Chapter 7: The Confrontation

The story Tharin told about Rafah’s family left Petra speechless. She had never known any of it, and she had never imagined that Rafah’s seemingly flawless life was scarred by wounds so deep.

Then, without warning, a woman passing by their table stumbled and lurched straight into Petra. A full cup of iced coffee spilled across Petra’s clothes, soaking the fabric in seconds.

Petra sprang to her feet in shock.

“Hey!” Tharin shouted, her voice loud enough to draw attention from nearby tables.

But instead of apologizing, a slow, cold smile crept across the woman’s lips.

“Khun Phat.”

Petra froze.

Standing in front of her was Napassorn Siwakarn, the same woman she had seen beside Rafah at the fundraising gala that night.

Napassorn gave a faint smile. Her sharp eyes swept Petra from head to toe, lingering with open disdain. She lazily swung the now empty coffee cup in her hand, making sure Petra noticed, before letting it drop onto the table with a dull thud.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” she said lightly. “It just slipped out of my hand.”

Tharin shot to her feet. “Hey. What the hell are you doing?”

Petra reached out quickly and grabbed her friend’s arm, stopping her. She did not want the situation to escalate. Deep down, she already knew this had everything to do with Rafah.

Napassorn shrugged as if none of it mattered. Her gaze was laced with contempt, as though Petra were something beneath notice. She stepped closer, close enough that the expensive scent of her perfume brushed Petra’s senses. Tilting her head slightly, she lowered her voice, making sure only Petra could hear.

“As for Rafah, don’t even think for a second that someone like you can compete with someone like me.”

With that, Napassorn turned as if to leave. The smile never left her lips, the smile of someone convinced she had already won.

But Petra did not let it end there.

She stepped forward and grabbed Napassorn’s arm firmly.

“Wait, Khun Phat.”

Napassorn stopped. She turned back slowly, her icy gaze dropping to the hand gripping her arm as if it were something unclean, before lifting her eyes to Petra’s face.

Petra met her stare without flinching. Her eyes were calm and steady, cold enough to make the other woman’s composure begin to crack. When she spoke, her voice was slow and deliberate, every word weighted with certainty.

“When it comes to Khun Rafah, I have no intention of ‘winning’ against anyone. And if you think I was the one chasing her, then you’re mistaken. The one who approached me from the very beginning was Khun Rafah. Only her.”

The words made Napassorn freeze, if only for a heartbeat.

Petra stepped closer, until barely any space remained between them.

“And if you want your Friends with Benefits, your temporary bed partner, to stop getting involved with me, then you should go tell Khun Rafah yourself. Because honestly, I’m tired of running away from Khun Rafah too.”

For a moment, Napassorn stood there in stunned silence. Then her face slowly flushed red with fury. Her fingers trembled, as if she wanted nothing more than to raise her hand and strike Petra. But she did not. By now, heads across the café had turned to watch.

The contrast was unmistakable. A high-society woman standing rigid and humiliated, her face burning with rage, while the other woman remained calm and unmoved.

To anyone watching, it was clear who had lost face.

Without another word, Napassorn yanked her arm free and stormed away from Petra and Tharin.

And in that moment, Petra made a decision.

…

At a quiet corner of the restaurant, not long after Napassorn’s confrontation, Petra arranged to meet Anya, Rafah’s assistant.

“I’m sorry for asking you to meet me so suddenly, Khun Anya,” Petra said politely. “There’s something important I wanted to discuss in person.”

Anya offered a faint, professional smile. “That’s no problem.”

Petra did not waste time.

“I know the interview project for the Suphakiat Wildlife Foundation was negotiated through my senior colleague, and that my name was specifically requested,” she said evenly. “I know that came from you, Khun Anya.”

Her tone remained calm, but her eyes never left Anya’s face.

“But I don’t blame you,” Petra continued. “I understand you were only following Khun Rafah’s instructions.”

