15
The film set was bustling with staff from various teams, each diligently handling their responsibilities. The actors were fully immersed in their roles, and Naphak was one of them, taking a break after finishing the first scene of the day.
"Your manager isn't coming with you today?"
"No," Naphak replied. She quickly thanked Mhon, the director, who handed her a sweet drink, and made room for her to sit nearby.
"Is something wrong?" Mhon asked with concern. Rumors had been circulating that Naphak had missed an event she was supposed to attend, angering the event organizers and tarnishing her reputation.
Everyone knew that Naphak Tharanisorn was responsible and committed to her work.
"Everything is alright, Mhon."
"I saw the news," Mhon said, handing her a gossip magazine. Naphak took it but didn't open it. The news was false, but she couldn't blame the event organizers. The chaos was caused by her personal manager.
If Nam had truly cared, she wouldn't have given an interview claiming she couldn't reach Naphak, causing her to miss work.
"I don't have a personal manager anymore."
"Did you have a falling out?" Naphak smiled at the concerned director, whom she respected like an older sister, and leaned on her shoulder to ease her discomfort.
"What should I do, Mhon?"
"The news is out. You need to let people know that you no longer have a personal manager."
"But..."
"Heroes only exist in dramas. In real life, we're all villains trying to survive," Mhon said, looking at Naphak's striking face with frustration. Despite playing villainous roles, Naphak was far from one in real life. She was often too empathetic and accommodating.
"She and I are close friends."
"Friendship doesn't disappear, but sometimes benefits can be dangerous for people in it."
Mhon walked away, leaving Naphak to sigh deeply. Initially, she didn't believe Nam would give an interview blaming her, but entertainment reporters confirmed it. Nam's words led to articles accusing Naphak of being irresponsible and causing trouble for her manager.
Can benefits really change people this much?
A call from the crew snapped Naphak out of her thoughts. She needed to focus on her work and deal with her worries later. But as she waited for her next scene, she couldn't help but think about the beautiful doctor likely attending to patients at that moment.
For two days, her busy filming schedule had kept her from seeing Dr. Premsinee, but she still knew everything about her.
She wondered if the marks she left had faded.
The marks were fading, but the memories of that night lingered, frustrating Dr. Premsinee. Despite performing her duties well, she often found herself reflecting on her actions, questioning why she hadn't been more careful.
Dr. Premsinee stood up from her chair after she glanced at the clock on her office wall. It was time to leave, but before she could even step out of the room, her phone rang.
It was the same old stuff, her ex-fiance still waiting for her. She rarely drove her own car anymore, relying on Dr. Fahlada, Dr. Tankhun, or Dr. Melanee to take her home. She felt guilty for imposing on her friends, but her ex wouldn't back off or try to understand his mistakes.
Before leaving The Cardiac Center, Dr. Premsinee quickened her pace to avoid a stylish woman in a cream dress and sunglasses. In the past, she wouldn't have avoided her, but now she wasn't ready to face her.
"Prem, where are you going?"
"I was just about to call you to tell you that I'll wait at the emergency exit." Dr. Premsinee sighed as her friend nodded in understanding, not questioning why she hadn't called from her office.
"Go wait there. I'll get the car."
Dr. Fahlada handed her files to Dr. Premsinee and headed to the parking lot. They needed to hurry because her beloved was already down with film shooting and was waiting at the condo.
Dr. Premsinee turned to see the tall woman frowning and seemingly saying something she couldn't hear. But she could tell she was annoyed.
As the luxury car arrived, Dr. Premsinee hurriedly got in, glancing back at the actress, who seemed to notice her leaving. The actress's displeasure was evident as she hurried toward them, but it was too late; the car was already moving.
"What's wrong, Prem? You look flustered."
"Just excited."
"Excited about what?"
"Wondering if Wat will find out we snuck out through the emergency exit."
