Chapter 2034
“No biggie,” Giselle said, her face a picture of magnanimous grace.
The crew member’s casual compliment sent ripples through the crowd of crew members, sparking a chorus of praise that seemed to elevate Giselle above everyone else. Giselle shone like the brightest star, basking in the adulation of those around
her.
And then there was Ivy, destined to play the foil.
“Ivy, let me have a gander at that script,” Giselle said, reaching for the sheaf of papers in Ivy’s hands. Ivy hesitated, then pulled back, avoiding Giselle’s grasp.
Internally, Giselle scoffed at Ivy’s reticence, deeming her ungrateful, yet she kept a friendly smile plastered on her face. “Ivy, is the script under lock and key? No worries. You could just give me the gist of it!”
“Thanks for the offer to run lines with me, Giselle, but I’d like to mull it over by myself, see if I can bring my own twist to the role,” Ivy responded politely, yet firmly declining.
Ivy’s refusal seemed to sour Giselle’s mood, but she did not need to say a word; her entourage had already started to grumble on her behalf.
“Still needs to study it? It’s been all morning, and not a single scene done.”
“The star herself offers to help her out, and she turns her nose up? What’s with the airs?”
Ivy stood there, feeling each comment like a knife twisting inside her. She was mortified, longing for the ground to swallow her whole, when Colton’s assistant appeared. “Ivy, Colton’s asking for you.”
Following the assistant to Colton’s trailer, Ivy found him letting out a weary sigh. “I heard about the commotion outside.”
“Sorry, director,” Ivy apologized, feeling she had let everyone down.
Colton gestured for her to sit and spoke earnestly, “It’s not like that. Everyone has a few hiccups their first time on set. Even pros make mistakes, let alone someone new like you.”
Colton’s words were meant to comfort, but Ivy’s guilt over delaying the shoot weighed heavily on her.
Seeing her distress, Colton continued, “Giselle’s first gig was with me, and don’t think she had it easy. She had as many flubs as you, if not more.”
At that, Ivy blinked in surprise, looking up at Colton. “You don’t have to make up stories about her just to cheer me up.”
“It’s the truth. I’m not fabricating anything against her,” Colton assured her, flipping through the script to her character’s scenes. “This film is called ‘Ballad of Valor,’ and your character, Valor, is the soul of it. That’s why I’m a bit tough on you. Let me walk you through this scene properly.”
Colton took the time to explain the scene’s context and what it was meant to convey. He then had Ivy perform it right there, offering one-on-one guidance.
After the director whisked away ivy, Giselle suddenly felt like a fifth wheel on set.
She had hoped to showcase her acting chops by coaching Ivy in front of everyone. Instead, Colton had not given her the time of day, summoning Ivy away without a second glance.
Fuming and struggling to maintain her composure, Giselle excused herself, having a crew member escort her to the makeup trailer to cool off.
Sitting in the makeup trailer, Giselle stewed over the slight, her discontent growing by the second.
