Her Inconvenient Boss | Chapter 11
It was well-known within high society that the Dittawat and Rapeepasakul lineages—the latter being Wasawatt's maternal side—had once been closely knit during their great-grandparents' era. They had drifted apart in the following generations as the families branched out to establish their own domestic lives and diverse business empires.
The Dittawat fortune had once suffered a decline, only to reach its zenith under Kritsada's leadership. His real estate ventures now commanded the largest market share in the country. He had the misfortune of becoming a widower in his youth when his wife succumbed to a terminal illness, leaving him with only his beloved daughter, Chama. As a father, he poured all his devotion into her, never considering remarriage.
With only one daughter, Kritsada had naturally kept an eye out for a suitable son-in-law. He saw no one better than Wasawatt Siwaratpakdee, who was distantly enough related to avoid any social stigma. More importantly, Wasawatt possessed a superior pedigree and status, bolstered by the vast inheritance from his American billionaire father.
Though the only son of Mom Ratchawong Warinrampai had been born and raised in the United States, Chama had also been sent there for high school. Under the care of Kritsada's elder cousin, she had maintained a long-standing familiarity with Wasawatt.
In later years, the young man had returned to Thailand to assist his stepfather with the family businesses, making it his primary residence. However, he still traveled back and forth several times a year to oversee his biological father's enterprises, where representatives served as vice presidents and partners to allow him more time in his motherland.
Most people believed M.R.W. Warinrampai was fortunate to have remarried Tycoon Saratch, a southern magnate who had built a massive fortune through sheer self-made grit. Few realized that her own wealth from her first marriage was even more substantial—and all of it now belonged to her only son.
"You don't have a girlfriend right now, do you, P'Watt?"
"Always asking about me. What about you? Still single?"
"I've dumped them all." The young woman pouted.
Chama possessed a chic, captivating face that lived up to her name, complemented by radiant tanned skin and a statuesque figure that foreign men often found irresistible. She was generally likable, though she had a streak of self-centeredness—a byproduct of being pampered by her father since childhood.
When she blossomed into a young woman around the time Wasawatt moved back to Thailand, she had dated several men, always being the one to 'discard' them. To the elders close to her, it seemed she was imitating Wasawatt's habit of breaking hearts left and right. Fortunately, she avoided creating bitter resentments by establishing clear terms before dating—another trait mirrored from her older cousin.
Despite being a charming party girl, Chama knew how to take care of herself. She often told those close to her that if she couldn't find someone she truly liked, she would simply come back and marry 'P'Watt.'
When this reached Wasawatt's ears, he merely laughed, neither accepting nor declining. This led some, particularly Kritsada, to hope that the distance between the two families would be bridged once more in the next generation. Should that happen, a father like him could finally rest in peace.
"There aren't any vacancies for a position suited for you at my company yet," Wasawatt remarked.
"Then find a spot for me, P'Watt. I could be your private secretary... please?"
Her clear eyes gazed up at her cousin coquettishly as she rested her head on his muscular arm. Wasawatt reached out to ruffle her soft hair with a lazy smile.
"That position is already filled by P'Nat."
Chama wrinkled her nose, knowing Natthawara was the man's maternal relative. "Sigh. If it's P'Nat, I suppose I have to yield to her."
"If Watt won't take you, are you going to help me with my work then?" her father asked.
"I've just returned. Give me a month to adjust and look around a bit, then I'll let you know, Dad."
"As you wish."
Kritsada gave the response he had used since his daughter lost her mother. He turned to engage Wasawatt in a conversation about the current business climate, which they discussed with mutual interest until the guests began to stream into the mansion.
Luck Lucknara arrived at the event accompanied by Isara, the son who had become a rising star executive the industry was watching—even if some guests immediately turned to whisper the moment he appeared.
"Is it just me, or are people looking at you strangely?" the father asked.
"I haven't told you yet, Dad, that I've broken up with Ginny."
"What?!"
"Keep your cool, please," the young man told his father with a pleasant expression, well aware that he was the center of attention.
"What reason could you possibly have for breaking up with Ginny? Or did she dump you because she caught you with another promotional model at your condo again?"
"I can't stay with that woman anymore. Even if I forced myself to marry her, we'd only end up divorced later."
"But the business..."
"You know as well as I do, Dad, that our business no longer needs to rely on the Kridakuls like it used to. Uncle Pham is the one in trouble now. He's facing problems and might be hit with a lawsuit soon."
"What are you talking about!" the father exclaimed, having heard rumors but nothing concrete.
He had been a classmate and close friend of Pham Kridakul for a long time. Pham had even asked his wife, Panida, to switch suppliers to Lucknara's company to ensure LN Holdings survived. This had been the origin of the relationship in the next generation; even after they had once broken up, Luck had practically forced Isara to reconcile with Ginjutha.
'You can break up with Ginny if you want—if you want us to lose all liquidity and be forced into bankruptcy!'
'I'm not a pimp, Dad!'
'You aren't now, but you might want to be if our family name ends up on a blacklist and we're humiliated everywhere.'
'...'
'Consider doing this for me just once, Isara. Ginny is both beautiful and wealthy. What is there to be repulsed by?'
'But I love someone else.'
'And what is this "someone else's" surname? Can that woman and her family help convince a bank to release a loan, or give us massive orders for the entire year?'
'Is that all love is worth to you, Dad?'
'If you stood where I stand, responsible for the livelihoods of thousands of employees, with a family legacy and honor to uphold... otherwise, you'd be branded as the one who let the Lucknara heritage crumble in your generation. If that were the case, I'd cut out my own heart and fight until we stood firm, rather than choosing love to satisfy a lone ego while letting everything else go to hell.' Luck had pointed a finger at his son's face, continuing his disparagement. 'And as for you, if you choose love and end up penniless, I'd dearly love to see if your woman would still stay by your side.'
'I'm certain she isn't after money!'
'Even if she isn't, can you bear being a beggar? Isara, let me ask you—the expensive things, the lavish society, the friends surrounding you right now... would they still want to associate with you if our house were filed for bankruptcy?'
More than two years ago, the young man's tall frame had stood with clenched fists, facing his father's ferocious gaze in bitter frustration.
'If one day... I make us self-reliant without having to borrow someone else's nose to breathe... will you stop dictating my life or meddling in my love affairs?'
'A fun-loving guy like you? You think you can do it?'
'Give me the position of factory manager. Let me prove it to you. If I fail, I'll resign myself.'
Luck had paused for only a moment before nodding, for at that time, there was almost nothing left to lose.
'If you're that certain, then have at it!'
Because of that promise, Isara had agreed to reconcile with Ginjutha and began working in management with a newfound, unprecedented seriousness. He used his charm as a handsome, socially adept man—his most prominent traits—to seek out clients. He contacted several individuals who made his father uneasy, leading to constant arguments.
'How am I supposed to succeed if you won't stop meddling!'
'This company belongs to me.'
'But you gave the manager position to me.'
'You're taking too many risks.'
'I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm a better gambler than you, Dad. You won't risk anything and just stay stuck in place, like an ancient gear that's never been oiled until it's seized. That's why we have to borrow other people's noses to breathe, just like we're doing today!'