For a moment—
The smile on her lips stiffened.
Not gone.
But strained.
Because even while holding her in his arms…
Her husband was looking at someone else.
The music continued, soft and elegant.
But something had shifted.
Phalin slowly lifted her head from Chak's chest.
Her eyes remained on me.
Not curious.
Not confused.
Certain.
The kind of certainty that made my stomach tighten.
The dance ended with a final graceful turn.
Applause filled the room.
Guests smiled, glasses lifted, cameras flashed.
But Phalin didn't step away from Chak.
Instead, she kept holding his hand.
And then—
She began walking.
Not toward the guests.
Not toward their table.
Toward mine.
The entire room seemed to quiet slightly as she approached.
My heartbeat started to pound in my ears.
Taeng straightened beside me.
Pim stopped mid-sip.
Non lowered his glass slowly.
Phalin stopped directly in front of me.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
"Can I ask you something, Niran?" she said smoothly.
Every pair of eyes at our table lifted.
My throat felt dry.
"Of course," I replied.
She tilted her head slightly.
A polite smile curved her lips, but her eyes were sharp.
"Do you love my husband?"
The question fell into the room like a stone into still water.
Silence spread outward.
The music faded to the background.
Some nearby guests turned their heads.
Others leaned slightly closer.
Waiting.
My chest tightened so hard it almost hurt.
For a moment I couldn't breathe.
I felt Chak's gaze immediately.
Burning.
Intense.
But I didn't look at him.
I kept my eyes on Phalin.
My fingers slowly curled around the edge of the table.
"No," I said quietly.
The word felt heavy in my mouth.
But it came out steady.
"I don't."
A ripple of whispers moved through the nearby guests.
Phalin studied my face carefully.
Searching.
Measuring.
Trying to see through the answer.
For a long second she didn't say anything.
Then she nodded slowly.
"I see."
But something in her voice said she didn't believe me.
Behind her, Chak suddenly moved.
The sound of his chair sliding back cut through the quiet room.
Every head turned.
He walked forward.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Straight toward us.
My heart started racing.
Chak stopped in front of me.
Close enough that I could see the tension in his jaw.
Close enough that I could feel the warmth of him.
For a moment we just stood there.
The entire reception hall watching.
Phalin looked between us.
Confusion flickering across her face.
"Chak?" she said.
He didn't look at her.
His eyes were only on me.
And before anyone could understand what was happening—
He reached forward.
His hand slid behind my neck.
Pulling me toward him.
Our lips met.
The world exploded.
Gasps.
Shocked whispers.
A glass shattered somewhere across the room.
But Chak didn't pull away.
The kiss wasn't hesitant.
It wasn't hidden.
It was firm.
Certain.
Public.
His fingers tightened slightly in my hair as he deepened the kiss for a brief, breathless moment.
Then he finally pulled back.
The room was dead silent.
Dozens of stunned faces stared at us.
Guests.
Family.
Journalists.
Phalin.
Her face had gone completely pale.
Chak kept one hand resting lightly at the back of my neck.
His voice was calm when he finally spoke.
But it carried across the entire hall.
"Now everyone knows the answer."
Phalin didn't move.
For a moment it looked like the entire world had stopped breathing with her.
The music had faded into silence.
Conversations had died mid-sentence.
Even the waiters stood frozen with trays in their hands.
Every eye in the room was fixed on us.
On Chak.
On me.
And on the woman standing between us.
Phalin's fingers slowly loosened at her sides.
Her expression remained composed… but the shock in her eyes was impossible to hide.
"You…" she whispered.
Her gaze moved from Chak… to me… then back again.
"You just kissed him."
It wasn't a question.
Chak didn't let go of me.
His hand still rested lightly behind my neck, steady and warm, like he refused to pretend anymore.
"Yes," he said calmly.
A wave of murmurs spread through the guests.
Phones were already rising.
Journalists stepped closer.
Someone whispered loudly, "Did you see that?"
Phalin let out a small, disbelieving laugh.
"You must be joking."
Her eyes sharpened again, searching his face.
"This is some kind of… dramatic gesture, right?" she continued. "Because of the tension tonight. Because of the stress."
She looked at the guests, forcing a thin smile.
"My husband likes making bold jokes."
But no one laughed.
Chak finally turned his head and looked at her.
The softness that had been in his eyes when he looked at me disappeared.
"It's not a joke," he said.
The words landed like thunder.
Phalin's smile cracked.
"You're my husband," she replied quietly, her voice suddenly colder.
"And he—" her gaze flicked toward me "—is a guest."
Chak didn't hesitate.
"He's the person I love."
The room erupted.
Whispers burst into shocked chatter.
Someone gasped loudly.
A camera flash exploded in the corner.
Phalin's composure finally fractured.
Her eyes widened.
"You're humiliating me," she said sharply.
"No," Chak replied.
"I'm finally being honest."
Behind us, I heard Taeng exhale slowly.
Pim muttered something under her breath.
Non leaned back in his chair like he had just witnessed a bomb explode.
Chai stared at Chak with wide eyes.
Malai pressed her lips together, stunned.
Chak's mother looked between us, her hand slowly covering her mouth.
Vikran glanced at Anamarija, who stood very still, watching everything unfold with quiet intensity.
Phalin took a slow step closer to Chak.
"So this is what tonight was about," she said.
Her voice had lost its elegance now.
It carried sharp edges.
"Your little… secret."
Chak didn't move.
"It's not little," he said.
"And it's not a secret anymore."
Another wave of whispers rolled through the crowd.
Phalin's eyes flicked toward the journalists.
The cameras.
The guests.
The scandal spreading like wildfire.
Then her gaze slowly returned to me.
Cold.
Cutting.
"So it's you."
