Unmasking the Twisted Threads

Jian, Nine, Pit, and Nib stood together outside the serene confines of the Buddha's temple, their solemn presence a testament to the weight of the moment.Jian persisted in his inquiry, his worry growing more evident with each passing moment.Jian, ''Guys, it's been almost 30 minutes. Have any of you seen Win or noticed him talking to someone?''Nib shot Jian an annoyed glance, while Nine attempted to calm the situation.Nine, ''Jian, please, let's not jump to conclusions. There could be a valid reason for his delay.''As the chief priest signaled the beginning of Shine's funeral ceremony, Shine's mother invited everyone to gather around her son's lifeless form. Prayers filled the air, and Inspector Thai discreetly scanned the crowd, searching for any sign of Win. A peculiar unease settled over him.Nib, standing barefoot among the mourners, murmured to himself, his thoughts shrouded in the somber atmosphere. ''Where are you Win..why you're not receiving my calls''...After a while, Inspector Thai got one call...As the funeral ceremony came to a close, Inspector Thai approached Shine's grieving mother and spoke softly, trying to offer some comfort amidst the sorrow."Mam, your son must rest in peace now," he said gently, "Please permit us to leave."Shine's mom, with tears in her eyes, expressed her gratitude, "Khub-khun kha (thank you) sir for coming here."With those words, Inspector Thai nodded and left the somber gathering behind.However, Nib's concern grew, and he suddenly remembered the email he had received from the hospital. Opening it, he was shocked to see the name "Kimsy Khunpol Kortunyavat." Realization struck him like a lightning bolt, and he muttered in alarm, "Win's life is in danger."Without even taking the time to put on his shoes, Nib dashed barefoot to his car. Concerned voices called out to him, asking if everything was alright, but he had no time to respond. Starting the car, he sped away from the scene, leaving the bewildered onlookers behind.Pit voiced his concern, watching Nib's abrupt departure, "What on earth happened with him?"Jian, ever the one to make light of the situation, quipped, "Maybe his lover's calling him. He can't see him with Mew, and even with his friends too."Nine interjected, "Thankfully, it's great to know you still consider him as your friend."Meanwhile, Win was trapped in Kimsy's room, unable to move due to the potent sedative she had injected into him. Though immobilized, he could hear and comprehend everything happening around him. After a few moments, Kimsy entered the room and began to laugh with her shrill voice, mocking him mercilessly.Kimsy continued her taunts with a wicked grin on her face, "I must say, I'm such a good actress, Win. Actually, I always wanted to be an actress, but let's not dwell on that. Okay, let's get to the point. Do you know what I'm thinking, dear Win? Why did I make you like this? First, you should be thrilled to learn that you and your handsome, hot, and sexy boyfriend – oh, your boyfriend... right, let's focus on the matter at hand. I am a serial killer, did you hear me? I am the killer... I ammm."Win was drenched in sweat, his eyes darting around as he desperately tried to move his body. His silent plea seemed to ask her why she had done all of this.Kimsy spoke again, her tone shifting, "I know, my dear Win, you must be wondering. You want to know why I'm doing this. But you must understand that the world is a very cruel place. It never lets you be what you've always wanted to be. The same happened to me too." She shifted to a shrill tone, "But do you have any idea who ruined my life? Who made me like this? Your elder brother, Joy Vichayawannakul? He entered my life and utterly destroyed everything. Want to know how? Let's take a trip down memory lane."Kimsy began recounting her past with Khunpol. They seemed to have everything in life except one crucial element – love. Khunpol worked as a banker in the Citibank Bangkok Branch. One day, Joy, a young man, walked into the bank to open a student account. As soon as he laid eyes on Khunpol, he fell head over heels in love. He approached Khunpol, pretending to need assistance with opening his account, all the while stealing glances at him. After a while, he completed the paperwork and asked for Khunpol to submit the documents. Joy wasn't satisfied; he wanted a reason to stay longer to see Khunpol. He decided to linger but eventually had to leave once the paperwork was submitted.However, Joy couldn't stay away. He kept coming back to the bank, repeatedly seeking Khunpol's assistance for trivial matters. Khunpol soon realized Joy's feelings and directly addressed them, saying, "I am married."Hearing this, Joy's heart broke, and he left the bank, his first love unfulfilled. In the following days, he didn't return, unable to face the man he had grown to adore. After a few weeks, he returned to withdraw his account, intending to close it to avoid Khunpol. Seeing Joy again, Khunpol approached him and said, "If I told you that I love you..."Joy, hopeful but cautious, interrupted, "But you are married... I can't break up your happy home."Khunpol, with a hint of sadness, confessed, "There's no home... only a selfish woman who treats me like her