continues from ch 10
When Chalee arrived at the cozy little café, he was greeted by an unsettling scene. Snow lay unconscious in her friend's lap, her pale face a stark contrast against the warm wooden tones of the café. Heart pounding, he rushed over.
"Snow... Snow..." His voice trembled with worry, each syllable laden with fear.
Gently, he lifted her, his mind racing with terrible possibilities. Without wasting a moment, he carried her back to their home, cradling her as if she were the most fragile thing in the world.
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#### Back at Home
Once inside, Chalee laid Snow tenderly on their bed, whispering her name in a desperate attempt to wake her. She stirred, barely, her eyelids fluttering as if she were trying to wake but couldn't quite manage it. It wasn't long before Chalee noticed something—her breathing was steady, and her skin, warm to the touch, betrayed no signs of true distress. A realization struck him; she was faking it.
He decided to play along, his worry morphing into playful deceit. With exaggerated concern, he picked up his phone, pretending to dial a doctor.
"Yes, Doctor, it's very urgent," he said, loud enough for Snow to hear. "She might need surgery... something very complicated."
Snow's eyes snapped open, wide with fear, and a small, incredulous chuckle slipped from her lips. She gazed at Chalee with a mixture of amusement and terror, her heart racing.
As Chalee moved closer, her pulse quickened. Then, without warning, he enveloped her in a warm hug. She barely had time to process the relief before he started teasing her again about the 'surgery.'
Suddenly, the shrill ring of his phone shattered the moment.
**Trrr... Trrr... Trrr...**
Snow's face fell, disappointment washing over her features as Chalee answered the call. He took a few steps away, his voice turning serious as he discussed some work matter.
Curiosity gnawed at Snow. She had no idea who might be calling at such a late hour. "Who could it be?" she wondered silently, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
She tiptoed to the edge of the room, eavesdropping from behind the wall.
"Does your wife know?" the voice on the other end asked.
"No, she doesn't," Chalee replied.
"Be careful then."
"Yeah, I know."
The words sent a shiver down her spine. Snow hadn't caught the entire conversation, but what she did hear was enough to stoke the fires of doubt and sadness within her.
When Chalee finally hung up, she dashed back to the bed, staring at him with an adorably inquisitive look, like a puppy yearning for attention. But underneath, she was starving for the truth.
---
#### The Days that Followed
From that night, Chalee seemed increasingly absorbed in his work. Each day, he spent fewer moments with Snow, their shared laughter and easy conversations replaced by the cold sterility of his absence. Fifteen, twenty days passed, and Snow felt a deepening loneliness, her mind plagued by the unresolved mystery of that late-night phone call.
One evening, Chalee returned from work at 7 PM, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion. Snow, determined to know the truth, waited anxiously to confront him.
"I'll ask him at dinner," she resolved.
After Chalee showered and changed, she sat at the dining table, a spread of delicious food laid out before her. When he entered the room, her face lit up with a smile, her eyes sparkling with a mix of happiness and curiosity.
Just as she was about to invite him to join her, his phone rang again. This time, it was an office call. He glanced at her apologetically, mouthing, "I'm sorry."
She nodded, resigning herself to wait a little longer. He walked out to the balcony, phone pressed to his ear, his face a mask of concentration.
Snow watched the clock tick by, each minute stretching into an eternity, until exhaustion finally overtook her. She fell asleep at the table, her head resting on folded arms.
Chalee returned from his call, only to find her fast asleep. He sighed, scribbling a quick note before heading back to the office for more urgent work.
When Snow awoke, she instinctively looked towards the balcony, but Chalee was gone. Her eyes fell upon the note he had left, a small piece of paper that held the weight of her worries.
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**To be continued...**