Chapter 2 The Little Brat
The afternoon sun filtered through pine trees and mango orchards lining the road. Lalin rolled down her window to breathe in the natural air a luxury impossible to find in Bangkok. The tranquility and the earthy scent began to soothe the irritation lingering from the conversation about her ex. She hummed softly, her eyes drifting across the familiar landscape, losing herself in the view and momentarily forgetting the caution required on narrow dirt roads.
But her aesthetic moment was shattered in an instant when her beautiful Mercedes reached a red-dirt intersection.
Vroom, Vroom!
The thunderous roar of motorcycle engines pierced her ears. Three bikes ridden by a group of rowdy teenagers in blue school shorts appeared out of nowhere, racing each other with reckless abandon. One of them lunged out from the intersection, cutting directly in front of her at point-blank range!
Screeeech!
Thud!
Lalin slammed on the brakes so hard her body lunged forward. The sound of tires grinding against the red earth sent dust billowing into the air. The impact was slight, but the sound was heart-wrenching. As the dust settled, she flung the door open and rushed out to check on her
"precious baby."
"Agh!" she shrieked.
"My car!"
Lalin was near the point of insanity. A long dent and a series of deep scratches marred the pearl-white front bumper. She whipped around to face the culprit, who was lying on his side not far away, and began spitting fire at the group of students who were helping each other up.
"How on earth are you riding that bike?! Do you not have eyes?! You lunged out like a scalded dog!"
"Whoa... and how are you driving, Auntie? Why didn't you slow down? We were just minding our own business," a deep, husky voice retorted. Lalin froze. She glared at the tall, well-built boy who had crashed into her. His school uniform was disheveled, with one button undone, revealing a firm chest that radiated youthful strength. His sharp, handsome face showed no remorse; instead, he stared back at her with shimmering, playful eyes.
"Eek! You little brat! Who are you calling 'Auntie'?! Want me to smack that mouth of yours?!" Lalin shrieked, her body trembling with rage as she pointed a finger at him.
"I'm calling you Auntie. Why scream? It's deafening," the boy shrugged nonchalantly, brushing the red dust off his shorts.
"The outfit is nice, and you're actually pretty, but why are you as fierce as a mother dog with a new litter?"
"You crazy kid! Who are your parents? Did they teach you to be this aggressive and uneducated?!"
"Watch your mouth, Auntie... We're speaking with reason, but you're the one calling me names. Who's really the uneducated one here?" The boy took a step toward her. His 180 cm height was quite intimidating, but Lalin's fury far outweighed her fear.
"And isn't it true?! You 'teen bikers' are nothing but trouble! Can you even take responsibility for this? Do you have any idea how many millions this car cost?!"
"I can take responsibility, but I'm not the one at fault," the boy raised a brow mockingly.
"It's what they call 'mutual negligence.' You were speeding and didn't slow down at the junction. My bike is trashed too, see?"
"Then I'm calling the police! I'll have you thrown in jail so you learn your lesson!" Lalin fumbled for her phone in her bag, her hands shaking.
"Suit yourself, Auntie. If you want to waste half a day standing in the scorching heat, go ahead. The cops at this station are all my relatives anyway." The boy let out a low chuckle, his eyes shamelessly roaming over her body especially the way her chest heaved with every angry breath.
"You just wait! I better not see you again!"
Lalin knew that arguing was a waste of time. Besides, the afternoon sun was starting to burn her fair skin. she stomped her feet and swayed her hips as she stormed back to her car, accompanied by the whistling and catcalls of the schoolboys.
"Come back and get your revenge soon, Auntie! I'll be waiting!" the boy shouted after her cheerfully.
"You little sh*t!" Lalin spat out one last curse before slamming the car door shut. she floored the accelerator, the Mercedes roaring away and leaving the group of brats laughing in a cloud of red dust.
"Heh... 'Auntie,' huh? She's damn gorgeous." The tall boy watched the car fade into the distance, licking his lips slightly. A strange sense of excitement was beginning to brew in his heart.
After the clash on the road, Lalin had lost all appetite for coffee or facing her ex. She decided to head straight back to the garden house. The screeching halt of her brakes signaled that her irritation level had officially broken the thermometer.
"Oh? Where's the coffee? That was quick, my daughter," Mae Choy, still busy packing fried bananas, looked up in surprise.
"I didn't even make it halfway, Mom! Some brat with no manners crashed his bike into my car!" Lalin snapped, stomping out of the car to show her mother the dent on her beautiful Mercedes.
"Oh dear! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Her mother quickly dropped the snacks and rushed over to inspect Lalin.
"I'm fine, Mom, but look at the car... it's ruined!" She pouted like a spoiled child. Thinking of the boy's smug face made her want to hit him with her designer bag until her anger subsided.
"It's a blessing you aren't hurt, Lin. Cars can be fixed... It was probably just some local kid. They like to race around without being careful." Mae Choy sighed, patting her daughter's shoulder gently to soothe her rage.
"Go rest. Wash your face and calm down first."
Lalin fumed for a moment, her beautiful face still twisted in a scowl as she glanced at the scratched paint of her brand-new car. Eventually, she let out a heavy sigh upon seeing her mother's worried eyes.
"Fine... I'm going to go write. Being out here is just making me cranky!" She turned away and marched into the house.
"Come down for dinner later, I'm making your favorite!" Mae Choy called out, her voice a bit hesitant, unsure if her cooking could soothe her daughter's temper.
"Okay, Mom," Lalin replied shortly without looking back. She grabbed her heavy designer suitcase and lugged it up the old wooden stairs. Each step thudded loudly, matching the rhythm of her racing heart.
But as she crossed the threshold, the scent of old wood and the natural coolness of the house hit her. Strangely, the chill that had comforted her since childhood didn't help cool the fire in her heart at all. She gripped the handle of her bag tightly, her gaze fixed aimlessly ahead.
Lalin dragged her bag into the bedroom and locked the door with a loud click to vent her frustration. She flopped onto the familiar soft bed. The faint scent of cork tree flowers drifting through the window began to calm her nerves. She took a long breath, trying to shake that stupid accident from her mind.
She opened her laptop, placing it on her lap to enter her world of imagination. But as the light from the screen reflected in her eyes, the BL plot she had listed earlier vanished.
Instead, it was replaced by a vivid image of a sharp, handsome face with a smirk and those shimmering eyes that stared at her without a trace of fear. That "little brat" was so clear in her mind that she found herself biting her lip.
That deep, mocking voice echoed in her ears. Lalin shook her head to dispel the crazy thoughts, but her fingers began to fly across the keyboard, describing a lead character who was slick, playful, and loved to win... exactly
like that kid!
"I'll get my revenge in my novel, dammit!" she muttered to herself.