Chapter 46: What Are You Going to Do

"Are you ready?"

Wearing a black T-shirt, Carey Mulligan stood in front of a chair with James Franco tied to it, her doll-like face brimming with excitement. "Tell me when you're ready."

James Franco felt something was off but still nodded. "I'm ready."

"Please wait a moment." Carey Mulligan ran off to the temporary prop warehouse. James Franco was puzzled. In less than half a minute, the blonde girl returned, carrying a large toolbox. She set it down in front of the chair. "Sorry for the wait. I need to prepare some things."

"Prepare some things?" James Franco stared at the toolbox as Carey Mulligan bent down and opened it. Inside were screwdrivers, pliers, a claw hammer, and wire cutters. "Aren't we just rehearsing?"

"Ah!" Carey Mulligan slapped her forehead, standing up with a pair of pliers in her hand. She tilted her head, looking at James Franco. "I need to get into character. I think reenacting the scene will help me more."

"Uh..." James Franco didn't know what to say.

Murphy, hiding around the corner, covered his mouth to stifle a laugh but didn't reveal himself. Carey Mulligan was just an innocent and rebellious girl, raised in a sheltered environment. At most, she was just playing a prank on James Franco.

This was good; it could keep James Franco in check and prevent him from causing trouble for the crew.

"Can we start?" James Franco's voice echoed again.

Carey Mulligan, holding the pliers, gave a wicked smile on her cute doll-like face. "You're so eager? Let's start then."

She opened the pliers and moved towards James Franco's nose, as if intending to crush his prominent nose. Instinctively, James Franco leaned back. Fortunately, Carey Mulligan, being an inexperienced teenager, hadn't tied the ropes too tightly.

The pliers grazed past his nose, and James Franco clearly felt the cold metal.

"Carey!" He turned pale. "What are you doing?"

"Doing what?" Carey Mulligan retracted the pliers and hit James Franco's shoulder with them. He yelped in pain and shouted, "What are you doing, Carey!"

Carey Mulligan stepped back, folding her arms, and looked down at him from above. "Giving you the punishment you deserve!"

James Franco looked at her in surprise.

"You think I don't know what you're up to?" Carey Mulligan stared at him intently. "James, wake up. Playtime is over. It's time for you to wake up."

James Franco was shocked by her words, but kept a calm face. "Carey, what are you talking about? This isn't funny."

Carey Mulligan gave him a mocking smile, turned to the toolbox, and put down the pliers. She picked up a hammer and a wire cutter, gesturing with them. The hammer seemed too heavy, so she dropped it to the floor with a thud.

James Franco watched, his mind racing. It was hard to believe that this little girl had seen through his intentions and used this rehearsal as a trap.

He made one last attempt. "Is this some juvenile prank?"

"Juvenile?" Carey Mulligan turned, walking towards him with the wire cutter. "Yes. A prank?"

She stood in front of him, leaning down to mock him. "No."

"Let me go."

Facing a teenage girl, James Franco put on a serious face. "Let me go now."

"Don't move!" Carey Mulligan warned. "Don't move!"

James Franco felt the ropes binding him weren't too tight and struggled. "Let me go!"

Never before had he been humiliated like this. He opened his mouth to scold her. "Carey, don't go too far! Let me go!"

Seeing him disobey, Carey Mulligan reached behind her and pulled out a spray bottle from her jeans' back pocket. She aimed it at his open mouth and pressed the spray button. A white mist shot into his mouth.

"Ugh... ugh..." James Franco coughed violently, tears and snot streaming down his face, looking utterly miserable.

Carey Mulligan showed no sympathy and warned, "If you keep shouting, I'll spray pepper spray next."

James Franco, still coughing, spoke more quietly. "Are you crazy?"

"I'm not crazy." Carey Mulligan walked to a sofa and sat down. "You're the crazy one, you pedophile."

She didn't give James Franco a chance to argue. "You don't need to admit or deny it. I see you as a pedophile, and nothing you say will change that!"

"Let me go." James Franco felt exposed, trying to change the subject. "Let me go now. Murphy is still here. What will he think?"

"Don't worry about that." Carey Mulligan twirled the wire cutter, amused. "Murphy went to town. My tutor is gone, and the nearest neighbor is hundreds of feet away. No one will hear you scream."

James Franco looked at her doll-like face, realizing he had misjudged her. Beneath her angelic appearance lay a devil's heart.

Suddenly, he saw a shadow of Murphy Stanton in Carey Mulligan.

"Other girls might be afraid of pedophiles like you, but I'm not!" Carey Mulligan picked up a script from the sofa and showed it to him. "Murphy already told me how to deal with scum like you."

Her words came faster and more urgent. "Since you joined the crew, I knew you were bad and looked for ways to deal with you. Murphy's script is the best solution."

"Hey, Carey, listen to me." James Franco defended himself loudly. "The real bad guy is Murphy, not me!"

"Go to hell!"

Hearing him attack her friend, Carey Mulligan threw the water bottle at him. "You filthy bastard, don't slander Murphy!"

Carey Mulligan stood up, opened the wire cutter, and walked towards James Franco step by step.

James Franco struggled harder but couldn't break free, staring at the gleaming cutter. "What are you going to do!"