Chapter 1991
As the male lead and the character portrayed by Clara, Quincy, strolled down Main Street, the leading actress burst out of the corner café and gave Quincy a resounding slap, “Dante, didn’t you say you were in a meeting? And who is this woman?”
Clara, who had just been struck hard, felt a surge of indignation. The leading actress went for real, huh? It was just an audition after all; why the need for such force?
Rubbing her stinging cheek, Clara fired back with her lines as irritation colored her voice, “Who the heck are you? What’s this craziness about? Why did you hit me?”
“Who am I?” The actress pointed at the male lead, “I’m Dante’s wife and we were officially married and registered! You’ve got no shame by cozying up a married man, you homewrecker!”
Clara glanced at the male lead, her demeanor unshaken and defiant, “What does a marriage certificate count? He told me he doesn’t love you. The one who isn’t loved is the real homewrecker!”
Ivy, in the control room, watched the unfolding drama on set.
Clara’s performance in other roles had been mediocre at best, but she was convincingly detestable when she was acting as a mistress.
The actors Quinton had brought in for Ivy were professionals, and despite knowing this was just a rehearsal, their commitment to the craft was evident.
Tears glistened in the leading actress’s eyes as she glared at the male lead, “Is what she’s saying true? I’m asking you, Dante! Now you said you don’t love me, but have you forgotten how you begged me when you were courting me?”
Dante rolled his eyes at her, clearly annoyed, “Can you stop making a scene here? It’s embarrassing enough without people watching. I’m embarrassed, aren’t you too?”
“Embarrassed? Back when you couldn’t scrape together a few bucks, I stood by you. You didn’t seem embarrassed about me then,” she said as she reached out to tug at Dante’s shirt, desperate to see a glimmer of affection in his eyes.
Seeing this, Clara stepped forward and pushed the leading lady to the ground, “Maybe you should stop clinging to Dante! Sure, you’ve been with him for years, and that wasn’t easy. But that was then. He loves me now. If you really love him, you’d step aside and stop disrupting our lives!”
The leading actress stumbled backward and fell to the ground, “You want me to step aside? I’m his lawful wife! You, a young girl, should be working and living properly, not chasing after a taken man! Is this how your family taught you to behave?”
“This is true love between us. He loves me, not you. Your marriage means nothing,” Clara squatted before her, her eyes filled with contempt. “I’d suggest you divorce him quickly so I might even get Dante to give you a decent settlement. Otherwise, you’ll be left with nothing but the clothes on your back!”
Bitterness etched on her face, the leading actress looked at them both, and then, with a breakdown scream, lunged at Clara in a fit of
rage.
This twist wasn’t scripted for Clara, and it caught her off guard.
By the time she reacted, she was already tackled to the ground.
“Bitch! You want to be a mistress, huh?” The leading lady slapped Clara furiously across the face, and only after the deed was done did Dante step in to pull her away, “Enough already!”
Clara got up, her face a mask of hurt as she turned to the director, “Director, what’s going on here?”
