Guilty as Gorgeous | Chapter 10
The friction might not have escalated so severely, as Nisakorn was already eyeing Anavil, preparing to discard Methas—who was still desperately trying to appease her while she hoped to keep a foot in both camps. She was not a woman who cared about making the first move; she believed that if something was worth having, it had to be snatched. Thus, she subtly paved the way for the young man, seeking every opportunity to cross his path.
Contempt... curdled into pure hatred when Anavil's luxury imported cosmetic brand began searching for a presenter. The company reviewed the portfolios of several actresses at the station; both Nisakorn and Phutphitchaya made the shortlist. The leading lady's manager had assured her she stood a better chance than anyone.
Yet, the final decision rested with one man: Anavil.
He invited every potential candidate on the list to a promotional event for another product, seeking a chance to meet and converse with them in person. It was then that Nisakorn realized she and Phutphitchaya could never be amicable colleagues. The moment the young man laid eyes on the station's villain, he was struck by a visible state of awe. He barely spared a glance for the other actresses afterward, focusing entirely on Phutphitchaya and immediately inviting her to be his brand presenter.
It wasn't just the professional slight of an actress losing a job; it was the sting of a man choosing her rival over her, ignoring the bridge she had so carefully built. It felt a thousand times worse. The businessman she had set her sights on had handed the crown to her competitor and pursued the charming villain for quite some time until he was certain she wouldn't reciprocate. Only then did he cease his pursuit... but Nisakorn later discovered they remained close friends.
What is so special about that woman?
Nisakorn asked herself this constantly, bitterness festering in her heart. Driven by suspicion, she began tracking the other woman's movements in secret. What she discovered was a new and even more shocking truth: her rival in both career and heart... knew her father.
Her father, who kept several "little houses," all of whom were beautiful women in the entertainment industry.
Nisakorn caught Phutphitchaya visiting her father multiple times. Furthermore, the woman had landed a new role as the brand ambassador for her family's company. Nisakorn had once followed her on Bancha's birthday, only to find him visiting the spiteful villain's home. He returned with a new wristwatch—not excessively expensive, yet she saw him wearing it constantly.
"Is Shanya your new mistress, Father!?"
She had once stormed into her father's office, unable to endure it, demanding the truth.
"Nonsense! Where do you get such things?"
"Don't think I don't know that you've gone to see that woman countless times, and even gave her work!"
"Paan is perfect for this product. I won't tolerate you throwing a tantrum over such trivial matters, Ni."
"If there's nothing deep between you, you wouldn't even know her private nickname. You have plenty of mistresses, Father, but it cannot be this one. Do you know how many men want her? An old man like you will only end up being led around by the nose by her."
"Paan is not what you think. If you can't stop insulting her, you should at least stop insulting your own father."
"You've betrayed Mother countless times. Is that not an insult?"
"Your mother has never once pointed a finger at me. If you don't know the facts, don't act like a common thug in here."
"Since when is seeking the truth considered being a thug?"
"If you only seek it to slander others without knowing the truth, then I see only a thug at work."
"If she isn't your mistress, why would you favor her so blatantly? Do you know she stole my work and my boyfriend?"
"Which boyfriend? If you mean that playboy Methas, who does nothing all day but ride on his family's coat-tails, you should have left him long ago. But if you mean Mr. Anavil, he knows all about you and Methas. That fellow boasted in his drinking circles about how far things went with you. What decent man would want to wait in line behind a man like that?"
Nisakorn's face burned with both rage and shame. She never knew her father was aware of her behavior with Methas, nor that the man had spoken of her so disparagingly behind her back.
"Where did you hear this, Father?"
"I am your father. It is my duty to look after and protect you, even if you don't care to value yourself or the dignity of my lineage, becoming the talk of the town."
"Girls these days have sex way before I did! No man sits around waiting for a virgin anymore. You have so many mistresses that Mother and I are constantly humiliated, and yet you're going to teach me to value myself? Do you still think you're living in a world of male supremacy!?"
"You should go ask your mother why I have to have mistresses," Bancha barked, losing his temper before looking momentarily ashamed as he saw his daughter's face turn deathly pale.
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"There must be something! Tell me!"
"That old story ended a long time ago; I don't want to dig it up. Just know this: while I may not have been a good husband, I will be a better father. And you should act like a daughter—stop interfering in things that aren't your concern."
His voice trailed off in exhaustion as he walked away from her to stand by the office window.
Nisakorn stood there for a long while, stunned, with a thousand thoughts racing through her head but no answers. Finally, she left the room. The already fragile father-daughter relationship worsened when she accidentally stumbled upon a certain secret. A secret she never dared ask her mother or consult anyone else about.
The story went that before Bancha had his first "little house," Lalana, he and Khaekhai had fought bitterly. His wife was convinced he never loved her, as he remained fixated on a woman who had once nearly caused him to lose his mind, leading him to study abroad just to recover.
Driven by jealousy and a desire to spite her husband during their misunderstanding, she had flirted with another man—a male friend who was in love with her and whose relatives were politicians. Khaekhai had been extremely cautious, wanting only to provoke her husband's anger without tarnishing the family name. Thus, Bancha never knew for certain who the man was.
The elders of both sides acted as mediators, trying to reconcile them, as a divorce would cause countless problems—especially for the two families' businesses and the two sons they shared. Khaekhai ceased her involvement with that friend to end the trouble, but it turned out she was pregnant.
Bancha was suspicious that the child in her womb was not his, as he had not been intimate with his wife for several months. What the agreement between the husband and wife was, no one knew, but Khaekhai nurtured the pregnancy carefully without the public ever knowing this secret. She gave birth to a daughter and named her 'Nisakorn,' with Bancha providing full legal recognition.
The rift caused the couple to argue frequently due to a lack of trust. Later, Khaekhai accused Bancha of having other women, believing rumors she had heard. Being insulted by a wife who had flirted with another man but then accused him was the final straw for Bancha.
He truly had his first "little house," Lalana, while Khaekhai remained tight-lipped because of her own past transgressions. She vanished from society for a long time until Lalana died in an accident, which led to various speculations that the "main wife" was behind it. Later, Khaekhai had her youngest daughter with Bancha, named Sasithorn, though rumors regarding her parentage persisted, much like they did for the eldest daughter.
The handful of people who knew the truth at the time were only those close to them, like the lawyer, Bunphot—a former temple orphan whom Bancha had sponsored through his education and given the opportunity to work within the Thanaphatwanich conglomerate. The family lawyer's loyalty was something no one ever questioned. He had managed documents and all other matters for his employer, Sia Bancha, with steadfast devotion ever since.