Chapter 184
Abbie paused for a moment, assuming that someone kind from the crew had handed her the cold bottle of water. But when she looked up, she was greeted by a completely unfamiliar, yet strikingly beautiful face. The girl had refined features- radiant with natural beauty.
Abbie’s eyes flashed with admiration as she took the ice-cold water. “Thanks,” she said lightly.
“You’re welcome.” Tiffany sat down beside Abbie on the steps, as they were already old friends. As the rest of the crew. laughed and chatted off in the distance, this little corner felt like an island-quiet, isolated, and completely ignored.
Tiffany raised an eyebrow, her voice casual. “Ever thought about switching jobs?”
“Huh?” The sudden question caught Abbie off guard. She blinked a few times before asking, “And you are?”
“Me?” Tiffany’s smile curled mischievously, her tone bold and with an air of arrogance that could easily get someone punched. “I’m your future boss.”
Abbie burst out laughing, pressing the cold bottle against her face. “Thanks for the water,” she replied, making it clear that was all she was interested in discussing.
Tiffany, however, wasn’t offended. Her smile grew even wider. “How about I offer you an audition? Interested?”
Abbie, still good-natured but obviously not taking Tiffany seriously, asked, “For whose film?” Her tone was more like someone humoring a child, distant and detached.
“Oliver Fraser’s new film.”
Abbie’s hand froze in place, mid-movement. Now she was sure this girl, who was claiming to be her future boss, was clearly a little off so that to say all that nonsense.
Everyone knew Oliver Fraser had the golden touch-he could make anyone a star. If this had been three years ago, Abbie might have had the confidence to consider it. But things had changed. No big director would touch someone with a reputation as tarnished as hers.
Tiffany yawned lazily. “You’re really not interested?”
Abbie asked instead, “Do you even know who I am?”
It wasn’t meant to be boastful. She didn’t have the right to brag anymore. She said it more to save this “future boss” Tiffany the trouble. Abbie Hopkins was a name tainted by scandal. Even scammers wouldn’t waste their time with her, so there was no point in Tiffany trying. It was a dead end.
Abbie stood up, ready to head back to the set, when Tiffany’s lazy voice drifted over. “I know exactly who you are. Two years ago, you took the fall for your beloved boyfriend and ended up in prison, throwing away your entire career in the process. You’re Abbie Hopkins, the former A-list actress, right?” The words were tossed out so casually, yet they hit like a bomb. Abbie whipped around, her normally icy face full of shock and suspicion. “How do you know that? Who exactly are you?”
No one knew Abbie had taken the fall for that man. Their relationship had always been under wraps, and even now, no one had ever blown their cover. She had kept quiet because she knew no one would believe her. And the man who had betrayed her certainly wouldn’t spread a story that could destroy his own career. Abbie wondered how Tiffany knew.
Tiffany just smiled. “I told you. I’m your future boss.” Deep inside, she thought, ‘As for how I knew? Well, that was from a different lifetime.’
Back then, Abbie had revealed the truth herself. But not a single person had believed her. Instead, she was sued again by that same s***g for defamation. A tragic ending.
“You’ve only got one shot. Whether you take it or not, it’s up to you,” Tiffany said, looking Abbie straight in the eye. Her voice was still casual. But there was a sharpness in her gaze. “If I were you, I wouldn’t rest until I crushed that piece of garbage into the ground
Abbie’s whole body shuddered, lost in thoughts, I’ve dreamed of getting revenge on that bastard. Why should a backstabbing, ungrateful man like him rise to the top, while I have to scrape by? I’ve thought about it so many times. But no one would believe me, no one would…
Abbie shook her head forcefully as she recalled the memories.
lany, with a half-smile, added, “Of course, if you’d rather
keep quiet, then pretend I didn’t say anything.” Some people simply couldn’t be helped.
Abbie’s expression changed.
Just then, the loudspeaker announced the next scene was ready for filming. She had no choice but to return to the set. But her mind was racing. In that brief moment, so many thoughts flashed through her head. ‘I’m hitting bottom. Am I really that afraid of losing more?’ she questioned herself inwardly.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
Then, in the next second, she made a bold, impulsive decision-one she would look back on years later with no regrets. She turned around and looked straight at Tiffany. “My contract isn’t up yet. Are you covering the penalty fee?”
Tiffany grinned. “Of course.”
“Alright.” Abbie nodded, and just then, the cameras started rolling again.
The female lead of this low-budget web series, the arrogant, haughty actress with a guaranteed spot in the show, raised her hand to slap Abbie on camera.
Smack! The sound echoed loudly. But this time, the slap hadn’t landed on the usually submissive Abbie. Instead, it was on the lead actress. Everyone was stunned, not knowing what on earth just happened.
The director was livid. “Cut! What the hell are you doing? That wasn’t in the script!”
And then, for the first time in what seemed like ages, Abbie smiled. It was a small, subtle smile, but on her cold, expressionless face, it was as if she had suddenly come back to life-like she was once again the confident, shining star she had been before everything fell apart.
Everyone on set froze. Abbie looked different, almost unrecognizable. Then she spoke. “I’m not doing this anymore.” And with that, she turned to walk off the set to change out of her costume.
Everyone was in shock. The director was dumbfounded. “What? You’re quitting? We have a contract! You’ll owe three times the penalty fee! You can’t afford that!”
Abbie, of course, had no money. Before going to prison, she’d already paid an enormous fee for breaching another contract. If she hadn’t needed the money so badly, she wouldn’t have agreed to do this low-budget web series in the first place.
The director knew this, and that was why he wasn’t taking her seriously. “You’d better get back into costume and apologize, or that penalty’s coming your way, and there’s no way you can avoid it!”
But Abbie remained unfazed, calmly tossing back. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a penalty fee. My boss can handle it.”
Everyone burst into laughter. “Don’t you know your agency’s given up on you? They’ve already written you off. No one’s paying for someone as washed-up as you! Is your boss a dumba***”
Abbie’s tone was indifferent. “Yeah. That’s why I just fired him.”
Everyone thought that Abbie was mad. There was no other explanation. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be this reckless. She was burning all her bridges in the industry. There’d be no coming back from this. They wondered who gave her the guts. Under everyone’s confused, wide-eyed stares, Abbie walked straight up to Tiffany and calmly called out, “Boss.”
The future boss was now officially the present boss. And Abbie couldn’t be happier.