Chapter 2045
She felt it-the sting of sadness, the gnaw of jealousy.
Why did Balfour have to play the caring gentleman to her, then turn around and wrap his arms around Giselle?
Ah, men!
After a restless night, Ivy dragged herself through the next day, her spirit seemingly as heavy as lead.
“Ivy, you’re looking a little under the weather today,” chimed in a co-star, a side character in the TV show, barely a blip on the call
sheet.
They had shared a scene once, but that was the extent of their acquaintance. Ivy had not expected anyone in the crew to take notice of her, especially after the recent scandal that had everyone treating her with kid gloves.
“Thanks for noticing. Just didn’t catch much sleep, that’s all.”
“Is it the old ‘new bed blues’?” Margot, the inquisitive sidekick, leaned in with a conspiratorial air and fished out a tin from her purse. “This is my little insomnia buster. Works like a charm. Here, take it. Might help you next time you’re counting sheep.”
Ivy hesitated but accepted the tin gratefully. “Thank you.”
She did not understand why this colleague seemed so eager to extend kindness her way, but she was not about to reject a friendly gesture.
“By the way, Ivy, what’s the deal with you and Giselle? On day one, she timed her coffee delivery precisely-it was so obviously a move aimed at you.”
The young actress did not have the same opportunistic vibe as the rest of the crew.
Giselle seemed to rub her the wrong way, and she did not hesitate to voice her suspicions.
“You’re not a fan of Giselle?” Ivy was taken aback. “But she’s like the darling of the set. How come you don’t like her?”
Margot furrowed her brow, troubled. “I can’t quite put my finger on it. She’s all smiles but never lets her mask slip, not even for a second. It feels inauthentic, kind of eerie. That’s why I keep my distance.”
Ivy resonated with that; it was the same reason she had been wary of Giselle from the start. It was only natural to show emotion. and someone who did not was, indeed, hard to trust.
“Hey, did you hear?” Margot glanced around and whispered, “Word is, she’s a terror to her assistants. She treats them like dirt, barking orders and throwing tantrums. Not exactly the sweetheart she plays for the cameras.”
Ivy was taken aback. She had not pegged Giselle for that kind of person. “How do you come by all this?”
“A friend of a friend works at her agency. She vents to me about Giselle’s antics now and then. Trust me. It’s the real deal.”
Maybe there was more truth to the rumors than Ivy had thought.
After a thoughtful pause, Ivy asked, “But if it’s so bad, why don’t her assistants just quit?”
“Oh, Ivy, you’re such a greenhorn. They stick around because the pay is better than most. Money talks, and it often says ‘endure.” Margot sighed with a blend of pity and resignation.
Ivy remembered her job-hunting struggles, sending resumes into the void with nothing to show for it.
If fate had not handed her that commercial gig, she likely would not be here, on set.
“Fair point. It’s tough for everyone trying to make it.”
Margot gave Ivy’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Want more gossip?”
“What kind of gossip?” Ivy was not one to revel in rumors, but the conversation was a pleasant distraction.
Margot’s voice dropped even lower. “Between us, Giselle’s acting chops aren’t exactly top-tier. The director has to coach her one-on-one. And to think, she had the nerve to come into our show and give you pointers!”
