I supported Tongjai as she limped along. Aside from some bruising and a few nasty scrapes, luckily, nothing was broken. What was unlucky, however, was having to deal with that Rat-face—the big shot's son—at the police station.
He sat there with his legs crossed, acting like he owned the place, with a lawyer standing right beside him. He smirked like he'd already won. Keep dreaming, pal. No matter how much power you think you have, when I'm right, I'm right. Period.
"Here is the evidence, Officer," I said. "The dashcam footage is crystal clear. And don't worry about the file getting corrupted; I've made several copies—in my email and on discs. I just haven't leaked it to the public yet to save him from getting trashed by the entire country."
Rat-face stood up, his expression darkening. But before he could start acting like a thug again, his lawyer stepped in front of him.
"I believe we can settle this, Ma'am. Let's not let things get out of hand."
settle this, Ms. Kawinthida. Let's not let things get out of hand."
"Settle how? Your client is clearly at fault. All we want is compensation for the trauma, a sincere apology to my student, and for him to show some remorse for his disgusting behavior that's now all over social media."
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" the guy barked. "You're the ones at fault, and you want me to apologize? Fix this, lawyer! My father isn't paying you to lose!" Wow... he really thinks he's something, doesn't he? People all over the internet are dragging him, and he still has no shame. I'm embarrassed for his parents, honestly.
"Calm down, Mr. Porsch. Your father's instructions were for you to do as I say," the lawyer said. Thank God someone here has a cool head.
"If we can reach an agreement, we won't have to take this to court," the Captain suggested. I wanted to scream—he looked so handsome and professional in that uniform. Total eye candy.
"I want to file a defamation charge, Officer. This teacher called me a 'Dick'. It was incredibly offensive to me." Well, didn't you deserve it?
"And where is your evidence? All anyone saw was you charging at me with your fists clenched. Even if I did say it, you don't have the right to use violence to solve your problems. For a man, you have zero chivalry. Who in their right mind tries to hit a woman?"
As for me, I had thought this through. One way or another, he was going to learn his lesson.
"There! Did you hear that, Officer? She just insulted me again! I want to file a counter-report. You all heard her!"
"Sir, you can't file a report for just that. I suggest you calm down so we can talk this through," the Officer said. Good job, Officer! I even gave him a thumbs-up and a wink.
"How much do you want?" the lawyer cut in.
I turned to Tongjai. My student just kept shaking her head, too scared to speak. I had called her home earlier, and before we could even discuss it, Uncle Kaew, Tongjai's father, rushed in.
"I'm her father," he announced. Uncle Kaew is Thai, while Tongjai's mother is a migrant worker from Myanmar. Consequently, Tongjai was granted Thai citizenship by birth.
"We're offering ten thousand baht to settle this right here, right now," the lawyer stated.
"What do you think, Khun Tim? I don't know what to do," Uncle Kaew asked for my opinion. Honestly, he didn't want any trouble, but refusing the compensation just for the sake of pride wouldn't gain us anything. Why suffer for free?
"As her teacher and someone who lives in the same house, we're okay with the amount. However, I want Mr. Porsch to apologize to her first."
"You've got the money, so just drop it! What more do you want? Or do you just want more cash? Give them fifty thousand," Porsch barked at his lawyer. This guy is seriously beyond help.
"I don't want the money. I just want an apology for the pain you caused me," Tongjai said softly.
"It's your own fault for being a bad driver. Just take the money and be done with it!" Rat-face was as stubborn as a mule.
"Then let's let the court decide. Your father is a powerful man; I doubt he wants to become infamous because of a son like you. Think carefully," I threatened.
They whispered to each other before the lawyer put his phone to his ear. He nodded a few times and went back to whisper to the problematic Rat-face again.
"Sorry!" he muttered, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
"I still don't think you're actually sincere. Could you please use a better tone of voice, Mr. Porsch?" In my classroom, I make my students redo their work if they don't even underline the headings; I'm certainly not letting this slide.
"I'm sorry. It was my fault. Happy now, Teacher?"
"Much better. And if I said anything to make you uncomfortable, I apologize too. I just tend to be a very direct person."
"Alright, it's settled then. No need for court," the Captain concluded. Everyone nodded. If they hadn't agreed, I would've made their lives a living hell.
After everything was cleared up, Tongjai left with her dad. As I was about to get into my car, Mr. Rat-face blocked my path.
"What's your name?"
"I don't want any more trouble. I'm tired of the police station, understand, Mr. Porsch?" I said, reaching for the car door, but he held it open. What now?
"Here's my card. My Line, Facebook, and phone number are all there. I want to talk to you."
"Sorry, I'm married," I said, tossing his card into the air right in front of him before slamming the door and starting the engine without a second thought. Call me arrogant if you want, but who could ever talk to someone with an attitude like that? Even if my husband—the Minister—is the way he is, he's not this bad. And even though this guy isn't actually a Rat-face (he's actually handsome enough to be an actor), a sh*tty personality like that is a total deal-breaker for me.