Accidentally Married

40. His job

Nai hovered near the decorations, carefully adjusting a stray ribbon when Clay appeared, frowning. "P' Nai, I told you, we have got this," Clay said firmly.

"I am just helping out," Nai replied, brushing it off as if it were no big deal.

"You don't need to," Clay insisted, stepping in to take over. "Seriously, P' Nai, go sit down or something. Enjoy the party."

Nai hesitated but moved to another employee, offering to help carry a tray. Before he could even lift it, the employee shook their head. "It's okay, Nai. We have got it covered."

Clay approached again, exasperated. "Go. Relax. You are one of the guests, not staff."

At that moment, Ani chimed in, her voice light but firm. "Clay is right. Nai, you are not here to work. You are here to enjoy yourself. Besides, we have got everything under control." She smiled, though Nai caught the slight glint in her eye. "You are a guest of honor now, not just one of us."

Nai sighed, knowing Ani wasn't just referring to his new status as Zo's husband but also the boost his name brought to Saiai Event Management. 

Nai watched Clay wave him off with a glass of champagne and a teasing smile. "Go find your husband and socialize, P' Nai," Clay said, already turning back to his work. 

With a resigned sigh, Nai accepted the glass and left the bustling work area. 

Wandering through the party, he tried to relax, but his thoughts kept returning to how differently people treated him now that he was Zo's husband. His position as the Boonruang family's son-in-law had undeniably opened doors for Saiai Event Management, bringing in more clients and lucrative projects. 

Even this grand birthday party for Sainam had been handed to their company without so much as a bid.

He wasn't used to being on the other side—being treated as a guest instead of a worker. It was unsettling.

Eventually, Nai's gaze landed on Zo. He was standing in the middle of a lively group of young men, laughing at something one of them had said. But what really caught Nai's attention—and soured his mood—was the woman clinging to Zo's arm.

His grip on the champagne glass tightened. Zo wasn't pushing her away, which annoyed Nai even more. Narrowing his eyes, he strode toward the group, the sounds of the party fading into the background.

The moment Nai approached, the group fell silent, their expressions ranging from awkward to amused. Zo's eyes widened when he saw Nai, and he immediately tried to pull his arm free from the woman's grip. But the woman held on tighter, smirking as her gaze shifted to Nai.

"You must be Nai?" she said in a tone dripping with condescension, looking him up and down as if sizing him up.

Nai didn't respond, his sharp eyes fixed on her.

She continued, undeterred by his silence. "I am Nean na, Zo's childhood sweetheart." Her smirk widened, clearly trying to provoke a reaction.

Zo looked like he was sweating bullets. His eyes darted toward his twin best friends, Saifah and Sailom, silently pleading for help. But the two were no help at all—both stood at a distance, watching the scene unfold with amused expressions. 

Sailom sipped his drink with a grin, while Saifah even had the audacity to wink at Zo.

Zo mentally cursed his so-called friends. This wasn't the time for them to play the audience. Just as Zo opened his mouth to explain, Nai spoke first.

"Khrab, I am Nai," he said, his tone cool and measured. He stepped closer, his calm demeanor masking the storm brewing beneath. "Hia's husband."

The word husband landed like a hammer.

Nai's gaze flickered to the woman's hand still clutching Zo's arm. "Now that you know who I am," he said, stepping even closer, "you should let go of my husband's arm."

Nean scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "And why should I?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Nai smiled—a cold, calculated smile that didn't reach his eyes. Without another word, he grabbed her hand and firmly pushed it away from Zo's arm, causing her to stumble back a few steps. 

Before she could recover, Nai took Zo's hand in his own, intertwining their fingers in a show of possession.

"It's because clinging to Hia is my job," Nai said with a smirk, his voice laced with mock sweetness.

Nean's face twisted in anger. "Zo," she said sharply, her voice rising, "are you really going to let him treat me like this?"

Nai turned to Zo, his expression calm but his eyes holding a challenge. It was as if he were asking, Do you have a problem with what I just did?

Zo, to his credit, didn't falter. Relieved that Nai hadn't let Nean's provocations get under his skin, Zo simply smiled and asked, "Nai, do you want to grab something to eat before more guests arrive and we get busy?"

Nai's expression softened at Zo's question. "That sounds good," he said with a small smile.

"Let's go, then," Zo said, tugging on Nai's hand.

But Nai didn't move. "Wait a minute," he said, turning back to Nean.

Nean's face lit up with smug anticipation, thinking Nai was about to apologize or backtrack. Instead, Nai tilted his head, feigning confusion.

"Khun Nean, right? You said you are Hia's childhood sweetheart, someone really close to him?" Nai asked innocently.

"That's right," Nean replied, her chin lifting with pride.

Nai's expression turned thoughtful, as if a realization had just dawned on him. "Then why weren't you at our wedding?" a second later her added. "Oh, I forgot. You weren't invited to it in the first place!"

Zo stiffened beside him, his eyes darting nervously between Nean and Nai. He knew exactly why Nean hadn't been invited—her obsessive crush on him since childhood had made her a potential threat to the ceremony. But that was a family secret, one he had kept carefully under wraps.

"Who said I wasn't invited?" Nean's face darkened, her confidence wavering. "I...wasn't there be... because I was abroad at the time," she stammered, her tone defensive.

Nai's smile widened, the fake sweetness returning. "Oh, that's strange," he said. "Because I was one of the wedding planners, and I memorized the guest list. I am pretty sure there was no one named Nean on it."

Nean's face flushed red, then green, as the truth hit her like a slap. She gritted her teeth, her embarrassment palpable.

Nai wasn't done. His voice turned light, almost playful. "You should excuse us now. As newlyweds, we have a lot of guests to greet tonight." His smile turned sharper. "I don't think you would understand how things work between newlyweds. After all, you don't even seem to have a boyfriend, judging by the way you were clinging to someone else's husband."

Zo suppressed a laugh as he watched Nean's face twist in fury. He couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at how Nai had handled the situation.

From the corner of his eye, Zo saw Saifah raise his glass, looking like he wanted to give Nai a standing ovation. Sailom, meanwhile, seemed to regret not having filmed the entire scene, his expression one of pure amusement.

Turning back to Nai, Zo met his husband's gaze, pride and gratitude evident in his eyes.

"Can we leave now, Hia?" Nai asked softly, his earlier sharpness melting away into a gentle tone meant only for Zo.

Zo nodded. "Khrab, let's go."

Hand in hand, the couple walked away, leaving a fuming Nean behind.