For a second she froze still. She blinked few times just to be sure she was seeing correctly.
And then she turned to leave.
But it wasn't the end of it.
Noelle turned around only to face another horror. Yeong Ye-Jun stood in the doorway of the trailer, taking pictures of her with the naked actress in the background, a mischievous smile on his face.
She panicked but couldn't say a word—she didn't want the sleeping beauty to wake up. She quickly brushed past him and rushed outside.
Noelle took deep breaths to calm down. What the hell had he just done? She saw him exit the trailer, lock the door quietly, and stand next to her with a victorious grin.
"Got you now!" he said.
"What the fuck?" Noelle managed to say.
"Why do you think I let you work next to me? Just to use you and get the right opportunity to frame you. About something. Anything. Didn't take long, did it? Now it's time for you to leave," Ye-Jun said.
"Again? You're going too far to get rid of an intern."
"Anything it takes! So now, go back to the office and let Chloe know that you're quitting. Otherwise, these beautiful shots will go public. Imagine the headline: 'Sex scandal on set. Who is the foreign girlfriend?' It's hilarious!"
"Are you mad? Who would believe that?" Noelle asked. It wasn't even the problem, but she felt the urge to question his logic.
"Everybody. Don't you know that Chae-Youn is a sex addict? She gave me this key from day one, asking me to visit her whenever I want. Everyone knows she gives keys to certain people — of any gender — and waits for them during breaks. You know, I have a serious relationship. But I knew this key would come in handy!" Yeong Ye-Jun said excitedly.
Noelle was certain the man in front of her was a demented, scheming bastard. He had gone this far just to trap her—a nobody.
She stared at him, his lips curling with that devious smile. She wanted so badly to punch him in the face—the second time in a matter of minutes—but stopped herself. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.
Noelle weighed her options.
Option 1: Be afraid and agree to resign right now.
No freaking way.
He would never dare to post anything. But what if he did? The only one truly affected would be Ms. Myong and the production. A scandal before airing would definitely harm the show.
Option 2: Attack him and call Chloe, tell her everything.
He'd be scared—but she wouldn't be proud of herself. She couldn't run for help every time something happened.
Option 3: Attack him openly and threaten retaliation.
That sounded more intriguing.
"Go ahead and publish it. I don't care even if my own parents see it—they'll believe me, not the internet. But guess what... guess who believes everything online? Your fans. And probably Ms. Ha Mi-Ok—the one who assaulted me just because I was in the same room with you. What if someone then publishes that lovely story about the keys? You know, a true story. What if everyone finds out you had a key? What if people start thinking there's something between you and Ms. Myong? What if—"
"Stop it. You can't do that!" he snapped, nostrils flaring.
Noelle was surprised at how easily her bluff had worked. She'd found a sweet spot.
"You think I'm weak, or that I get scared easily. But you don't know me at all. I'm crazier than I look, and I've got a lot less to lose. Publish anything, and you'll be sorry," Noelle said.
"So I was right. You intend to harm me!"
"I have no intention of harming anyone. Let's clear this up here and now. I'm not interested in finding out about your shit. I want to write an essay and go back home. I have zero interest in you or your life. So back off! Stop being insane!"
Ye-Jun looked at her with a very serious expression. "I'm not insane. I'm resourceful. I don't want to attack you—I want to protect myself. And I'm not letting you off. I will never trust you."
She couldn't stand this madness, though he was partially right. She had threatened him; in her mind, she was protecting them both, but in his, she was confirming she was a threat.
Noelle had won this battle, but she was still losing the war.
"So there you are!" Mi-Suk's voice broke the silence. "Tell me everything—what happened?" she asked, probably referring to the strike and his fight with Mr. Kim.
"Nothing! I'm going back to work!" Ye-Jun yelled and started walking toward the set.
"What happened? Where is he going? Was it all for nothing?" a desperate Mi-Suk asked.
They watched him take a few more steps before stopping. After a pause, he turned around and walked back. "I don't want anyone in," he muttered as he passed them and slammed the door of his trailer.
"Oh my God! He's losing it! I have to reach Chloe—Sang-Jun at least! What is going on?" Mi-Suk cried.
Noelle decided to say nothing about Myong Chae-Youn. She was certain he wouldn't either. She started recounting what had happened earlier. Mi-Suk began making calls while Noelle excused herself and headed back to the office.
They had warned her—Dan-Bi and Sang-Jun both said: "Don't let your guard down." But she hadn't listened. She felt ashamed, because deep down she'd hoped they could bridge that big gap between them.
Why do I keep giving a damn about that prick?