servant. She sees me as nothing more than a business transaction."Joy understood that Khunpol's marriage was merely a façade. They confessed their feelings for each other, and their love story began to unfold. Meanwhile, the news of their affair reached Kimsy's ears and those of her neighbors. They began to taunt her, suggesting, "Perhaps she can't satisfy her husband, so he's seeking solace in the arms of another."Unable to tolerate the humiliation, Kimsy confronted Khunpol. A heated argument ensued, and Khunpol left their home to be with Joy. They decided to leave Bangkok behind and embark on a new chapter in their lives.The next day, Khunpol handed Kimsy divorce papers, signaling the end of their marriage. Kimsy tried to hold onto him, but he firmly pushed her away. She was deeply wounded and shocked by his actions.Meanwhile, Joy had also returned to Bangkok after a confrontation with his parents. Khunpol picked him up, and together, they embarked on their journey to start a new life together.Kimsy continued her story with a chilling tone, "(in a soft voice) As you know, no love story can be truly complete without a beautiful villain. So, I turned myself into the villain, all to make their love story whole. On that fateful day, they set out for their new life, but they never reached their destination. Because I led them to heaven and to God."Hearing Kimsy's confession, Win's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face.Kimsy continued her disturbing tale, her voice filled with cold determination."You must remember Sukhumvit Road on the 18th of February, 2018, at 12:30. They were driving together in their car, but I couldn't let them escape so easily. I began to chase them relentlessly. And then, in a remote and desolate area, I made my move. I rammed into their car, causing them to lose control, and they collided with a massive tree."In the dimly lit room, the words hung heavy, suffocating the air like a shroud of darkness. The man, his face contorted in anguish, choked back tears that threatened to betray the facade of stone he had carefully constructed."That Khunpool dies in a spot, but Joy saw me," he confessed, his voice quivering with remorse. "I got scared, but as I reached the hospital, I heard he was in a coma... I found it a little bit of rest." He paused, a sinister resolve creeping into his eyes. "Then I withdrew Khunpol's body. After a month with this hand, I killed Joy because I couldn't take any risk. What if he came out from the coma... and told the police about me?"His desperation was palpable, his body wracked with torment as he struggled against an invisible force that bound him.Beside him, Kimsy, her voice barely above a whisper, spoke with a sorrowful tenderness, the tension in the room hanging like a storm about to break."I am feeling so sad," she admitted, her words dripping with sorrow as she peered into his tortured soul. "Seeing you like this. But your brother never left another option to me. After murdering him, I was seated in my room... I was shouting... I was cursing myself..." Her voice cracked, the weight of her actions bearing down on her fragile conscience. "Because I was not like that before... what they made me."A sinister realization dawned upon her, a haunting revelation of the depths to which they had fallen. "After killing them... there's still something burning inside my body," she confessed, her voice growing darker. "I wanted to erase every single trace of the gays from the planet."At that moment, the room held their secrets, their regrets, and their shared darkness, encapsulating a tale of despair and a descent into the abyss that neither could escape.Kimsy's chilling confession continued to send shivers down Win's spine. As she recounted the devastating impact of a mere three weeks of love on her life, Win's sense of helplessness intensified."After three years of marriage, he left me," Kimsy continued, her voice filled with venomous determination. "Three weeks of their love ruined my life. That's when I made the horrifying decision to kill all the gay men in Bangkok. I wanted to instill fear into every one of them, to make them regret being who they are. And let me share a little secret with you, my dear Win. I knew from the very first day that you were Joy's brother. I ensured you were denied a seat at the college, and I orchestrated your arrival at my Kimsy's villa."The weight of her revelation hung heavily in the air.Kimsy then taunted Win, a wicked grin on her face. "My dear Win, I have a surprise for you. Would you like to see it?" With a sly gesture, she revealed intimate moments between Win and Nib, scenes that were meant to remain private. Win's shock and humiliation were palpable.Kimsy continued with an air of twisted excitement. "You see, both of you cannot escape me. My house, even your own room, is under my surveillance through CCTV cameras. By the way, Nib has some impressive assets. You must have had quite some fun with him. I, too, have a burning desire to savor his 'flavor.'"Win's anger flared as he glared at Kimsy, but she showed no remorse. With a cruel grip on his hair, she continued, "Oh, my dear Win, are you angry with me? Don't worry. After I've had my taste of him, I'll make sure to end both of you together.''