Chapter 181 - 179: Something Happened
On set.
Connie came to visit Lily Sterling on set today!
"I already turned down that high school drama. If you don’t want to do it, we won’t do it."
In the break room, Connie was chatting with Lily Sterling.
"I came this time to have a word with the production team. We need to speed up filming for your remaining scenes. Your next project is expected to start shooting after the New Year."
This next project was the one Lily Sterling had picked out herself. Back then, to compensate Lily, James Lockwood had promised Cecilia Sterling that he would let Lily choose any role she wanted to play.
Lily Sterling sat obediently, listening intently to Connie. "We’ll try to wrap up here before the New Year. That way, you can enjoy the holiday without any worries. You need a breather between roles anyway. It’ll help you detach from your current character so you can perform well in the next film."
"Oh, right. There’s also a big-budget comedy slated for next year’s Spring Festival. The female lead is Heather Keaton. Are you interested?"
Lily Sterling snapped back to reality. "A comedy? Comedies are difficult."
"They are, but didn’t you want to try different genres? If you’re interested, you can take a look at the script first and see if there are any roles you like. Let me know afterward." Connie said calmly, with no intention of pressuring Lily Sterling.
Lily Sterling nodded. "Thank you, Connie, for giving me so much freedom to choose my roles. Sometimes, I even wonder myself... like with that high school drama’s lead role, I feel like I’m being ungrateful. It’s an opportunity so many people would kill for."
Connie just smiled. "I know what you want, and you’re not wrong. A lot of people are just like you when they first enter the industry, thinking they have to be a certain way, that they’ll never take on a bad script or a terrible role. But after they’ve been in it for a while, they slowly come to understand that this business is rotten to the core. Almost everyone’s hands are tied."
As she spoke, she gently took Lily Sterling’s hand. "Even though I’m your agent, I’m still just following the company’s orders. I’ll definitely get you what’s promised in your contract, but for anything more, you have to rely on yourself. No one can be free forever, so cherish the freedom you have now and do what you want to do."
There was a lot packed into Connie’s words, and the Lily Sterling of today probably couldn’t digest it all. But no one could stay completely untainted in this industry. One day, she would understand.
Even if her sister was a major player, who could guarantee that the empire wouldn’t one day come crashing down?
Ultimately, you have to walk your own path. No one can shield you from the wind and rain forever.
"Okay, I’ll remember that, Connie." Lily Sterling’s limpid eyes flickered as she nodded.
Connie smiled in satisfaction, then slowly stood up. "Alright, I’m going to go have a word with the production team. Your filming schedule is definitely going to get tighter, so it’ll be a bit tougher."
"That’s fine, Connie. I’m not afraid of hard work."
Connie smiled again, then turned to Finn and Yuna. "You two take good care of Lily."
With that, she turned and walked out.
Lily Sterling let out a soft breath, a strange weight settling in her heart. ’I can hear the warning, the implication in Connie’s tone. My life is too comfortable right now. Everything has come too easily, and it’s making me lose my vigilance and my sense of urgency.’
’In this business, a path that’s too smooth isn’t necessarily a good thing.’
"Finn, go buy a few extra dishes in a bit. Ask Connie to stay and have lunch with us."
Finn nodded, grabbed his phone, and headed out.
But two minutes later, he returned with someone else behind him.
It was Yuri Tucker!
"Huh? Yuri, you’re out of the hospital?"
Lily Sterling was surprised to see him, her gaze instinctively dropping to his side, where he was leaning on a crutch.
Yuri Tucker smiled when he saw Lily Sterling. "I’ve been discharged."
"But you’re still on a crutch." Lily Sterling quickly ushered him into the break room and had him sit down before continuing, "A fracture is no small thing. You need to rest up and recover properly."
"You don’t need to worry about me, Ms. Sterling. I’ll take good care of myself. I’m just planning to go back to my hometown to recover," Yuri Tucker said earnestly.
Lily Sterling paused. "Your hometown is in the Northeast, right?"
Yuri Tucker nodded. He then brought out something he was carrying, his gaze a little evasive. "These are apples from my hometown. My mom brought them all the way here on the train. They’re really sweet."
He seemed a bit awkward, as if worried Lily Sterling would look down on his gift.
"Thank you, I love apples," Lily Sterling said, accepting them without a moment’s hesitation and thanking him politely.
This was Yuri Tucker’s most sincere form of gratitude. Lily Sterling understood that.
Yuri Tucker looked at Lily Sterling with a relieved smile and didn’t forget to add, "Then you should eat them soon, Ms. Sterling. They’ve been jostled around a lot on the journey, and I’m afraid they might go bad."
Lily Sterling nodded, then asked with concern, "Will you be okay recovering back home? What did the doctor say?"
"The doctor said the surgery is done, and I can recover at home now."
"Mainly, I was thinking that since the production team gave me compensation and covered my medical bills, staying in the hospital would just cost more money every day. It’s better to go back home. I’ll probably be all better by next spring, and I can take the money home for the New Year. I haven’t been back for the holidays in years."
Hearing this, Lily Sterling felt a little more at ease.
"I just came over to thank you and to say goodbye in person. I hope I can see you again in Starwood next year, Ms. Sterling," Yuri Tucker said with a sincere expression.
"You definitely will," Lily Sterling replied just as sincerely.
Yuri Tucker pushed himself up with his crutch. "Well, I’ll be going then. I still want to go thank Drake and Andrew Sutton."
After seeing him to the door and watching his figure slowly recede on his crutch, Yuna couldn’t help but whisper, "It feels like he’s had it really tough."
Lily Sterling didn’t say anything, just let out a long sigh.
Just then, Drake suddenly came running over from another direction, full of excitement. He seemed to be heading back to Andrew Sutton’s break room.
Spotting Lily and Yuna standing at the door to their break room from a distance, Drake’s eyes lit up. "Lily! Yuna! Something happened on set!"
He said something had happened, but he looked thrilled about it. Lily Sterling furrowed her brow in confusion. "What? What happened?"
"You’ll see if you go look! I have to go tell Andrew." Drake said and ran off before Lily Sterling could ask any more questions, leaving her even more baffled.
"Lily, let’s go check it out," Yuna said, eager to see what was going on.
Lily Sterling nodded, and the two of them hurried toward that day’s filming location.
The set was in a commotion. The faint sound of a woman crying could be heard, filming had been halted, and a crowd had gathered around the director’s monitor.
"I really didn’t grope her. Maybe I bumped into her by accident, but does she really need to react like this?"
"Director Cole, you know that if I have to worry about this and that while I’m filming, how am I supposed to get into character?"
"Don’t you agree?"
Lily Sterling didn’t know what was happening. She instinctively followed the sound of crying, but before she could see who it was, she heard the person shriek, "I’m calling the police!"
At that cry, Lily Sterling instantly understood.
It was Suzanne Sawyer!