One Fine Night

"Go away! Get as far away from this house as possible and never return!" Paeng threw two big bags into the yard while Charita was confused.

"What, what are you doing, Paeng? Why did you pack all my clothes, as well as my daughter's, then throw them like this." Charita ran to get her big bag.

"Hey! Are you so stupid that you don't know what's happening, Charita!" Paeng laughed smugly, her evil expression like a stepmother in a classic fairy tale.

"Tell me what you mean?"

Paeng approached Charita, and the woman glared in a low voice. "You don't know? After my brother died, you and your daughter are no longer of any value in this house, so you should leave. You are no longer part of the Parthatap family." She looked very fierce when she said it.

"No way." Charita refused to understand. "My husband died just two days before, and tonight you're kicking us out? Isn't Chali the sole heir to this house?"

"Hey, stupid woman. You can't say without proof, what do you have to be like this? I reiterate that you and Bella are not part of the Parthatap family anymore. Do you understand?"

Charita shook her head. "Chali once showed me that he is the sole owner of this house. How can you evict his wife and daughter? I will contact the family lawyer."

Just as Charita was about to call someone, Paeng snatched the cell phone, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it until the screen cracked.

"Paeng! You've gone too far!" Charita screamed in panic.

Paeng laughed. She has no human heart to be so mean. "You just realized? I've never liked you as a sister-in-law, and this situation has been coming long."

Charita's eyes turned red, and she almost cried as she picked up her broken cell phone. "How could you change like this?"

"Shh. Shut up. I'm tired of acting."

From the direction of the gate, a taxi stopped. Bella appeared there, and the girl had just attended the evening lecture. Bella frowned, seeing her mother and aunt in the courtyard in a strange situation.

"What's going on now?" Bella muttered softly, and she ran over to Charita. It turned out that the woman was already crying. "Oh, my Mom. What happened? Why are you crying?"

"It's good that you're finally home, Bella," Paeng spoke, showing no mercy to them. "Quickly take your mother away from this place."

Bella was confused. "But why, why would I leave?"

"Not only your mom, but you should follow her too. Get lost, and I'm tired of seeing you living in this house." Paeng was about to leave, but Bella quickly prevented him. Paeng was annoyed and pulled his hand from Bella's choke. "Don't touch me!"

"Tell me what happened, Auntie? Why is my mom crying? Why did you kick us out?"

"You don't understand yet?" Paeng looked at Charita. "Hey, sister-in-law. It will help if you say something to your daughter. Why cry?"

"Please, Auntie. Just tell me what happened." Bella pleaded. She could not bear to see Charita crying.

"Fine if you insist." Paeng grinned. "Starting tonight, you and your mother are not part of Parthatap's extended family, and I'm expelling you both, so get out of here!" Paeng's voice rose at the end.

"Expel?" The thick books that Bella had been clutching finally fell to the ground. She was pretty surprised to hear all that. "But, why, isn't everything fine? What did me and Mom do wrong that Auntie did this?"

"Bella, never mind." Charita's voice was heard. Bella turned her head and approached the woman.

"But, Mom. What's wrong? Why is Aunt Paeng doing this?"

Charita shook her head, and she chose to pick up Bella's books.

The sound of a car horn was heard from the gate. Paeng's daughter had just come home, the elegant Balila Parthatap.

Paeng smiled broadly when Balila exited the car after the driver opened the door for her. Balila was born five months when Bella turned a year old.

"My beautiful daughter, you're finally back." Paeng hugged Balila and kissed his forehead. "How was your day?"

"Everything was fine, Mom."

Balila gasped at the strange scene before him, a crying Charita and Bella staring intently at Paeng and Balila.

"What's going on here?" Balila looked at Paeng. "What's wrong with them, Mom?"

Paeng invites Balila to stop. She lifts her chin and looks back at Bella and Charita with hatred. "They don't deserve to live in this house, so they should leave as far away as possible."

"What?" Balila was surprised. "But, why kick them out? They are part of the Parthatap family, ma'am."

"Not anymore." Paeng shook his head.

"Do you know?"

"We've been discussing it since your uncle died."

"You've gone mad!" Charita suddenly screamed. She quickly pushed Paeng until her sister-in-law fell to the ground. "You are so evil, Paeng! You're so vile!"

"MOM!!!" Bella and Balila shouted together. Bella pulled Charita back while Balila helped her mother to stand up.

"How dare you do that!" Paeng could not accept Charita's rude behavior, he approached and intended to slap his sister-in-law, but it was not Charita's face that was successfully touched by Paeng's hand. Still, Bella's face, the girl was already standing ready before Charita.

"Mom!" Balila shouted again. Her heart was too soft to witness every bad thing tonight. "Already, Mom. Don't hit Bella, and there's no need for this." She pulled Paeng back.

