Chapter 10

Freen returned home that night, the silence of the house echoing against her restless mind. Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and dialed Namtan’s number, her voice sharp and urgent the moment the line connected.

“Namtan, I need your help.”

On the other end, Namtan groaned, her words muffled with sleep. “Freen, do you even realize what time it is? I just want to sleep. Tomorrow, okay? I promise I’ll help you tomorrow.” She rubbed her eyes, fighting the heaviness pulling her into slumber.

“I need your help now, Namtan Tipnaree,” Freen pressed, her voice firm and commanding.

Namtan gritted her teeth, her tone snapping. “Freen, it’s 2:30 in the morning.”

“I’ll buy you the latest sports car.”

The line went quiet for a second, and then Namtan’s sleepiness evaporated. Her eyes widened in excitement, though Freen couldn’t see her sudden burst of energy. “Alright, I’m awake. I’ll help you right now. Just tell me what do you want me to do?”

“Find out what really happened that night at the hotel,” Freen said steadily. “The night Becky had that incident with that man. I don’t need to tell you a detail about it. I bet you already know what I expect.”

There was a pause before Namtan asked, more softly this time, “Are you sure you want to dig into this? Once you know the truth, there’s no turning back.”

Freen closed her eyes, bracing herself. “I’m ready for whatever consequences come with it.”

“Alright then… give me two days.”

“One day,” Freen cut her off, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. She ended the call abruptly, letting her phone fall onto the couch beside her as she sank into the cushions. Thoughts of Becky and the triplets flooded her mind, pulling her into a whirlpool of emotions she couldn’t shake.

—

Meanwhile, Becky’s morning was a storm of responsibilities. Not only was she caring for her sick son, but she was also trying to juggle her workload from the hospital. The pressure weighed heavily on her, but she forced herself to keep moving.

“Mommy, I want to pee,” Fastian muttered weakly.

Becky immediately set her laptop aside and guided him to the bathroom, crouching to help him before returning to wash her hands. “Go back to your bed, sweetheart,” she said gently, drying her hands on a towel.

“I don’t want to rest at bed anymore. I want to sit near mommy,” he insisted, his little hand clutching hers.

Becky smiled faintly and led him back to the couch. “Alright then, sit here beside Mommy.”

He plopped down, leaning against her as she reopened her laptop. Within seconds, his small voice returned. “Mommy, I’m bored. There are no toys here. No Phi Rox, no Nong Nareeh…”

Her heart softened. She brushed his hair back and kissed his cheek. “Just hold on for two more days, Tian, okay?”

“But Mommy, can you call Phi Rox and Nong Nareeh now?”

She glanced at the clock on the wall it was only 7:00 a.m. “They’re still asleep, Tian. Mommy usually wakes them up at 7:30 if they have school.”

“Wake them up now,” he pleaded.

Becky shook her head. “No, baby. Mommy wants them to have enough rest before they start their day.”

He pouted. “But I want to talk to them…”

“Later, I promise.” She turned her focus back to her screen, letting him watch cartoons on the hospital television while she typed.

Just then, her phone rang. She answered quickly, her expression softening when she heard the cheerful voice.

“Good morning, Becky!!” Fay chimed brightly.

“Good morning. Are my children awake already?” Becky asked eagerly.

“Yes, they’re having breakfast with Sana and Lisa,” Fay replied.

“How about you and Tian? Did you both already eat?” asked Fay.

“We already did,” Becky replied, adjusting the blanket over Fastian.

Before she could say more, a familiar little voice called out through the phone. “Mommy!”

Becky’s heart melted. Fay handed the phone to Fahnareeh, whose wide smile filled the screen. “Mommy, I miss you.”

“I miss you too, baby girl. Where’s Phi Rox?”

Fosbein’s face appeared suddenly, making Becky beam. “My handsome boy.”

“I’m handsome too, Mommy!” Fastian interrupted with a huff.

Becky laughed softly. “Of course you are, sweetheart. Mommy already knows that.”

The triplets began chattering, filling the call with warmth.

“Mommy, can we visit after school?” Fosbein asked.

“Of course, my love.”

Fastian leaned toward the screen. “Bring some toys for me!”

“Do you want my animal plushie?” Fahnareeh offered sweetly.

“No. That’s not my kind of toy,” Fastian said firmly.

“Then what do you want me to bring?” Fosbein asked.

“A sword, a sniper, a truck, and many more!”

Becky quickly interrupted him. “Not too many, Rox. Just two toys will do.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

They chatted more, Fahnareeh munching on cookies while Fosbein spoke between bites of pancakes Sana was preparing. Becky listened intently, asking questions about their morning and stories they wanted to share.

As the call continued, Becky sliced apples for Fastian, who munched happily while talking to his siblings.

“It’s nice, Phi Rox,” Fastian said seriously. “We need more trucks to help our dinosaurs.”

“Ask Mommy,” Fosbein replied.

“Mommy won’t buy us more toys,” Fahnareeh sighed.

Becky chuckled. “This will be the last toy for the month. You all already have so many. I don’t even know where to put them anymore.”

“I want an expensive one!” Fastian exclaimed.

“You’ll make Mommy run out of money,” Fahnareeh teased with a cookie in her mouth. “We need to ask Daddy instead.”

Fastian frowned, his face clouding with frustration. “Nong Nareeh, our daddy doesn’t love us. Look! until now, she hasn’t even seen us.”

“Our daddy is just busy with her work,” Fahnareeh tried to reason softly.

But Fastian shook his head, glaring. Then, with innocent seriousness, he turned to Becky. “Can we just buy a new daddy, Mommy? Our daddy doesn’t love us. If she did, she would show up.”