"The plan is as follows," Kit began seriously. "Niran, you go to the office as usual. Soon after, Chak will arrive. He will yell at you in front of everyone, open your drawer, and find the documents Noon planted. He'll fire you in front of everyone. Noon has to be present to report to Raeng."
I looked at Chak. His face was cold, but his eyes said otherwise. Kit continued:
"When Chak fires Niran, Chak will order Noon to get him a cup of black coffee. In the meantime, you two will go to Chak's office, where Niran will sign the fake documents about his firing. You have to sign it in front of Noon so she believes it's real. Chak will then give her some attention – maybe buy her something or compliment her. I'm sure she'll think she succeeded. But that will be her end."
There was a short silence.
"If this is the only way to expose her, then we'll do it," Chak said coldly, but his posture showed concern.
He looked at me and quietly added, "But if you're not comfortable with this... we'll figure something else out."
I swallowed. My hands were slightly sweaty. I nodded.
"I'm not exactly comfortable playing the fired guy... And I'm even less comfortable pretending that I don't care. But if this will expose the truth, I'll do what's necessary."
For a moment, I looked down, then at Chak's hand, which was close to mine. Slowly, I said, "Just... don't leave me alone there. Not in front of everyone."
Chak smiled slightly. For the first time in a long while.
"I never will," he said.
Then, more coldly than he probably wanted to sound, as if trying to hide his feelings from others: "We have to be convincing. That means it will sound harsh. And it will look real."
"This will be the best play yet," Kit grinned. "But also the most risky. If it works, we'll have all the evidence on Noon and Raeng. And then... their story will be over."
"When Noon is exposed and when Niran is back at the company... what do we tell the employees?" Taeng asked.
"I'll tell them I want to continue to torment Chak," I laughed.
"No," Chak said, looking at me seriously. "I'll say I made a mistake. That I fired the wrong person."
"Rattan," he turned to him. "With this evidence, you've shown you're willing to draw the line against Noon and Raeng. You've protected me and Niran. So, you'll get a raise."
Rattan was stunned. "Seriously, boss?"
"Seriously," Chak nodded.
"We're leaving," said Samchai.
"See you tomorrow," Rattan said. "And thanks again."
As they left, Taeng brought in plates, and Kit brought food. We sat down to eat.
"Little one, enjoy today because tomorrow you're fired," Kit said with a smile.
"Stop it, Kit," I replied, laughing. It was a rare but pleasant dinner.
I noticed Taeng had some sauce on his face. Kit reached for a napkin with a smile and wiped it off. Taeng blushed.
After dinner, I cleaned up the dishes.
"We're leaving. See you tomorrow. And good luck, little one," Kit said.
"Thanks," I replied quietly.
Taeng gave me a friendly hug. "See you."
"Goodbye," I said.
Chak turned to me. "Let's go to bed quickly. Tomorrow will be a busy day."
When I got to the room, I quickly took a shower and went to bed. I could barely close my eyes when I felt a light touch on my hair. I opened my eyes and saw Chak.
"I was just checking if you're asleep," he whispered. He turned as if to leave.
I grabbed his hand. "Can you stay with me, please?"
He turned, looked me in the eyes, and said, "If you want, I'll stay."
He came to the other side of the bed and hugged me. I felt the warmth of his body and blushed slightly. We slept like that until morning.
In the morning, I quietly slipped into the kitchen. I made breakfast and orange juice. As I was setting the glass on the table, Chak came in.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning," I replied.
We ate in silence. I felt somewhat calm, but my heart was still pounding.
I cleaned the dishes and changed. When I was buttoning up my shirt, Chak entered the room. He looked flawless – black shirt, dark blue tie.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Five more minutes," I said.
Chak left. I quickly finished getting dressed, grabbed my bag, and put on my shoes. When he dropped me off at the usual spot, I walked toward the office. The looks followed me, and the whispers were inevitable.
At the elevator, Non was standing there. We stepped inside.
"I know you didn't leak information about the boss," he said quietly.
"Thanks," I replied with a sour smile.
I reached my desk and sat down. My phone beeped. A message from Kit:
The game will start soon Little one. Good luck.
"Thanks," I replied.
I took a deep breath. My heart started racing.
The office doors slammed open.
Chak walked in with an icy expression on his face, his gaze directed straight at me. Everyone in the office froze. His footsteps echoed across the room as he angrily walked toward my desk.
"Niran!" he roared so loudly that some people nearly jumped out of their seats.
I stood up from my chair, seemingly surprised and confused, though my heart was pounding hard.
"What's going on, boss?" I asked with a shaky voice.
Chak opened my drawer without a word and pulled out a folder with documents – the very ones Noon had intentionally planted. He lifted them high so everyone could see.
"WHAT IS THIS?" he shouted. "EXPLAIN NOW!"
I stood still, pretending to be confused and shocked.
Noon was standing in the hallway, watching the scene, a small triumphant smile on her face, as if she was enjoying the chaos she had helped create.
"Boss, I swear I have no idea where those documents came from..."
"Enough!" Chak cut him off with a cold tone. "I never thought you'd betray me. After all the trust I put in you!"
Everyone in the office fell silent. Some whispered, others stared in shock. Noon stepped closer to listen.
"You have nothing left to do in this office. YOU'RE FIRED!" Chak shouted.
I clenched my teeth and lowered my gaze. "Understood," I said quietly.
"Noon!" Chak called sharply. "Get me a cup of black coffee. Quickly."
"Of course, Mr. Chak," Noon said as she hurried out of the room, satisfied with herself.
When she disappeared from view, Chak turned to me. "Let's go to my office, so you can sign the documents."
I nodded and followed him. Everyone watched us, whispers growing louder.
Once we reached Chak's office, he closed the door and hugged me gently. He went to the desk and took the fake contract from the drawer. Quickly, I grabbed it and signed the fake firing document. When Noon placed the coffee in front of Chak:
"Here's your coffee, Mr. Chak."
Chak turned to her, threw her a small smile, and said, "Thanks, Noon. You really know how to be... useful."
Noon blushed slightly. "I try, Mr. Chak."
"I know. I notice," he added with a hint of warmth in his voice and turned back to me.
When I looked at him, he gave me a slight smile. No more words.