While Bella was still silent, she did not move even though her face felt hot. Charita hugged Bella, and she cried hard again.

"Already, Bella. It's over. You don't need to be like this, and you don't deserve it. If they want this house, just let go, mom can accept all this. Don't let them hurt you, child."

"I just want to hear the reason, Mom. Did you know about this before?"

Charita shook her head. "We have to go now, and I don't want to see you being abused again. That's enough, Bella. I understand."

"Go away, you guys! Get out of this house! My husband and I won't let you come back again, get as far away as possible!" Paeng yelled and glared, he pointed at the gate, and even the driver didn't dare to fight Paeng. The man could only watch as Charita forced Bella to make them leave.

"Mom is fine, Bella. Trust me, and we will be fine." Charita tried to make Bella relent, but without saying much, the girl followed her mother's wishes. They left armed with two large bags without knowing more about the real reason for tonight's forced eviction.

When Bella's steps stopped behind the gate, she saw Paeng one last time before the woman invited Balila into the house that had been Bella's residence for more than twenty years.

"Mom, what should we do after this? Where are we going to live?"

This a classic question that made Charita take a deep breath.

***

Bella cried. She got the following bad news, let's call it a definitive verdict that Bella could not refuse.

Bella was officially expelled from the university this morning, the university representatives only said that they couldn't help Bella anymore, but anyone would know that the Parthatap family is the biggest supplier of funds for the university.

Mikky hugged her, and she let Bella cry without asking more questions. Only Mikky could understand Bella since they became close friends two years ago.

University exams are coming soon, but Bella has to accept bad decisions like this unilaterally. She can't just bury her little dream.

"They did it, Mikky. They let me go for no apparent reason. Why do so many bad things come to me every day?" Bella raised her face, looking wet. She shook her head and continued to speak, protesting in front of Mikky, who only listened without intending to interrupt her. "What should I do after this? How do I explain to mom if her daughter is expelled from university?"

"This is beyond prediction, and I didn't expect that your aunt's family would be behind everything. I'm sorry for you, Bella. How should I help you?"

Bella was silent, and she wiped her tears. The other students made the girl a free spectacle.

Balila stood from afar, watching Bella and Mikky's interaction. The girl seemed to know something terrible had happened to her sister today. Balila looked down, and she seemed to regret it.

"What should I do, Bella? Everything happened so fast. I can't go against Mom and Dad's decision, but how could I see you cry that much?" Balila decided to come closer as Bella and Mikky sat on a long metal chair at the side of the campus corridor.

"I was too shocked to think properly."

"You need to calm down, Bella. Breathe slowly, and you can do it."

Bella nodded. Even though she was still crying, she still followed Mikky's orders.

"If you feel calmer, you can think properly." Mikky hugged her. "Tell me if I have to help with something. You don't have to be shy with your best friend, Bella."

"Bad things are coming one after another, making me suspicious again if I hear the same thing after this. Can I take it any further, Mikky? How can this woman do it?"

Balila was already standing near them, and she silently watched the interaction until Mikky noticed Balila's presence and slowly released his hug on Bella.

"She's here," Mikky said.

"Who?" Bella turned her head, and she moved to face Balila.

"Sister Bella, I–"

"You already know about this, Balila?" Bella seemed to lose her temper, and she grabbed Balila's arm. "You must know this must be your mother's doing, right? Tell me, Balila. Explain it to me now." Bella did not hesitate to shake her.

"Bella, calm down. You're hurting her, and she's whimpering." Mikky tried to remind her when she saw the look of pain on Balila's face.

Bella let her go, but she continued to question Balila. "What are your mother's plans, Balila." She corrected her words. "No, what are your parents' plans besides Aunt Paeng, Uncle Nabdao also knows, right? Tell me now if you still consider the sisterhood between us."

The girl looked down front at Bella, and she looked scared and confused while facing this situation. She realized that anger was burning Bella, even though Balila knew all her parents' plans, but did Bella have to know?

"Balila, tell me. Don't you still consider me your dearest sister? Come on, say it." Bella touched her back, just gently enough without a grip. While Mikky watched them, she feared Bella would act rudely.

If Bella thought Balila would say something based on their sisterhood, the girl had to swallow disappointment because Balila shook her head.

"I don't know, Sister Bella. Mom and Dad didn't tell me anything."

"Really? Then look me in the eye, speak honestly if you have nothing to hide, and don't look down."

Balila swallowed. She ventured to stare at the flames in Bella's eyes. Had body trembled. Although Bella's character seemed gentle, the girl's anger continuously erupted as if it had crossed the limit of her patience.

"Are you going to repeat it?" asked Bella.

"I don't know anything about my parents' plans, Sister Bella."

"You look at her, Mikky." Suddenly, Bella laughed blandly. "Even my sister would lie. Even if she remembered memories of us swapping clothes or borrowing toys as children, she would still lie to me."

