Chapter 3 Breaking the Mold

• After being benched for several months, I finally got my second acting role! It was a big-budget movie where I played the male lead’s childhood friend. Though the role wasn’t large, the character was endearing and destined to win over audiences. I couldn’t believe my luck.
• The night before joining the crew, I was so thrilled that I barely got any sleep. Acting had always been my dream when I entered the entertainment industry. Back then, everyone at the company thought I had the looks, figure, and talent to achieve moderate fame. But due to a director’s bizarre artistic taste and erratic editing, I ended up gaining notoriety instead.
• That’s how I got saddled with the label of "just a pretty face." But this time, I was determined to prove everyone wrong and rise above it!
• As I prepared to showcase my skills, trouble arrived in the form of Isabel Dean, the movie’s female lead and a rabid Ashton fan.
• She glared at me with disdain and didn’t hesitate to report me to the director, Jamie Sutton. "How can someone so unprofessional and talentless be allowed on this set?"
• Jamie sighed in resignation. "The producers specifically requested her."
• By the next day, rumors were swirling that I’d landed the role through shady connections.
• The crew started giving me peculiar looks. During filming, a prop mishap left me with a cut on my arm. Right before a scene, Isabel mocked me, "Wow, Miss Pretty Face is stooping to small roles now? Why don’t you get your benefactor to fund a big production where you’re the star? That way, you won’t have to leech off other people’s fame."
• I rolled my eyes and ignored her. Despite the pain, I stepped into the scene. Within minutes, the expressions of everyone on set changed from contempt to astonishment, and finally to sheer amazement.
• When Jamie yelled "Cut," his voice was brimming with excitement, and he couldn’t stop singing my praises.
• Wiping away the tears that had overflowed during my heartfelt performance, I smiled at Isabel and said, "Ms. Isabel, you might want to focus on your own skills. You wouldn’t want to get overshadowed by a minor character."
• Isabel’s face twisted in disbelief. Her fury was palpable, and she looked like she might explode.
• That afternoon, the entire directing team suddenly stood up with serious expressions and hurried off the set. A staff member quietly whispered to me, " "I heard a big shot is coming to do a guest appearance for a few days, and Ms. Lilith, you’ll have a few scenes with them!"
• Unbothered, I nibbled on my popsicle and thought, the investors are already here, how much bigger could this so-called big shot be?
• Then, a tall figure entered, surrounded by a crowd. I froze, my mind filling with one thought, this really is a huge deal!
• As soon as Ashton arrived, the crew who were usually grumpy and deadpan, seemed to transform, practically glowing with excitement as they rushed to greet him. Meanwhile, I backed away as far as possible, wishing I could hide behind my assistant’s overalls.
• But the director, Jamie, was utterly oblivious. He dragged me out from my hiding spot and started showering me with over-the-top praise, as if I’d slipped him some hush money.
• Ashton listened patiently, then smiled gently as he shook my hand. "I’m looking forward to collaborating with Ms. Lilith," he said.
• His smile felt oddly calculated to me.
• Standing nearby, Isabel seemingly more upset than I was. She let her fury get the better of her. Right in front of everyone, she stuck out her foot to trip me! Reflexively, I reached out for support and ended up falling right into Ashton’s chest.
• The set went completely silent. The only thing I could hear was the steady thump of his heartbeat in my ear.
• When I looked up, his expression had darkened, likely because of my bold and shameless move. I couldn’t resist a risky joke and blurted out, "With muscles like these, Mr. Ashton, five hours would be a breeze!"
• The entire crew was stunned. A suffocating silence filled the air.