With only a few classes left, Stella headed straight to the filming site. This time, the shoot was taking place outdoors in a remote location in the suburbs.
The car ride lasted over an hour, and Stella began to feel a slight wave of motion sickness. It wasn’t long, however, before they arrived. Upon getting out of the car, the assistant was already waiting for her. He seemed to recognize her right away, walking up and saying, “Ms. Steele, right? Please follow me.”
Stella nodded, following him inside. As they entered, she could hear Bradley’s voice raised in frustration.
“I want you to act like a rich lady, not a servant!” he was yelling. “You were too timid. Which part of your acting resembles a wealthy woman who’s been pampered her whole life?”
The actress stood there, her head lowered, clearly chastised. Stella paused for a moment, her eyes widening slightly at the sight. It was her first time seeing Bradley like this, so harsh and commanding.
The assistant, noticing her hesitation, leaned in slightly and reassured her. “Don’t mind it. The director is like this with everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman—if you’re in the crew, he’ll be strict with you.”
Stella nodded, her tension easing a little at the explanation. It took several moments before Bradley finally stopped yelling at the actress. The assistant quickly ran over to him, exchanging a few words. Bradley glanced toward Stella, his eyes briefly meeting hers before the assistant hurried over with a script.
“The director asked you to give it a try and read a few lines,” the assistant said, handing the script to Stella.
Stella stood, taking the script and walking toward Bradley, who was now standing in front of her. “Ella, right?” he spoke first, his tone neutral. “I remember you. What made you reach out now?”
Stella hesitated for a moment. She knew Bradley had previously sought other actresses for the role, but none of them had seemed right. The part was small but crucial—her character needed to show substantial growth in just a few lines.
Bradley had his reasons for not pushing Stella before. He’d felt a sense of pity when she refused the role, but he hadn’t wanted to force her into it. But now, seeing her again, he was intrigued.
“Read this line for me,” Bradley instructed, his gaze steady.
Still settling in and not fully prepared, Stella placed her bag aside and skimmed through the script. The scene was about an innocent junior sister, in the early stages of her journey. Once the carefree daughter of the head, she had been adored by her many senior brothers. But everything changed with the arrival of the heroine, who soon became the center of attention.
At first, the junior sister had been excited by the idea of gaining a new senior sister, but soon realized that the heroine was receiving all the love that had once been directed her way. She grew upset and began to act out, throwing tantrums to regain the attention she had lost. The more she did this, the more others saw her as immature.
Her jealousy and anger grew, particularly toward the heroine, who, in contrast, remained blissfully indifferent to others’ opinions. The junior sister couldn’t understand why the heroine seemed unaffected by the attention, while she, once cherished, now felt overlooked.
The junior sister finally confronted a senior brother, who had loved her since childhood. “Why are you giving that spiritual beast to senior sister when I was the one who got it first? This is completely unfair!”
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