My chest tightened.
I forced myself not to look away.
"Yes," Chak answered before I could speak.
Her laugh this time was brittle.
"Incredible."
She straightened her shoulders, reclaiming the poise she had lost only moments ago.
"You realize what you've just done?" she said quietly.
Chak didn't flinch.
"Yes."
Phalin looked around the room once more.
At the guests.
At the cameras.
At the ruined perfection of her wedding night.
Then she lifted her chin.
"If this is the game you want to play," she said softly, "then let's see how long this love survives the world you're about to face."
Her eyes locked with mine one last time.
"Take good care of him," she added coldly.
"Because the world outside this room won't be kind to either of you."
And with that—
She turned.
Her heels echoed sharply across the silent hall as she walked away.
The doors closed behind her.
But the storm she left behind had only just begun.
The doors closed behind her.
But the storm she left behind had only just begun.
For a moment I couldn't move.
My thoughts spun wildly in my head.
Phalin's words echoed over and over.
Let's see how long this love survives the world you're about to face.
The world outside this room.
The cameras.
The whispers.
The scandal that would spread before morning.
My chest tightened.
What have we done?
I barely heard the voices around us anymore.
Guests whispering.
Journalists arguing quietly.
Someone calling for security.
Everything felt distant.
Blurry.
Like I was standing in the middle of a dream that was about to turn into a nightmare.
A sharp nudge hit my arm.
I startled.
Taeng.
He was staring at me with wide eyes.
"Hey," he muttered under his breath. "Earth to Niran."
I blinked, trying to focus. Thank God that was just my imagination.
My gaze lifted automatically.
And froze.
Across the hall—
Phalin and Chak.
Phalin and Chak were still dancing.
She was watching me and Chak.
And the look on her face made my stomach drop.
She looked… satisfied.
Like someone who had just confirmed something she had suspected all along.
Slowly, deliberately, she turned back toward Chak.
Then she stepped closer to him.
Before anyone could react—
She reached up, grabbed the front of his blazer, and pulled him down.
And kissed him.
Right there.
In front of everyone.
Gasps exploded through the hall again.
Cameras flashed wildly.
My heart dropped straight into my stomach.
Chak stiffened instantly.
His hands didn't move.
He didn't kiss her back.
But he didn't push her away fast enough either.
And somehow that hurt just as much.
I felt something crack inside my chest.
That was enough.
"Let's go," I said suddenly.
My voice sounded hoarse.
Taeng turned to me. "What?"
I pushed my chair back.
The legs scraped loudly against the floor.
"I said let's go."
Pim frowned. "Niran—"
"I don't want to stay here anymore."
My throat burned.
"I don't want to watch this."
The words came out sharper than I meant.
Taeng stood immediately.
"Alright," he said quietly.
Non grabbed his jacket.
Amara slipped her phone into her purse.
Pim glanced once toward the dance floor, then back at me.
"Okay," she said softly.
I watched Anamarija stand up from our table.
She looked once more toward the dance floor.
Toward Chak.
Toward Phalin.
Her expression remained calm, almost unreadable.
Then she turned to us.
"Come with me," she said quietly. "I'll just say goodbye."
None of us argued.
Taeng stood up first.
Non followed.
Pim and Amara grabbed their bags, and I slowly rose from my chair as well.
Together, we walked across the reception hall with her.
The sound of the music felt distant now, like it belonged to another world.
People were still watching the dance floor, but a few guests noticed us passing and whispered quietly.
Anamarija stopped when we reached Chak's family.
First, she faced Chak's mother.
"I'm leaving," she said gently.
Chak's mother looked surprised. "Already?"
Anamarija smiled softly.
"Yes. It's been a long day."
For a moment they just looked at each other. Then Chak's mother stepped forward and pulled her into a warm hug.
"Take care of yourself," she whispered.
"I will," Anamarija replied quietly.
Next she turned to Chai.
He still looked slightly shaken from everything that had happened earlier.
"Try not to cause too much trouble," she teased lightly.
Chai gave a small snort.
"You say that like you're not the worst one."
But he hugged her anyway.
Malai stepped forward next and embraced her as well.
"Text me," Malai said.
"I will," Anamarija answered.
Finally, her eyes lifted to Chak.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The silence between them felt heavy.
Like there were too many things left unsaid.
Then Anamarija stepped closer and hugged him.
Chak hugged her back.
Brief.
But firm.
When they pulled away, she said quietly, "Good luck."
Chak nodded slightly, his jaw tight.
Then Anamarija turned around.
And started walking toward the exit.
We followed just a step behind her.
She walked straight past Phalin.
Like she didn't even notice her standing there.
Like she wasn't even part of the room.
It was so obvious that several guests began whispering.
Phalin's eyes locked onto Anamarija immediately.
The anger on her face was impossible to hide.
Her lips pressed together tightly as Anamarija passed without a single glance.
Just as we were about to reach the doors—
A sharp voice cut through the air.
"Excuse me."
Anamarija stopped.
We all turned.
Phalin's father was standing a few meters away, his expression cold and displeased.
"What kind of behavior is this?" he said sternly.
The nearby conversations started to fade as people turned to watch.
"You are leaving my daughter's wedding," he continued, "without even saying goodbye to her?"
For a moment Anamarija simply looked at him.
Then she smiled.
Calm.
Unbothered.
"Oh," she said lightly.
"I didn't see her."
Her eyes briefly flicked toward Phalin.
Her smile didn't disappear.
"Drama princess."
A wave of shocked whispers spread through the guests.
Phalin's father stiffened immediately.
"Do not use that term for my daughter," he said sharply.
But Anamarija only kept that same calm smile on her face.
And beside me, Taeng muttered under his breath,
"Oh… this is going to get interesting."