Pandora and Diana were taken aback. They didn’t expect Sarah to be so blunt, dropping all pleasantries and calling them out.
Seeing Director Colby approach, they felt awkward and scared. “Uh, Director Colby, we…”
Director Colby quickly pieced it together. Normally easygoing, he looked furious, his face darkening as he yelled, “You two want to shoot, then shoot! If not, get out! I’ve never taken advantage of any actresses in this industry!”
Gossip about him and others was one thing; he had been accused of having affairs before and didn’t really care. But rumors about him and Sarah?
Sarah had weathered plenty of ups and downs and wasn’t afraid of rumors, but Director Colby was genuinely worried that the INVESTOR would stop backing him.
Pandora and Diana were feeling pretty awkward. They both knew the contract was signed, but whether there would be a next time was really up in the air.
Getting a chance to work on a big director’s film like this was rare; a lot of people scrambled and pulled all kinds of strings just to get a shot. They had only managed to get in through their connections.
Usually, they were all smiles around Director Colby, doing everything they could to butter him up. After all, his commercial films easily made over a billion at the box office. Many would jump at the chance to star in his movies, not knowing how many people would want to take that opportunity.
But Director Colby’s films required huge investments, and he had to answer to a lot of backers. Losing money on a project would hit him hard, so there was no way he’d get reckless and cast someone who couldn’t cut it.
Deep down, the gossipers knew how it really was. Pandora understood that she just couldn’t stand seeing Sarah, so young, making waves in the industry while she had struggled for years without any real success.
Now, with their faces flushed red, Pandora and Diana started complaining to each other as soon as Director Colby left.
Diana frowned, “This is all your fault. You had to go and spread rumors, and now Director Colby’s furious. It’s going to be even harder for me to get roles.”
“I didn’t know she would hear that,” Pandora snapped back. “If you hadn’t brought it up, we wouldn’t be in this mess. She gets mad over a few words and even pulls the director in. Talk about thin-skinned! Everyone in this industry gets talked about.”
Director Colby had only let them in because a friend recommended them, and he had seen their previous work, which wasn’t bad. But with these two stirring up trouble, who knows what else they might cause?
After calling and giving the person who recommended them a piece of his mind, Director Colby hung up with a scowl. Pissing off a director like him meant they wouldn’t get good roles again anytime soon.
Pandora’s scenes were definitely going to get cut; a supporting role like hers could easily be swapped out. Diana’s part was harder to cut, especially since middle-aged actresses like her were tough to find, so she had to stay for now.
Later, Merry and David showed up to visit. They hadn’t seen Sarah in a while and brought a ton of drinks and some barbecues.
Merry scrolled through her phone to show Sarah some cute guy she had met recently, while David rambled on about the blind date his mom had set up for him.
The food around the set wasn’t great, and everyone was tired of the same old takeout, so Merry and David decided to bring a big haul of food. They were their usual wasteful selves, wanting Sarah to try everything without caring if she could finish it. The smell of barbecue quickly filled the area.
Some of the actors who got along well with Sarah shared some snacks with her, but Merry was worried about how the others in the crew treated Sarah, so she handed out drinks and snacks to some staff members.
But not to Pandora and Diana. After spreading rumors and trashing Sarah behind her back, they weren’t getting any treats. They felt way too embarrassed to show their faces in front of Sarah. After all, just yesterday, Sarah had been nice to them, and now they had pulled this stunt; they felt like they couldn’t face her.
Sarah was already in a bit of a bad mood. Even though she’d been in the industry long enough to know that some people put on a front while talking trash behind your back, it still stung.
But Pandora and Diana had been acting really friendly just a couple of days ago, not showing any signs of trouble. From any angle, they seemed like the warm-hearted industry seniors. If Sarah hadn’t overheard their real conversation today, she probably wouldn’t have known that they were trying to sabotage her until the wrap party.
“Hey, Sarah, are you and Mr. Holden getting a divorce?”
Sarah froze for a second. “What?”
David held up a skewer of grilled corn. “I heard it from your sister. Viola said you and Mr. Holden have a marriage agreement. Once Mr. Holden’s grandpa passes away, you two are supposed to divorce. She also said your dad already talked it over with Mr. Holden, and you two are splitting up soon.”
In the past, Sarah had shared a lot of the good things she got from Holden with the Brown family. Even if Viola didn’t directly benefit, the family still felt like the marriage was worth it.
But now that Sarah’s career was taking off, she wasn’t keen on sharing any of the perks with the Brown family. Viola and Monica would rather see the Brown family and the Smith family not have any ties than let Sarah keep everything for herself.
Sarah still found it hard to believe. “My dad talked to Mr. Holden?”
“That’s what Viola said. I don’t know the details,” David replied, thinking it over. “I think Mr. Holden offered your dad a billion, and then you two would divorce, keeping everything separate. You wouldn’t be allowed to spill any Smith family secrets.”
The Smith family had always kept a low profile. They weren’t the type to flaunt their wealth or let outsiders see their heir’s face. If Holden was really going to divorce Sarah, they’d definitely sign some sort of agreement to keep her quiet, probably with a nice payout to go with it.
Sarah recalled seeing Mr. Brown at the Smith family last time. He must have been there to discuss this with Holden, but Holden wasn’t around, and Butler Ted didn’t want to talk to Mr. Brown.
Given the current situation, Mr. Brown had probably already worked things out with Holden and was just waiting for the agreement to be finalized. Once Holden transferred the money, Sarah would be moving out of the Smith family’s house.
Merry thought Holden looked flawless and charming, but men like him were often unpredictable and dangerous for ordinary people to get close to.
Merry took a bite of her ice cream. “Sarah, do you love Holden?”