8. A Role From Hell

AYRA

I watched as Julia walked up to me with Dara by her side. Julia had always been like this, competing with me even for things I could care less about. Always needing to prove something — to herself, to others, maybe even to me.

If I got a brand deal with Elein Atelier, then she would want that too, or a strong competitor in that same category. It was always amusing to watch her try so hard, chasing after everything like it would somehow close the gap she thought existed between us.

Still, I respected her even though she hated my guts for God knows what reason.

Julia never had it easy. She worked hard to get to where she currently is, so that alone is enough reason for me to look past whatever grudge she had against me. I did work hard too, but I’m not going to pretend being a Smith didn’t give me doors most people had to break down just to knock on.

Admitting that fact takes away nothing from the efforts I’ve put into mastering my craft. If anything, it makes me more determined to prove I deserve everything I have.

"It’s always a pleasure to meet you, Julia. And yes, I was that good and that's why I got the lead role in ‘Taken’ and not you — just to mention a few," I smiled sweetly, watching her face tighten. As much as ignoring her comments makes me the bigger person, sometimes biting back feels too damn good. Taking the low road isn’t all that bad when the view is this satisfying.

Julia was breathing out streams of anger like a mechanical bull, and that's how I knew I’d hit a sensitive spot. She hates losing, even in conversations.

Dara gave me a sharp look as her eyes landed on Raven, who was trying her best to hide her amusement.

"Picking up my leftovers, I see… Well, I'll let you have it since two incompetencies are better than one," she said venomously, her words like poison sugar coated with a smile.

I could feel Raven’s smile freeze, and her anger start to seep through like a cracked dam about to give way.

"Sit this one out, Rookie. When your seniors are speaking, you shut up. And besides, aren’t you the incompetent one who couldn’t learn her scripts properly and made the director cut a zillion times?"

Dara's face grew hot instantly, and Raven’s ambiance grew brighter like she was soaking in the win.

"I would love to stay here and chat with you girls, but I have to go now," I said breezily, turning away without giving them another glance.

Then I heard Julia call out, sharp and petty as always, "You’re not getting that Diamond Act Award. Don’t even dream of it."

I smiled to myself. I hadn’t even been aiming for that, but if Julia was warning me off it, then now I wanted it.

Because there’s no better motivator than proving people wrong.

*****

Gisele opened the door of her trailer and looked stoked to see me.

"I’m so happy you’re back," she smiled, pulling me into a quick hug.

"I’m happy to be back. How have you been holding up?"

"I’m good, just nervous about how the public will react to my interpretation of Yelena's character. Sometimes I feel like I made a bad call fighting to get this role when my management had already secured me my 100th romcom female lead script. Do you think I shouldn’t have?"

I took her hands and squeezed them gently. "Nonsense. If you felt deep down that this was the right call, then this is where you should be. And besides, I watched you for a bit and it’s evident you’re killing it."

I smiled wider, giving her a wink. "Once it hits the cinema, I’ll be the first to shout about how badass you are."

She chuckled, her eyes now a bit teary.

"Thank you so much."

"Anytime, darling," I said, meaning it. It costs nothing to encourage someone who’s brave enough to bet on themselves.

We spoke at length for a while, gossiping about set life and old industry news, until I had to leave.

I went out to find Raven, who had left earlier to take a call and hadn’t returned.

I spotted her pacing, her phone clutched tightly in her hand, her face drawn into a tight frown. My gut twisted as I could tell something was wrong.

She ended the call and walked toward me, her body tense, her eyes avoiding mine but the anger radiating off her was impossible to miss.

"What’s the problem?" I asked, bracing myself.

"The agency just told me they booked you for a role," she said.

I blinked, confused. "That’s wonderful news. I did say I wanted roles, either small or big — it doesn’t matter, Raven. I know you only want big productions, but I’ve been out of the game for so long, and it’ll take a while for me to get back to the top."

I tried to console her, but the more I spoke, the grimmer her expression got.

"But that's not it. The role itself is crap, Ayra. It’s like... it’s a mockery of you. And the producer is Ferdinard Martin."

She paused, letting the name settle like a rotten smell between us.

Ferdinard Martin had an awful habit of not knowing how to keep his hands to himself. There had been several cases where he had been accused of sexual harassment, but somehow, they never stuck.

Also, he had a funny way and when I say funny, I mean borderline foolish of presenting women in his works. Always through the male gaze. Always paper-thin characters with barely a brain cell between them.

"What’s the role about?" I asked, even though I already had a sinking feeling.

Before she could answer, my phone pinged.

I pulled it out to see a P*F titled “Her Power” sitting in my work mail inbox. Well, that doesn’t sound too bad, I thought. Maybe I could find a way around this.

I opened it, started reading and my face twisted in a mix of anger and disgust.

"They can’t be serious… Tell me this is some insane joke. Because if it isn’t, then what the fuck is this, Raven? Who signed me up for this?" My voice was tight, the words practically shaking out of me.

"Her Power" the title was certainly a joke because it's a shitty script about a lucky woman who had gotten married to a wealthy businessman but left because she met a rockstar musician who got her into drugs, and she finally ends up as a sex worker.

The annoying part about this script isn’t about how she was a sex worker, but how the sex work industry is being presented.

And the wealthy husband was being painted like some kind of saint, like he wasn’t domestically abusing her behind closed doors.

It was insulting on so many levels I couldn’t even pick which one to be most angry about.

It felt like a direct satire of my life too. Like they couldn’t even be bothered to hide it.

"Matt did. I’ve been trying to get to him, but he’s been avoiding my calls like the plague. You can’t do this, Ayra," Raven said. "I’ll call him all night if I have to."

"Like hell I won’t." I shoved the phone into my bag. "Tell them to take my name off this. Use the fact I have to prepare for ‘Love for a Thousand Years’ as an excuse."

Raven looked even more nervous now, biting her lower lip.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice dropping an octave lower.

"That’s the thing. I already told them that... but they said it’s been decided. You need to pull out of ‘Love for a Thousand Years’... and they’ve already found a replacement."

I froze.

"They pulled me out without my consent?" My heart was thundering in my ears. "Has Matt lost his goddamn mind? And they found a what? Do they think they could just present anybody to Phillip and he would accept? Yolo Entertainment is really pushing their luck.

I narrowed my eyes. "Who’s my replacement?"

They should have told me... reached out to me at least if they had any sense of courtesy.

Raven looked even more distressed than before, and I wondered how bad it could be... until I heard the name.

"Victoria Smith... your stepsister."