Accidentally Married

63. Blame

Saifah's jaw tightened as the weight of Sainam's accusation settled over the room.

For a moment, the only sound was Pong's heavy breathing and the faint creak of his walking stick as his grip tightened around it.

Then Saifah spoke, his voice sharp with disbelief. "So you are blaming the four of us for what happened to Moo, mom?" His brows drew together. "That's ridiculous."

Sailom immediately stepped forward, nodding in agreement.

"He is right," Sailom said. "Moo left her wedding on her own. She ran off with her boyfriend because she wanted to. None of us forced her." He spread his hands, frustration creeping into his tone. "We helped her because we were her friends. That's all."

Pong scoffed loudly at the word friends, as if it was an insult. "Friends?" he repeated, eyes narrowing. "If you truly considered her a friend, you wouldn't have let her run away with a fraud. You would have stopped her."

Zo's mouth opened, but Pong wasn't finished.

"A friend doesn't clap while someone walks into a fire," Pong growled. "A friend drags them back."

Gina's disappointment was quieter, but somehow heavier. She looked at the four men with a tired frown. "Why did it never occur to any of you to run a background check on that man?"

Zo blinked, genuinely taken aback. "A background check?"

"Yes," Gina snapped. "On the man Moo was trusting her life with."

Zo exhaled sharply. "We didn't see the necessity. Moo had been dating him for a long time. She trusted him completely. Why would we suddenly suspect him?"

Gina's eyes flashed. "Because you are not children. Because you have resources. Because you could have asked questions." She leaned forward slightly. "If you had told me even once that Moo was planning something... I would have looked into him."

Zo frowned. "You didn't know she was dating someone else before fixing her marriage with me?"

The room stiffened.

Gina's lips pressed into a thin line.

"There are reasons elders decide certain things," she said, voice controlled. "And young people should learn when to listen instead of assuming they know better."

Sainam's gaze was icy. "If you hadn't supported her, if you had told us about him, we could have stopped her from running away."

Sailub, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. His voice trembled—not with fear, but with anger.

"Mom, P' Moo is an adult," he said firmly. "She made her own decision. Please stop pointing fingers at us."

Pong's eyes darkened. "And do you feel no guilt?" Pong demanded. "Not even a little?"

Zo's brows furrowed. "Of course we feel bad for her. But guilty? No."

The air cracked.

Gina stared at him as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "How can you be so heartless?" she whispered. "Moo grew up with you. She was like your sibling."

Zo's expression hardened. "Exactly," he said. "That's why I didn't want to marry her."

The words fell like stones.

Zo took a step forward, voice rising with years of restrained frustration. "I told you. Again and again. I only ever saw Moo as a friend. Nothing more. But you and Dad pushed me into that marriage anyway."

Gina flinched.

Zo didn't stop. "So no," he said sharply. "I am not taking the blame for Moo's actions. And honestly?" His lips curled bitterly. "I am glad she left the wedding."