Anya fell silent.

“I can’t refuse a job that comes through a senior I trust,” Petra said. “I don’t want to damage that relationship. But before we work together, there’s something I need you to pass on to Khun Rafah for me.”

She reached into her bag, took out a neatly prepared brown document envelope, and handed it to Anya.

Anya glanced at the envelope briefly before looking back up. “What is it?”

“The terms and conditions for working together, between Khun Rafah and me.”

Anya reached out to take it, but Petra spoke again before she could respond.

“And there’s one more thing I’d like you to help convey to Khun Rafah as well. It concerns Khun Phat.”

…

Inside Rafah’s office, she sat behind her desk and slowly opened the document envelope Anya, her personal assistant, had just delivered, explaining that it came from Petra.

Rafah slid the papers out and read them line by line, her expression calm and unhurried.

.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Between

The Contractor, Petra Jirathawin

and

The Employer, Rafah Witchakornin

.

1.The employer is strictly prohibited from touching the contractor without consent.

2.The employer is prohibited from discussing matters unrelated to work.

3.The contractor will work only at the Suphakiat Wildlife Foundation office or at locations directly related to the foundation.

4.The contractor’s working hours are 08:00 to 17:00.

5.The employer is requested to manage her own woman and ensure she does not interfere with the contractor.

If the employer fails to comply with any of the above conditions, the contractor reserves the right to terminate the work immediately.

.

When Rafah finished reading, she lifted one eyebrow slightly. Clauses one through four made sense. Petra clearly wanted distance and strict professionalism.

But the last clause.

“What happened?” Rafah asked, lifting her gaze to Anya. “What did Phat do to Petra?”

“Khun Petra said Khun Phat confronted her and her close friend at a café,” Anya replied evenly.

Rafah fell silent, her expression thoughtful. After a moment, she spoke with quiet authority.

“Anya, arrange a meeting. I want to speak with Petra and Phat together. Make sure it’s completely private.”

…

That evening, Petra and Tharin stepped into an upscale French restaurant in Thonglor. The place was unnervingly quiet. Every table was empty. Only Anya stood waiting, composed and professional.

“Wow,” Tharin murmured, glancing around. “A place this fancy and there’s not a single customer.”

She leaned closer to Petra and whispered, “Did Khun Rafah book out the entire restaurant for you? There’s literally no one here.”

Petra did not answer. She scanned the room again.

There really was no one else.

Tharin grinned. “I’m telling you, the way she invited you tonight, this totally feels like a date. You dragged me along as a human shield, didn’t you? But honestly, Petra, a human shield like me isn’t going to save you. From the way Khun Rafah set this up, I’m pretty sure ‘dinner’ is just an excuse. What she really wants is to eat you up.”

She took a step back, pretending to retreat.

“Yeah, I think I should go. I don’t want to end up being the dog in this situation.”

Petra immediately grabbed her wrist.

“You’re not going anywhere, Tharin. Stay with me. And stop saying I’m going to get eaten by Khun Rafah.”

Anya cleared her throat softly, reminding them of her presence. Both Petra and Tharin offered awkward smiles. They had just been gossiping about Anya’s boss right in front of her.

“Khun Petra, Khun Tharin, please follow me,” Anya said politely. “Khun Rafah is waiting in the VIP room.”

…

The door to the VIP dining room opened. Petra and Tharin stepped inside together.

Napassorn, who had been lifting a mushroom tartlet to her mouth, froze the instant she saw them. She slammed her knife and fork onto the plate, the sharp sound cutting through the room.

“Rafah,” she snapped, her voice rising. “Did you invite Petra and her friend too? I thought you asked me to dinner because you wanted to make things right with me.”

“Phat,” Rafah said quietly. Her voice was low and firm, sharp enough to silence the room. “Watch your language. This isn’t the place.”

Petra was just as startled to see Napassorn. Tharin shifted closer to her, instinctively placing herself at Petra’s side.