"Bella, maybe Balila doesn't know anything. You can't force her," Mikky said.

Bella looked at Balila with a fierce, suspicious gaze. "I should have asked Aunt Paeng and Uncle Nabdao directly, and I'll do it now."

"Bella, are you going to leave under these circumstances? No, Bella. Hold yourself together." Mikky tried to stop her, but Bella had already hardened her heart and turned a deaf ear. She didn't care anymore.

Bella stayed out of the way, running away from the main corridor. She had to reach justice again.

***

When Bella went to MP Group, the security barred her from entering even though they knew that Chali Parthapat–Bella's father–had previously been the company's CEO before it passed into Nabdao Parthapat's hands.

When Bella asked for an explanation, they said that Bella and her mother could no longer access the place after her uncle replaced the CEO position.

Bella was almost shocked, but she had no intention of fighting or protesting more. If Nabdao restricted her like this, then Bella would go after Paeng.

The girl decided to come to the Parthapat family mansion after returning from MP Group, but the house security also prevented her from entering.

"Why is everyone doing this to me!" Bella snapped at the security guard as she kept being pulled away from the gate.

"Miss, I'm sorry, I was forced to follow Mrs. Paeng's orders. I still want to work there." The security guard was named Jirawat, he felt sorry for Bella's condition, but Jirawat really couldn't do much.

"If it's really like that, you should close your ears," said Bella.

"What will you do?"

"AUNTIE PAENG!!! AUNTIE PAENG, COME OUT NOW, AND I'M WAITING FOR YOU OUTSIDE!!!" Bella shouted so loudly that Jirawat covered her ears. The girl had not lost her mind to seek attention. "Aunt Paeng, come out now!"

The commotion outside the house ruined Paeng's focus when she was busy opening the weekly magazine, she was already eyeing a new bag to buy, but Bella's voice ruined her good mood.

Together with the two house assistants, Paeng met Bella, who was still standing behind the gate with Jirawat.

Paeng then chuckled at the sight of Bella. She look her and smiled a dismissive look wryly.

"What are you shouting in front of my house for? I can't revoke the decision that you and your mother no longer live in this place, so leave, Bella."

The girl gripped the iron gate. "Mom and I have left as you wish, but how could Auntie revoke my student status at the college as well? Why would you do that? What do you plan to do? We've suffered enough now."

Paeng laughed, but the two assistants and Jirawat were silent. This was not a funny situation to laugh at. Paeng did have a hard heart.

"Persecuted? Really, but I don't think you've realized everything yet, Bella. Don't let you cry blood, and I don't want to see it."

"What do you mean, Auntie."

Paeng approached, and the main gate became a barrier between them. "After Chula's death, you and your mother can no longer find happiness in the world, and no one will accept you because I want to see you and your mother miserable forever."

***

A dam with rushing water underneath, and there is a long bridge spanning it. Bella decided to come to this place because she felt stressed responding to Paeng and Nabdao's evil deeds that suddenly treated her without justice, whereas while Chali was alive, everyone was kind and warm.

Now, Bella's world was turned upside down quickly just a few nights after the cremation ceremony of the late Chali Parthatap.

Even the pain of losing her beloved father still fills Bella's heart, but she is forced to understand the strange situation as it unfolds.

"Father, what happened? Why did Uncle Nabdao and Aunt Paeng's attitudes suddenly change? It's like the world turned its back on me after you left." Bella wailed. She stood still, staring at the rushing water from the side of the bridge. The girl looked down with a pale face, the traces of crying still visible there.

"Dad, how do I tell Mom that her daughter can't take the exam because she was expelled? How do I tell Mom the truth? I can't see the disappointment on her face, and I'm having trouble, Father."

Bella covered her face, and she cried again. It looks like today will be filled with many tears.

"I'm scared, Dad. I'm afraid of ruining Mom's expectations. Should I lie?"

The girl was suddenly silent, and she began to be carried away by the rushing water. Then crazy thoughts started to appear when every painful word from Paeng buzzed in Bella's ears.

"Dad, should I just follow you?"

A black Porsche was traveling at a moderate speed from a different direction but was about to cross the bridge path.

A man with a black jacket emblazoned with Metallica was sitting relaxed, driving. He also had music on in his car.

The man frowns when he sees a woman standing on the side of the bridge, then gestures like when someone is about to jump into a swimming pool.

"She's going to swim, yeah," he muttered.

However, three seconds later, the man realized something. He glared and stepped on the gas pedal to make the car go faster before stopping on the other side of the dam.

"IS SHE CRAZY!!!"

As fast as the wind, the man got out of the car and ran towards Bella, who seemed to be about to jump into the water; without much thought, the man lifted Bella's body from behind before she had time to jump, every second is precious in critical situations like this.

