Guilty as Gorgeous | Chapter 9
"Father, will you be attending the gala at Lord Anant's estate today?"
Sasithorn asked her father, who sat at the head of the dining table, with her mother seated at the opposite end. Her parents spoke to one another as they usually did, yet there was an icy detachment between them that everyone in the household could sense. This was especially true for Sasithorn; as one of the two unmarried daughters who spent more time at home than the others, she observed the shifting dynamics of the family more closely than her siblings.
Baramee and Buraphon had already married and moved out, though they remained within the vast compound of the Thanaphatwanich mansion. Khaekhai had built houses for both her sons to ensure they never strayed too far. Every Sunday, they followed the tradition of bringing their families to dine at the main house, making occasional, albeit infrequent, visits during the week. Both brothers served as executives in the family company, living off the Kongsi system their father had established for all his children.
Nisakorn, the second daughter, was a woman of striking beauty and a celebrated actress under a major station. She was never without a swarm of suitors, yet she had never committed to anyone—though current rumors linked her to Lord Anant's only grandson.
As for Sasithorn herself, she had entered the family business immediately after her undergraduate studies. She served as a secretary to a high-ranking executive to learn the ropes for her next step, while simultaneously pursuing a special Master's degree, which she had completed less than a year ago. In contrast, all her other siblings had been educated abroad.
"I don't believe I'll be going, dear," Bancha replied, turning to offer his youngest daughter a smile.
"Our daughter is set to be betrothed to Wesley. I myself am well-acquainted with Kanyamat, the Lord's daughter-in-law," Khaekhai mentioned, referring to the new wife of Dr. Phachara, Phanthakant's father. "Don't you think you should do more to foster an alliance with that house?"
"Whether there will be a betrothal at all is something I doubt. Lord Anant's grandson has never yielded an inch to me. In fact, now that we are bidding on a new government project, he went as far as to humiliate me by pointing out our previous project's flaws right in front of the Minister. He's pulling every political string his foundation laid to push for the project himself. That hardly seems like the behavior of a man who wants to be my son-in-law."
"Wes is a skilled businessman. He likely doesn't let professional matters interfere with his private life or bow down to anyone easily," Nisakorn spoke up, acting as his defender.
Her father arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you certain you truly know this man?"
"Wes treats me with nothing but respect. He even hired me as the brand presenter for his company."
"I've never seen him be serious about any actress."
"I am your daughter, Father. Not just 'any' actress."
Bancha merely stared at his daughter in silence, but the look alone made her feel as though she had been slapped. A flash of one of the most humiliating moments of her life surged back as if it had only just happened.
"Or perhaps you love your mistress more than your own child?"
"Ni!" Khaekhai's voice was cold, a mix of shock and reprimand.
"I was only asking, Mother. Otherwise, Father wouldn't have slapped me just to please that mistress of his."
"I slapped you because you did something so wicked it was unforgivable."
"As unforgivable as you keeping multiple little houses to insult Mother's face all these years?"
"Enough, Ni. This is a matter for the adults," Baramee, the eldest brother, intervened when he saw the atmosphere deteriorating beyond repair.
"I'm not a child. You should spend more time disciplining your own son, Big Brother. Don't let him grow up to be such a delinquent."
"Hey! You're getting more insolent by the day. Where's that 'good-hearted leading lady' act you put on in the dramas?" Baramee's temper flared as his sister brought up his teenage son, who was a constant source of headache due to his daily troublemaking.
"Who could ever be as 'good' as your wife? Or are you taking Father's side because P'Nim doesn't make a fuss about the girl you're secretly keeping, either?" she said, casting a disdainful look at Kanya.
She felt a surge of triumph seeing her soft-spoken eldest sister-in-law turn pale, her face shrinking.
"Don't pretend you know everything. Stay out of my family's business and show some respect to Nim." This time, Baramee was truly livid, his face flushing red. He reached out to grasp his wife's hand under the table. When she gently pulled away without looking at him, his anger toward the instigator only grew.
"Both of you, stop. Especially you, Ni," Khaekhai said with finality. She shot her daughter a stern look. "And apologize to Nim."