Rafah glanced at them, then gestured calmly to the chairs on the same side of the table.

“Sit down first.”

Petra and Tharin took their seats.

Rafah met Petra’s eyes briefly before speaking.

“Since everyone is here, I’ll say this once. This will be the last time.”

Silence settled over the room. Petra straightened, steadying her breath. Napassorn shot her a sideways glare before turning back to Rafah.

“Phat, I’ve already talked to you about this,” Rafah said evenly. “If anything, it’s my fault for not being clear enough.”

She paused, then continued without hesitation.

“But today, I will be clear. Phat, I’m ending our Friends with Benefits relationship, effective immediately. And I will not tolerate you harassing anyone connected to me again, especially Petra.”

The room froze.

Napassorn leapt to her feet. “Rafah!”

Rafah did not look at her.

“That’s all I have to say tonight. As for what happened at the café, I’ll assume you lost control. But if there’s a next time, I’ll consider it deliberate, and I will handle it accordingly.”

Napassorn exploded.

“So what is this, Rafah? Don’t tell me you actually like her. That woman has nothing. Who knows where she even came from. You chose her over me? Are you serious?”

Rafah shot her a warning look.

“I warned you, Phat. Say one more vulgar word, and I’ll have security escort you out.”

Napassorn slammed her hand onto the table. Bang.

“Fine. I’ll leave on my own.”

Before reaching the door, she turned back and hurled one last venomous glance at Petra.

“Congratulations, the new favorite. Enjoy it while it lasts, Petra. This isn’t over.”

…

The dinner ended in heavy silence. After Napassorn stormed out, no one touched the food again. Petra excused herself almost immediately, unsure how to face Rafah after what had happened. Tharin followed her out, while Rafah offered to drive them both home as an apology for the incident and for Napassorn’s behavior.

At first, Petra refused. But Tharin saw it differently.

“Don’t call me cheap,” Tharin whispered, “but just let her drive us. I’m broke this month. If we save on taxi fare, I can afford like fifty cups of instant noodles.”

And that was how Petra found herself sitting in the passenger seat of Rafah’s black Jaguar.

After dropping Tharin off, only Petra and Rafah remained.

The late night streets were unusually quiet. Streetlights stretched into long ribbons of light across the windshield as they headed toward Petra’s condominium.

Finally, Petra broke the silence.

“Khun Rafah, I want an honest answer. Why are you doing all of this?”

“Why?” Rafah replied calmly. “Are you unhappy about it?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“And if I answer directly, will you be satisfied?”

“Khun Rafah, can you stop answering my questions with questions?”

“And why can’t I?”

“Khun Rafah.”

Petra said her name sharply, then fell silent. After a moment, everything she had been holding back spilled out.

“I’m being honest with you. Ever since I met you, my life has been a mess. I don’t understand what you want. If all you need is someone to sleep with, there are countless women you could choose from. Why involve me?”

Rafah did not argue. She turned on the signal and eased the car onto the shoulder before answering.

“Because I’m interested in you, Petra.”

Her voice was steady, unmistakable.

Petra shook her head slowly.

“Do you want me to repeat what you said that night?” she asked calmly. “Yes, you’re beautiful, charming, and impressive. I won’t deny that. But your actions say otherwise. After that dinner at your penthouse, your image was ruined in my eyes. You were rude, ill-mannered, and you were never interested in me as a person. You just wanted to get me into bed. Nothing more.”

Rafah went quiet. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Her gaze lowered briefly, then lifted to meet Petra’s again.

“I admit it. At first, I only wanted you. But that’s not how it is anymore. When I say I’m interested, I mean it.”

Petra smiled coldly, her eyes filled with open mockery.

“And what could someone like me possibly have that would interest someone like you, Khun Rafah Witchakornin?”

She pronounced Rafah’s full name with deliberate clarity.

Every word dripped with sarcasm.

…