first, second, and third place winners in each category.
Participating brands will have one year to prepare their submissions.
"This is the pinnacle of achievement in Thailand's luxury industry,"
Methavaree continued.
"Winning TLEA doesn't just elevate a brand nationally, it establishes dominance on the international stage. We expect this to be the most competitive TLEA in history."
I stared at the screen, my heart pounding.
TLEA.
______
The next morning, I woke up to a text from Santa,
Santa: did you see the news at time-square?
Me: yeah I did, it's all over the news too.
Santa: duh, it's a big deal. My parents has called an emergency meeting. They're entering TLEA.
My stomach dropped.
Me: Mine probably will too.
Santa: Maya... you know what this means, right?
I did know. Sĩrĩ Navari and Chai Luxury Atelier, competing head-to-head for the most prestigious award in Thailand's luxury industry.