BOUND BY SECRETS

Dean’s Office....

The atmosphere was thick with tension. The dean sat behind his large wooden desk, his stern gaze flicking between Perth and Santa. The walls seemed to close in, the weight of the accusations lingering in the air.

“Explain these photos,” the dean’s voice was low, but firm.

“It’s not normal for a student to arrive in a professor’s car, let alone have pictures like these circulating.
This… doesn’t look like a typical professor-student relationship.”

Santa’s hands trembled slightly. He opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.

“I… I can explain,” Santa stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

But before he could continue, Perth’s steady voice cut through the silence.

“We’re married,” Perth said, his eyes locked onto the dean’s. “Santa is my husband.”

The confession hit the room like a thunderclap. Santa's eyes widened in disbelief. The dean froze, his eyebrows shooting up in shock.

“Married?” The dean’s gaze flickered back to Santa, searching for confirmation.

Santa, still overwhelmed, could only manage a small, hesitant nod.

“You married your student?” the dean asked, his tone a mix of disbelief and frustration.

“Why did you hide this?”

Perth's jaw clenched. “We were married before I joined Chiang Mai University.”

“But you should have disclosed it,” the dean insisted, his voice rising.

Perth didn’t waver. “I did. My marital status is marked as 'married' in all my official documents. And Santa’s status is also correctly listed. Nothing was hidden.”

The dean blinked, caught off guard. “But still…”

“You’re also aware of my previous position,” Perth continued, his voice calm but commanding.

“I was a secret cop, on an undercover mission. If the truth about our relationship had been revealed, it would’ve put Santa in danger. That wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.”

The dean leaned back, exhaling deeply. The weight of Perth’s words settled into the room.

“Yes,” the dean admitted, “your resignation from the force and the mission details were brought to my attention. But now what? How do you propose we manage this situation?”

“Now that I’m no longer a cop,” Perth answered firmly, “there’s no reason to hide. We can make it public. Santa is my husband, and I stand by that.”

Santa’s heart swelled. The sincerity in Perth’s words left him overwhelmed. How easily Perth had accepted him, without hesitation. He blinked away the tears threatening to fall, his chest tight with emotion.

The dean studied them, the tension beginning to fade.

“Then we will issue an official statement,” the dean decided, “explaining the situation and confirming your relationship. The university will also release an apology for the wrongful accusations.”

Santa’s voice finally broke through.

“Thank you,” he said softly, gratitude pouring from his words.

“Thank you,” Perth echoed with a respectful nod.

The dean gave a small, tired wave. “You may go.”

With a final glance at each other, Perth gently took Santa’s hand, leading him out of the office. The storm had passed, but the warmth between them remained unshaken.

Friends waited anxiously outside the dean's office, their eyes filled with concern as the door finally opened. Santa and Perth stepped out, and their friends immediately rushed to them.

"What happened? Are you both okay?" Louis asked, his voice tense.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Perth assured them, though Santa still looked a bit shaken.

Just then, Professor Film appeared, her face twisted with disdain. She sneered as she approached, her eyes narrowing at Santa.

"Fine? After what you've done?" Film scoffed. "

Because of your shamelessness, even Professor Perth has to suffer. You're nothing but a disgrace, Santa. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is for him?"

Santa's lips quivered, but before he could respond, Perth stepped forward protectively.

"That's enough," Perth growled, his voice low but firm. "You have no right to speak to Santa like that."

Film's eyes flashed. "No right? Everyone saw those pictures, Perth. The entire university is talking about how you’re involved with a student. What do you think your precious reputation looks like now?"

"My relationship is none of your concern," Perth retorted. "And slandering Santa will not be tolerated."

Film smirked, her voice dripping with venom. "Does your so-called husband even know about your little ‘student affair’? How much are you hiding from him?"

Perth laughed coldly, his eyes glinting. "Of course, he knows. In fact, he gave me his full permission to have a relationship with this particular student."

Gasps rippled through the small crowd gathered nearby.

"What?" Film snapped. "How could he be okay with that?"

"Because," Perth said, gripping Santa's hand firmly and pulling him closer. "Santa Pongsapak is my legal husband. The one and only."

A wave of stunned silence followed his words. Film's jaw slackened, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"You're lying," she spat. "There’s no way—"

"Believe what you want," Perth cut her off. "But disrespect him again, and I won't stay silent."

Just then, a student hurried over, phone in hand. "Professor! The university made a statement. It’s all over the forum."

Louis quickly checked his own phone, his lips curling into a grin.

"The university confirmed their relationship and issued an apology for the false accusations. All those pictures and malicious posts have been removed."

Film's face paled, her confidence wavering.

Perth turned to her, his voice dangerously calm. "Professor Film, I expect an apology to my husband for your baseless accusations."

Film sputtered, unable to form words. Santa's friends, now smug, stood proudly beside him.

"Shall we?" Perth said, addressing Santa softly.

Santa nodded, his fingers still intertwined with Perth's. Together, they walked away, their friends following close behind, leaving Film standing in the middle of the crowd.....too stunned to speak.

To be continued... 🖤🤍