The stranger managed to pull back to within a meter of the edge of the dam which almost made him witness someone commit suicide while the young girl struggled to be lowered.

"Let go of me! Let go! Are you crazy!" Bella snapped and clawed at the hands wrapped around her waist before being lowered.

"Crazy? Isn't such an accusation on you right now, you crazy one!" The man snapped back. They locked eyes as Bella turned her body around. "You don't think I'd know if you wanted to jump down, do you?"

"None of your business. Get lost." Bella was about to approach the edge of the bridge again, but the man grabbed her wrist. "Let go of me, you hear!"

"No! Whatever your problem is, don't kill yourself!"

"I'll repeat it, and it's none of your business. You don't need to take care of other people's problems. Get out of here!"

"Then, you're going to jump, aren't you? You'll be free to do so if I leave now." The man clucked. "Stop fooling others, and you should be thinking now. Take a deep breath, then let it out."

"Stop giving advice." Bella was busy pulling her hands free from the stranger's choke hold. "Can you let go? What you're doing is hurting other people."

Bella's pitiable expression makes the man melt and release the choke, but when Bella suddenly runs toward the edge of the bridge, he realizes he has missed the woman's trickery.

"Damn it!"

Not wanting to be lied to again, he chased after Bella, pulling her from behind before lifting her bridal style.

"Hey! Let go of me! You can't do that! Who are you!" Bella was busy struggling, her hands clenched into fists and hitting the man's back.

Although Bella was eager to hit him, the man chose to remain silent, and he continued to walk across the bridge toward his car.

There was no hesitation when the man dropped Bella off at the side of the car, opened the door, and forced Bella to get in.

"Get in."

"No way! Who are you to treat me like this? Leave me alone." Bella was still struggling, she tried to put on a pleading expression like before, but the man was no longer touched. He already understood the girl's trickery.

"Come in, or I'll throw you into the tiger cage," the man threatened.

"You've gone mad!"

Bella was forced inside, and the man didn't hesitate to buckle her in. Their faces were very close as he looked down, then lifted his face and stared at her intently. His brown irises were like the edge of a knife pointed at Bella.

As if hypnotized, Bella no longer spoke and was silent.

"Stay calm. Let me take you away from this place," said the strange man before closing the door and running around the car. Now he was sitting behind the wheel while Bella's condition was still the same, silent.

The car drove off, and they drove off the bridge.

During the trip, both of them were silent, and the atmosphere inside became very calm. The hypnotic effect seemed to bind Bella's body still.

"I don't know who you are, but it wouldn't be wise for you to commit suicide." The man finally spoke. "Didn't it cross your mind that such a crazy thing happened-how? Would your parents have to deal with it?"

Bella remained silent, her gaze blank.

"How much trouble are you in that you would give up? Whatever it is, please think things through calmly. Suicide is not wise."

The car's speed slowed when it encountered the hubbub of a traditional market, and the man chuckled because he felt he had cut the wrong way.

"Being away from Bangkok for so long has made me forget some things."

Bella turned her head, and they locked eyes, but the girl made no sound.

"How to get out of the crowd on a crowded market street like this, do you know?" the man asked.

Along the way, they continued to find many people stepping on the narrow streets, making the movement of cars very limited.

"Aren't they afraid of having their body parts touched by oncoming cars?" The man chuckled in frustration. "Ah! This sucks."

Despite pressing the horn, the marketgoers passing in front of the car didn't seem bothered. They continued their activities. The man finally relented, deciding to stop because it was impossible to squeeze through the crowd in the middle of the road.

"I need to pee," Bella said after a long silence.

"You?"

"What? I can't do it, you mean?" Bella frowned.

"That's not what I mean, and you don't intend to kill yourself in a public restroom, do you?"

Bella laughed. "Is that all you have in mind? I can't hold it in any longer." She unbuckled her seat belt as the stranger got out and circled the car, the door beside Bella opening.

"I have to make sure once again you don't intend to kill yourself in a public restroom, do you?" The man was very anxious, and Bella seemed touched by how the two human characters were opposite.

First, the family that was so close to her for a long time suddenly betrayed and tried to make Bella and Charita's lives miserable.

Secondly, the strange man she had just met for the first time showed an excellent attitude with all his attention.

Bella's eyes were sad again, and she looked down silently.

"Why are you silent? You're not sure of your answer?" the man asked.

Bella shook her head. "No, I don't intend to kill myself in the toilet. You don't have to worry about me. Just take care of yourself."

"I already took care of myself."

"Never mind, I have to find a public restroom." Bella left just like that, and she broke through the crowd among the crowds of merchants and shoppers at the rows of vegetable stalls and other goods.

"I hope she comes to her senses, and I hope she won't go back to that bridge." The man got back into the car, believing the girl would not return to him and report that she had finished urinating.

***