We're all familiar with arranged marriages, right?
The classic scenario where families pick a stranger for you, and then—poof—you're married. No much dating, no love messages, just 'Hi, nice to meet you. Let's tie the knot.'
But let's be real: When it comes to gay love, it is supposed to go like this: fall for your best friend (who's probably straight), your senior (who already has a girlfriend), or your hot neighbor. It's messy, complicated, and definitely not parent-approved.
That's how it's supposed to be, right? Love first, marriage later.
But in my case?
"Wait… what?" My voice cracked like I was fifteen again. "I'm getting married?"
Pim froze mid-bite, her spoon hovering above her khao pad gai as she stared at me, wide-eyed, like she was watching the biggest twist of the season unfold in some Thai lakorn.
I could almost hear the dramatic music in the background, the camera zooming in on her face as if this was the scene that would go viral.
Dad, meanwhile, sipped his soup, clearly knowing all this was coming. He knew Mom was about to throw this bomb at me. I turned to him, silently pleading for some kind of backup. A nod, a frown, anything that says you're on my side here.
But no.
He just lifted his spoon, took another casual bite, and muttered, "Mmm, this soup's good."
Seriously?
"Mom," I asked again, "this is a joke, right?"
"Not at all!" she chirped, her smile as bright as a neon sign. "Everything's settled. You'll thank me later!"
Spoiler alert: I didn't.
Sigh...
Oh, right—introductions.
Sawadee krub! I'm Phawin Sirisuk, but everyone calls me Win. Just your average school teacher with a knack for minding my own business—until now.
And the guy I was about to marry? Let's just say, if you've walked through Bangkok, you've seen his face on a billboard.
One of those guys who looks perfect from every angle—the kind that makes you question if they're even human.
But...
Little did I know, one month later, I'd be walking down an aisle—and straight into the biggest mess of my life.
So, how did this all start?
For that, let's rewind to one month ago—when everything was normal—or so I thought.
***
A Month Back,
One month back, it was a lazy Sunday. My favorite kind of day—just me, my bed, and my favorite novel. Not just any novel, though—a gay novel. A spicy one.
I was stretched out on my bed, snacks in one hand and my phone in the other, completely lost in the story. It was peaceful, quiet—perfect.
Until…
"Brother! Brother! Help me with my project!" Pim's voice broke through my bliss.
"No," I replied, flat and blunt.
Silence. Sweet silence.
But then—
"MOM!!!" Pim screamed like one of those dramatic soap opera characters.
I froze. I was doomed.
"Win, open the door!" Mom's voice followed almost instantly, firm but calm, which somehow made it even scarier.
"Sigh…" I muttered, throwing my phone under the pillow in a panic.
Why?
Because my family didn't know my secret yet.
That's right—my biggest secret. I'm gay.
It's not that I was ashamed of it. It's just... complicated. My parents, especially my mom, had this idea of how my life should be. Get a steady job, find a nice girl, settle down.
You know, the usual.
But me? Well, I hadn't done any of that. And the last thing I wanted was to make things more difficult than they already were.
So, I kept it to myself. My little secret, hidden under the pillow, for another peaceful Sunday.
I opened the door, and there stood my mom, glaring at me like I'd done something wrong, with Pim beside her—my dramatic little sister. Seriously, she's like a walking soap opera. Dramatic. Sometimes, I wonder if it's because mom used to watch too many soap operas when she was pregnant with her.
"Win!" Mom snapped, her hands on her hips. "Help Pim with her school project. She can't do it alone."
I rolled my eyes. "Mom, how is she ever going to learn if I keep doing everything for her?"
Pim crossed her arms, giving me a look like I was the villain in her personal drama. "Come on, brother. You're so lazy. Just help me!"
"Lazy?!" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not lazy, I'm just enjoying my day. It's Sunday, you know, my day off. Don't ruin it."
But of course, that was enough to get mom started.
"Win," she said, her voice taking on that "I'm-not-asking-anymore" tone. "Help her. Now."
Ugh...
My Sunday was officially ruined. I could already feel my peace slipping away like sand through my fingers. But I guess this was the life I signed up for, right?
I know what you're thinking—why am I still living at my parents' house, even with a job and everything?
Well, it's simple: My school is just twenty minutes away from here, and, frankly, I've been too lazy to move out. Plus, it's free food. Who wouldn't want that?
I walked into the living room where Pim had already set up her "project" on the table. I swear, I've seen less chaos at a construction site. Glitter was everywhere. I mean everywhere—on the table, the floor, even stuck to the walls. What the hell was she even making?
"Pim," I asked, staring at the mess, "What the hell is this?"
She looked at me, all innocent. "It's a school project, obviously."
"Yeah, I can see that," I said sarcastically, pointing at the glitter explosion that was somehow supposed to be her 'project.' "But what is it? I've never seen a project look like this."
"It's a... uh... solar system model!" she said, all proud, holding up a glitter-covered ball that was clearly supposed to be Earth—though it looked more like a giant disco ball. "I'm making it sparkly, so it looks more fun."
I stared at Pim's project, struggling to understand what the heck I was looking at. "There's no way this is a solar system. It looks like... a unicorn exploded in a glitter factory."
Pim pouted, like she was offended. "It's creative, okay?"
I sighed deeply.
Hours passed, and after what felt like an eternity of glitter-filled hell, Mom finally walked into the room, patting my shoulder with a proud smile. "It's nice to help your little sister, right?"
I scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Love it. Definitely not wasting my day at all."
Mom just chuckled, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil. Then, her tone shifted. "Oh, by the way, Win, I met Aunt Warunee's daughter today."
My heart sank. Oh no. Here we go again.
I swear, I could feel my soul leaving my body. I silently prayed to every god I knew—'please, no more blind dates. Please. I'll lose my mind, I swear I will.'
But of course, I had no idea that the gods were listening, and they had a twisted sense of humor.
Right then, Mom's phone rang, and she looked down at the screen. What I didn't know was that that phone call—the one she was so excited about—was about to change my life forever. Mom picked up the call, and I saw my chance to escape. I shot a glance at Pim and handed her the finished project.
"Here, it's completed. NOW. DO NOT. DISTURB."
Pim took the project, grinning like she'd done all the work herself. Seriously? But at this point, I was used to it.
I backed away slowly, making my way toward the door to my room. As I turned the handle, I could hear Mom's voice on the other end of the phone, full of excitement.
"What! Really? A reunion?" she practically squealed.
I shut the door behind me, blocking out the sound. Little did I know that that phone call—the reunion—was not ordinary. And that, right there, was when everything started to change.
COMING SOON...