Nisakorn pursed her lips but conceded, apologizing on the orders of the only person in the house she respected—even if she didn't understand why her mother had endured her father's infidelities for decades without tearing those 'little ones' to pieces.
Deep down... she feared the rumors she had overheard. Cruel rumors she never dared ask her parents about—especially her mother—for fear of the answer.
"I only asked because Wes's secretary inquired," Sasithorn said meekly, looking at her father with deference and her older sister with trepidation. She feared she would be blamed for the argument. When provoked, Nisakorn could act in a way that made people forget she was the 'virtuous actress' the media believed her to be.
"Very well. If they are bold enough to invite me, I shall go. You can give them your word, Si."
"If you don't like it, we can stay for a while out of courtesy and then leave quickly," Khaekhai said in her usual tone, though those who had shared a life with her for so long could sense the underlying tension. "Just enough for the Lord to see that Nisakorn's parents attended his event."
"If you want me to go, I'll go," Bancha said, his voice softening as if to appease her. The expressions of everyone at the table brightened.
"Then I'll confirm with Wes's secretary today."
"Always focused on work. But what about your birthday? What would you like?" her father asked with a smile.
"I have everything I need, Father. I don't want anything."
The answer from Sasithorn—who never caused trouble and always sought to please everyone in the house—made Bancha laugh. He reached out to ruffle his youngest daughter's hair affectionately.
"At least have a party. As for your gift, I've already thought of it."
"If Si doesn't want a party, we can celebrate as a family, or let her invite her friends for dinner," the matriarch of the house suggested. But Bancha refused.
"Other children celebrate their birthdays with grand hotel parties, but Si is modest and doesn't have many friends. Her birthday coincides with the company's founding anniversary anyway. We'll take the opportunity to invite monks for a morning meal and then host a lunch for the employees. It serves two purposes; that's better."
"I hadn't thought of that." Khaekhai's voice lowered. She turned to look at her youngest daughter with a thoughtful gaze that made Sasithorn look away.
The young woman never truly knew if her mother loved her like the other children. Beyond the standard kindness shown to every servant in the house, Sasithorn never felt the intimacy or the deep maternal affection her mother displayed toward her siblings. Perhaps that was why she always felt a sense of self-effacement—one that even her father noticed.
Flashback to over two years ago...
Nisakorn, the station's top leading lady, was at the height of her fame from a drama where she played the protagonist, with Phutphitchaya playing the villain.
At that time, she was about to break up with Methas, the son of Manika—a wealthy woman known as a media mogul who wielded immense influence in the entertainment industry and doted on her only son to no end.
When the two began dating, Manika, who already favored the actress's family, supported her fully. She pushed the romance in the news with blatant enthusiasm, keeping Nisakorn in the spotlight and swelling her fan base, hoping to bind the two families together.
However, as Western-educated students who had known each other since their days in America, they knew each other's true natures all too well. Their reunion was merely for amusement, not a serious courtship. Methas's reckless philandering ensured Nisakorn would never choose him.
Furthermore, the actress had encountered another impeccable businessman named Anavil. She began to distance herself from Methas, using the excuse that he was setting his sights on the sexy villain actress who was rising to fame in the very same drama as her.
It wasn't just Methas who was infatuated with the rising villain, captivated by her feminine charm. There were also some lecherous old moguls Nisakorn knew well—friends of her father—who wanted the girl just as badly.
Even though she didn't love them, Nisakorn couldn't help but feel spiteful when she saw other men swarming, desperate to win over Phutphitchaya. The girl was known for being difficult to pursue, maintaining her distance from men—especially the playboys. She focused only on her work and conducted herself with such dignity that she never had a scandal.
Nisakorn didn't see Phutphitchaya's 'difficulty' as the conduct of a well-bred lady. Instead, she saw it as 'playing hard to get' to increase her value. Who wouldn't want to enjoy good sex, especially with wealthy men catering to her every whim and offering countless gifts—even the position of a wife if the deal was right?
For that reason, the leading lady often made biting remarks toward the villain actress on the set, and nearly every time they met at events, even after the drama had wrapped.