Chapter 65: Are You Sure You Don’t Need a Stunt Double?
Cecilia Sterling said it casually, but Ronald’s eyes lit up when he heard her.
"Cuz, did you really succeed with your business?"
Cecilia Sterling gave a noncommittal raise of her eyebrows, gesturing with her chin toward the gift in his hands. "You could say I’ve had a bit of success."
Ronald looked like he was about to cry. It was as if a beam of light had just pierced the gloom of his bleak future, making his cousin before him seem especially brilliant and capable.
He swallowed hard and said, "So... should I take you seriously then?"
Cecilia Sterling smiled and nodded, then turned to her other cousin. "What about you, Sarah? Do you really like studying to be a flight attendant?"
Sarah Harris sighed at the question and pursed her lips. "I can’t say I love it, but I don’t hate it either. It’s the best of the worst, you know? I can’t be a preschool teacher. I can handle giant man-children, but I’d seriously murder a bunch of noisy kids."
"And I can’t do nursing, either. I’m scared of needles myself."
"As for being a flight attendant, if nothing else, my height will be an advantage in interviews. I shouldn’t have trouble finding a job."
She sighed again at this and looked at Cecilia Sterling. "Cuz, you don’t have to worry about me right now. I have to at least finish my associate’s degree. And who knows, maybe my college will start offering a bachelor’s program, and I’ll end up with a four-year degree after all."
Sarah was the type to be content with her situation, never getting too down about the present or worrying too much about the future.
Perhaps that was why she had lived such a smooth and easy life in her past life.
Three days after joining the cast, Lily Sterling was gradually getting used to the rhythm of the film set.
She was the fourth female lead, so her part wasn’t supposed to be large, but her talent had won the favor of the director and screenwriter.
Heidi, the author of the original novel, even added several scenes for Lily Sterling right there on set. The changes made the character feel more well-rounded and three-dimensional, and Heidi was confident that the character she had written, Flora, would become a huge fan favorite.
"CUT! That’s a wrap on this one! Everyone take ten. We’re moving to the pond set next to shoot Flora’s falling-in-the-water scene."
That was how filming on a set worked. Scenes weren’t shot sequentially according to the plot, but rather based on the practicalities of the location and schedule.
The very first scene Lily Sterling shot on her first day was the one that took place *after* she fell in the water; the scene of her actually falling in was only being filmed today.
The moment the director yelled "CUT!", the assistants waiting on the sidelines swarmed forward. A forest of sun umbrellas blossomed one after another, as if competing in a beauty pageant.
Yuna rushed to Lily Sterling’s side, holding an umbrella in one hand and a portable fan in the other. "Lily, you must be hot! Here, cool down!"
Lily reached out for the small fan. She had just opened her mouth to speak when a straw was popped right in. Yuna quickly added, "Take a few big sips. It’s an electrolyte drink to help you recover your energy."
After taking a few large gulps, she did feel much better. The break was only ten minutes long, not enough time to go back to the dressing room, so she could only wait for the next scene in a shady spot at the edge of the set.
Thankfully, Yuna had brought a folding chair.
In that moment, Lily finally understood that having an assistant versus not having one were two completely different experiences.
"Yuna, stop fussing over me. You should take a break too," Lily said, still a little unused to the attention. She looked at Yuna, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Yuna just shook her head cheerfully. "I was resting the whole time you were filming. Don’t worry about me, I’m not tired at all."
Meanwhile, Suzanne Sawyer was so hot her makeup was starting to run. She had to stand in the sun and wait in line for the makeup artist to do a touch-up, since she also had a major part in the upcoming scene.
"Suzanne!"
Just then, a voice called out her name. It was so familiar that Suzanne Sawyer thought for a moment she was hallucinating from heatstroke.
She looked up instinctively and saw that it really was her father.
"Dad!"