Dr. Premsinee smiled at Dr. Fahlada, who looked puzzled, then turned to watch the passing scenery, avoiding her friend's scrutinizing gaze. She didn't want to be pressured into revealing her secrets.
Naphak was just as frustrated as Dr. Premsinee thought. As soon as her phone was answered, she reprimanded the person on the other end at once for not knowing who Dr. Premsinee was with and how long it'd been since she last walked to the parking lot. Her frustration doubled when they told her that she told them to report only when Dr. Premsinee was with a man, not a woman.
"Go back to Yai. You don't have to follow her anymore," she instructed, putting her phone away.
She didn't need her brother's people; she'd be the one watching Dr. Premsinee herself.
Dr. Premsinee wouldn't be able to escape her.
Naphak smirked as she left the hospital. She didn't need to rush; Dr. Premsinee couldn't avoid her forever.
They lived in the same condo, and she had a special bargaining chip.
But waiting at Dr. Premsinee's door proved futile. Despite ringing the bell repeatedly, there was no response. Neighbors began to notice her.
Naphak glared at the closed door. Dr. Premsinee was deliberately avoiding her. She couldn't hide forever.
Inside, Dr. Premsinee sighed, frustrated by the actress's persistence. She needed time to forget her mistake and regain her composure before facing her.
But the lingering feelings from that night confused her. Despite her friends' same-sex relationships, she never thought she'd feel the same.
She thought both Dr. Fahlada and Dr. Melanee's relationships were cute, and the obstacle they and their lovers had faced made them love each other even more. However, if she had to ask herself about the possibility of liking a woman, she'd say it was impossible.
Then why did that night make her heart race?
The workday should've started fresh, but Dr. Premsinee's heart raced as she read a message from an unknown number. The photo on her phone made her hands tremble. She forced herself to stay composed, not wanting to arouse suspicion.
The photo showed her asleep, her face and the area near her upper chest visible.
Who could've taken such a photo? Dr. Premsinee nearly crushed her phone, tears welling up in her eyes.
Even though she'd started to feel better about the actress, what she did and used to blackmail her made those good feelings dry up, leaving only anger and hatred in their place.
'Don't avoid me, Dr. Premsinee, if you still want these photos to remain a secret, or else...'
The text message was obviously a threat. Dr. Premsinee wiped the tears from her face as it was almost time for her to see the patients waiting for treatment. No matter how anxious she was, she couldn't waste her time as a doctor. One minute lost could mean the life of someone waiting for her help.
When it was time for work, Dr. Premsinee chose to go up to the inpatient ward to check on her patients, as the outpatients waiting for treatment were other doctors' responsibility.
Dr. Premsinee spent about an hour checking on her patients and completing their charts before heading down to her own office in The Cardiac Center, as an internal call informed her that the scheduled patients, as well as new ones, were waiting for diagnosis.
The patient examinations began. Some patients didn't take long, coming in with initial concerns about potential heart issues. Others took longer, especially elderly patients who required thorough and careful examinations.
As the examination time was nearing its end, Dr. Premsinee finally leaned back to relax. Even though today's examinations were like any other day, she knew there were many times she let outside issues intrude on her thoughts, and she had to refocus on her work.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound of someone knocking on the door made Dr. Premsinee sit up and allow the person outside to enter.
"Doctor, a patient wants to speak with you," the nurse said with a polite smile, knowing it was almost the end of Dr. Premsinee's shift.
"A patient's relative?"
"The patient himself, Mr. Phakkaphon Tharanisorn."
"Please, let him in," she said, though she hesitated upon hearing the name. As the doctor treated Mr. Phakkaphon from the start, she couldn't avoid it, even though she feared he might come with his daughter.
But it seemed what she feared didn't happen as Mr. Phakkaphon came with his wife and another person who appeared to be his son, not his daughter, which would've made her anxious and possibly unable to contain her feelings.
"Hello, Mr. Phakkaphon, Mrs. Nonthakan, and..."
"Hello, I'm Yai. I brought my parents to consult with you. Sorry for coming at the end of your shift."
