Chapter Text
Lingling's pov
- You're exaggerating, Ling. Nothing like that happened.
I walk into the house right behind my girlfriend, hardly believing what she's saying.
- I saw it, Orm! Although you seem to have forgotten, I was there and I saw it! - I say in a voice that's more altered than I'd like.
We've been arguing since we left an event and got into the car. Now, in the living room, the argument seems far from over, mainly because Orm has been acting so stupid lately.
- And what did you see then? - She turns to me and crosses her arms.
- You and that woman practically kissing. She came on to you shamelessly all night and in front of me, and you did NOTHING! - We're closer now because while I was talking she walked over to me.
- Don't be ridiculous, Ling. What are you implying? That I would cheat on you? She's just a castmate, you're tired of knowing that. - Her disregard for my feelings is making me more and more angry.
I try to take a deep breath, but I lost my patience a long time ago.
- She doesn't seem to know that. By the way, you don't make a big deal of making it clear that you're committed when you're around attractive women, do you? - She keeps standing in front of me and I refuse to move either.
- What did you just say? You must have lost your mind. - She laughs sarcastically. - Honestly, go see a doctor, your jealousy is making you blind.
Now I'm the one laughing sarcastically. I cross my arms trying to contain my emotions inside me.
- You're funny, Orm. Is MY jealousy making me blind? Weren't you the one who made me turn down a job that would have been great for me and my career, just because I was going to play with an old friend?
- A friend my ass! He always hit on you before we started dating and kept flirting with you even after we got together. And I have my doubts about this "friendship" of yours... It's hard to believe that nothing really happened between you!
- Unlike you, I've never given anyone that kind of freedom. And if you don't trust me when I say that I've NEVER had anything to do with him, then that's your problem!
- Oh, congratulations, Mother Tereza. - She applauds ironically. - You're never wrong, you're perfect! I'm sorry I got in the way of your romance with your "old friend." - She makes quotation marks with her hands as she says the last words.
- Romance? Are you listening to me? I need to WORK! - I'm pointing my finger in her face right now and I can't hold back my words. - Unlike you, I wasn't born in a cradle of gold. My family aren't millionaires. If I don't work, I don't have a mansion with cars and servants waiting for me without me having to do anything. Unlike you, Orm, I've had to work hard for the things I've achieved, I haven't had anything handed to me.
I feel a slap on my cheek and I'm bewildered. I look at Orm as I run my hand over the spot where she slapped me. She's crying and so am I. But I'm crying from anger and hatred, not necessarily from the pain of the slap.
I turn towards the door and grab the car key. As I'm about to leave, I feel her hands grab my arm.
- You're going to leave like that and leave me alone? How immature.
- Let me go! - I pull my arm out of her grasp, still standing in the doorway. - If I'm being such a burden in your life, maybe it's time for everyone to go their own way, that way you can interact with your fellow cast members as you wish, if you don't already.
- You asshole! I hate you, Lingling Kwong!
I walk out the door and slam it shut. As I'm walking towards the car, I hear Orm punching the door from the inside and saying things I can't hear.
As soon as I get into the car, I start it and accelerate to get out of there as quickly as possible. When I'm on the street, I realize that I'm driving aimlessly, but still at high speed. Fortunately, because it's late at night, there are few cars and pedestrians on the road.
As I drive, I try to digest everything that has happened today. Orm and I have been dating for just over four years, but we didn't do any more work together after Only You. Since then, we've been focusing on our personal careers and working with other people and on other projects. Everything was going well until it just stopped. I can't tell the exact moment when we lost each other, but it happened. The tiring routine and the busy schedules that don't meet contributed to us drifting apart. But Orm and I always tried to find time for each other, until it was no longer possible and from then on, the only times we were together, we were arguing.
Today's fight was because during an event at the network we work for, one of the actresses who plays in the series Orm is currently starring in was flirting with her shamelessly, with no respect for me or our relationship, after all, the whole world knows we're together. But what sparked my anger, heightened by tiredness, was Orm's disregard for me and our relationship, acting as if nothing was happening. In reality, she's been acting like this for some time and although I'm very patient and controlled, I also have my limitations. Today I crossed one of them.
I'm angry with her now, angry that we've thrown away all the beautiful history we had. I punch the steering wheel as tears stream down my face without stopping, blurring my vision. The slap she gave me wasn't as painful as hearing that she hates me. That was my biggest fear when I started to develop romantic feelings for her: losing our friendship and ending up losing us too. I'm never going to hate her, but she does and now I can't stop hearing her voice screaming inside my head how much she hates me.
I'm still hearing the echoes of her screams in my mind when I realize that I've forgotten to take my foot off the accelerator and I'm facing a car that's crossing the road. I try to take my foot off the gas, but I can't think and the last thing I hear consciously is the sound of a horn and Orm's voice in the background saying "I hate you, Lingling Kwong".
Then everything goes black.