A delighted look crossed Suzanne Sawyer’s face, but in the next second, all the grievances she had been suppressing on set came surging up uncontrollably. She burst into tears and threw herself into her father’s arms.
Mr. Sawyer only had one precious daughter, who had been the apple of his eye since she was a little girl. To him, her tears were like pearls and diamonds.
Suzanne Sawyer’s crying nearly broke Mr. Sawyer’s heart.
With a pained expression, he asked gently, "Oh, sweetie, what’s wrong? Is filming not going well?"
Suzanne Sawyer looked up, crying, "All day long it’s either serving tea or pouring water, kneeling or kowtowing! How could it possibly be going well?"
Mr. Sawyer was taken aback. ’But I thought the role she wanted was a maid,’ he recalled. He’d been reluctant about it at the time, but she had insisted the character had a lot of potential and she really wanted it. That was the only reason he had helped her "buy" the role.
’Isn’t serving tea, pouring water, kneeling, and kowtowing normal for a maid?’
Though he had his doubts, Mr. Sawyer would never question his daughter like that. He just said, his voice full of sympathy, "Then... then let’s just quit, okay?"
"How can I do that? I signed a contract. If I don’t film, it’s a breach of contract." Suzanne Sawyer shook her head, her mind still clear enough to be rational.
But Mr. Sawyer’s heart ached for his daughter. Seeing her so miserable after just three days on set, he immediately said, "So what if it’s a breach of contract? It’s not like Dad can’t afford the penalty."
"No. I’m a newcomer. What kind of rookie actress breaches her contract on her very first show? If word gets out, who will ever dare to hire me again?" Suzanne Sawyer calmed down and wiped away her tears.
Although she was a spoiled princess, becoming a star truly was her dream.
She knew that being an actress was hard work and had actually prepared herself for it. The real reason she felt so wronged was mostly because of Lily Sterling. The person she was serving tea to, pouring water for, kneeling to, and kowtowing before was, most of the time, Lily Sterling. That was what she couldn’t stand, what made her feel the most aggrieved.
If the role of the Second Miss had been played by any other famous actress, she would have gladly endured it all without the slightest complaint.
Then, her eyes fell on Lily Sterling, who had an assistant holding an umbrella for her and a folding chair to sit on. Suzanne Sawyer felt like her lungs were about to explode with rage.
"Dad, you didn’t even think to get me an assistant! I have to get my own water when I’m thirsty." A surge of anger rose in Suzanne Sawyer, and she started whining to her father again.
Mr. Sawyer chuckled and said magnanimously, "You want an assistant? Is that all? Is ten enough?"
"Dad!" Suzanne Sawyer felt a headache coming on. She stomped her foot. "Who brings ten assistants to a set? Even Gideon Hale only has four!"
"Alright, alright, just tell me how many you want. Dad will arrange it for you," Mr. Sawyer continued to placate his daughter, as patient as ever.
"One is enough."
Suzanne Sawyer muttered. Then, feeling like she was losing, she changed her mind. "Two!"
"Okay, two it is. I’ll arrange it for you in a bit."
"Prepare for scene change! All actors, to your positions immediately!"
When the floor manager yelled out the order, Suzanne Sawyer quickly said, "Dad, we’re about to start filming. You should go."
"But I just got here. I want to watch you act."
Suzanne Sawyer didn’t have time to argue. She just instructed, "Well, don’t make a sound. They’re recording live audio, and the mics will pick up everything."
Meanwhile, the assistant director approached Lily Sterling and asked in a low voice, "Lily, are you sure you don’t want to use a stunt double?"
Lily Sterling shook her head. "It’s fine, Director. I’m from Veridia. I’ve been a strong swimmer since I was a kid. Don’t worry."
The assistant director nodded with an appreciative look, then turned to the other actors. "Lily is doing this water scene herself, so let’s all try to get it in one take."
Standing nearby, Suzanne Sawyer heard this and let out a barely perceptible sneer.
’One take?’
’In your dreams!’