"It's okay."
"My sister told us she spoke with you and that you advised bringing our father for a consultation."
Dr. Premsinee smiled at the tall, handsome young man who resembled his father. His sister must've inherited their mother's beauty but still had some features of their father. Why did she have to think about the actress who made her anxious and disliked, even though she was starting to feel good about her?
Sometimes, she regretted the good feelings she had for her, thinking that after that night, she wouldn't mention what happened. But Dr. Premsinee was almost unable to believe she'd taken photos that night to blackmail her later.
Naphak Tharanisorn played a villainess on screen, and in real life, she was probably one, too.
"Uh, Doctor? Doctor..."
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about what might be causing Mr. Phakkaphon's shortness of breath," she lied, not wanting the family in front of her to know she was actually thinking about their youngest daughter.
"Yes, what do you think?"
"I need Mr. Phakkaphon to undergo an EKG and other tests. In the meantime, please monitor what activities make him feel tired, dizzy, or weak."
"Okay, Doctor. Actually, I'm fine, but my daughter worries too much."
This time, the father confirmed to the doctor himself that he was still healthy and not as ill as his wife and children feared. But who knew they came to the hospital in the evening just to fulfill their daughter's request?
"It's good to be concerned," Dr. Premsinee said, barely able to think of anything else to say when she heard the word "daughter" from the elderly man in front of her.
"I'll do as you say then, Doctor."
"Good, we need to take good care of ourselves."
"Then we'll take our leave. We've taken up enough of your time."
"It's no problem. It's my duty."
Dr. Premsinee smiled at the Tharanisorn family, but as soon as the office door closed, her face turned serious and worried again. What woman wouldn't be concerned about leaked photos of herself taken while she was asleep after a night of ecstasy? She never thought something like this would happen to her.
At first, when she found out that the kind person who helped her at the bachelorette party was the same as the beautiful villainess, she was shocked enough. But she tried to think that nothing happened that night because she was too drunk to remember.
But that night, something did happen because she drank too much, and she still had enough sense to wonder why someone as perfect as her was cheated on by her lover.
So she did something she never thought she'd do.
She couldn't blame the physical relationship on the other party for not restraining themselves... since she was the one who initiated it.
But before she could leave The Cardiac Center for the parking lot, she was startled when a hand grabbed hers tightly, making it impossible to shake off. The face behind the sunglasses made Dr. Premsinee want to scream for help if not for the whispered words meant only for her.
"We need to talk, Dr. Premsinee."
"I have nothing to talk to you."
"But I do. Or don't you want to know about the photos..."
"Enough. If you want to talk, let's go somewhere private."
"You have to come with me."
Dr. Premsinee could only look at the woman in front of her, who still hadn't let go of her hand. She nodded to show she'd comply, but her hand was still held tightly. Despite trying to shake it off and saying she wasn't running away, the actress ignored her and walked her to the parking lot, holding her hand as if she had the right.
"Isn't that man waiting for you today?"
"I don't know," she replied, only now thinking of her ex-fiance who wasn't waiting for her today.
"Maybe he's busy taking care of his wife and child."
"Yeah."
"Don't think about breaking up anyone's family, Doctor."
"Hey! If you keep talking about this, stop the car. I'll get out!"
"Okay, okay, I won't talk about it," Naphak said, her charming smile not working on the beautiful doctor. She handed Dr. Premsinee a heart-shaped candy.
"What?"
"It's a Heartbeat candy. It'll make you sweet."
The giver smiled slightly before focusing on the traffic, which required careful attention. The receiver held the candy before putting it in her gown pocket, which she hadn't taken off yet.
Sometimes, as a doctor, she couldn't understand what this villainess was trying to express. Sometimes, it seemed like she was trying to prevent her from getting back with her ex-lover, but other times, her actions were confusing.
But now, the only thing she had to think about and achieve...
Was to get those photos of herself back from Naphak Tharanisorn.