"But, Director, please give me a chance, won't you? I really need this opportunity!" Julia pleaded.
If she wasn't chosen because of her skills, she could accept that. But being sabotaged and arriving late? That was something she couldn't swallow!
"Young lady, look around. Who here doesn't need this opportunity?" one of the directors said dismissively, tapping the stack of papers in his hand.
"Young lady, consider this a lesson about the rules of this industry. Learn from it, and your trip won't be in vain." Without even looking up, the director exchanged a glance with another director, and both stood up with their papers.
"Director, please, I really..."
The two directors ignored her, not even sparing her a glance as they walked past. As assistant directors, they had seen countless girls like her.
Julia could only watch helplessly as the two assistant directors left.
Just then, Royce walked over and noticed the disappointment in Julia's eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Julia shook her head. "The audition is over. I missed my chance. Let's go."
Royce frowned. "Where's the restroom around here?"
Julia pointed to the left. "Just keep walking straight, then turn left at the end."
"Alright, wait here for me. Don't run off! I saved you today, and if you ditch me, that'd be heartless!" With that, Royce walked off in the direction Julia had pointed.
Julia sighed. She had no intention of running off. Even though she knew Royce wasn't exactly a good guy, he had saved her today.
She understood the importance of gratitude. Besides, he still had those compromising photos of her.
She found a chair and sat down, quietly waiting for Royce to return.
Who knew what the man was doing in the bathroom for twenty minutes? Julia was beginning to wonder if he had left when he finally reappeared in her sight.
"I thought you fell into the toilet! Took you long enough!" she exclaimed.
"Don't worry, I'm too big to fall in!" Royce replied with a grin.
"Let's go."
As they were about to leave together, a staff member approached them. "Are you Julia Avery?"
Julia nodded.
"Here's the thing, the role of the third female lead hasn't been filled yet. After discussing it with the director team and hearing from the assistant director about you, we've decided to give you a chance."
Julia was taken aback. The last time she was offered an "extra opportunity," it turned out to be a trap, and she was a bit wary.
"Is this another trap?"
"What are you afraid of? I'll go with you!" Royce placed a reassuring hand on Julia's shoulder.
Julia quickly shrugged off his hand. "Alright then."
The staff member led Julia and Royce upstairs. They stopped in front of a room, and the staff member said, "Miss Avery, please go in. The directors are waiting for you."
Julia instinctively looked at Royce.
"It's okay! I'll be right here at the door. If anything happens, just scream for help, and I'll come rushing in."
Julia nodded. They were on the third floor, and the sun was shining brightly outside.
There shouldn't be any trouble, especially with the man standing guard outside.
She pushed the door open and walked in, immediately spotting Director Blithe sitting in the center, discussing something with the two assistant directors she had seen earlier.
Oh my god, Director Blithe himself was going to audition her!
Julia's heart leaped into her throat.
The assistant next to Director Blithe noticed Julia's entrance and quickly walked over to her, handing her a piece of paper. "These are your lines. Take a look. You have three minutes to prepare."
Julia took the paper, her hands trembling.
Seeing her nervousness, the assistant shook his head. If she couldn't even handle this, she probably wouldn't make it.
Julia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and started memorizing the lines on the paper.
The lines were short and lacked any scene descriptions, leaving her to infer the context from the dialogue alone.
Three minutes flew by quickly.
The assistant reminded Director Blithe, who then paused his discussion with the assistant directors.
"Alright, you can start now. Don't be nervous, just go with the flow," Director Blithe said.
Julia nodded and stepped into the center of the room.
No costumes, no music, no scene descriptions—just a few lines of dialogue.
For any actor, this was a huge challenge but also an opportunity. After all, it allowed for a lot of creative freedom.
The two assistant directors, who had just spoken rudely to Julia, also looked up.
Just as everyone was waiting for Julia's performance, she suddenly collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
Not only were the two assistant directors startled, but even Director Blithe was taken aback, unsure of what was happening.
After falling to the ground, Julia's body trembled slightly. She then slowly got up, her arms barely supporting her shaky frame, as if she might collapse again at any moment.
"I grew up with Miles. We were childhood sweethearts, inseparable. He was always so kind to me, always giving in to me. I love him, I love him so much, and only him..."
Tears glistened in Julia's eyes, but they didn't fall, making her eyes especially captivating and giving her gaze a stubborn quality. As she delivered her lines, she bit her lip tightly.
After finishing her lines, she closed her eyes in pain, and only then did the tears slowly start to flow.
Director Blithe looked at the girl. Her hair was a bit messy, and she seemed to have some wounds on her body, which made the scene even more poignant in light of her lines.
Though the performance lasted only two minutes, the three directors were left in a daze, as if their emotions had been swept away by her portrayal.
Julia wiped her face and stood up. "Director, I've finished my performance."
Director Blithe stroked his beard. "Your performance was quite unique. Some people delivered these lines with great joy, and others with pitiful tears. You chose a middle path." Julia smiled.
"Director, to be honest, I might have taken a shortcut. I read the novel this script is based on, and when I saw these lines, I remembered the part where Tiffany gets beaten. That's why I performed it this way."
This historical drama was adapted from a novel, so Julia had stayed up all night to finish reading it.
"That novel is over two million words long. You read the whole thing?" Director Blithe asked, astonished.
Julia nodded. "Yes, I've read it all."
"Then tell me your understanding of this character."
"Tiffany is the male lead, Miles's, first love and childhood friend. Her humble background makes her somewhat insecure. In the novel, she often comes across as gentle and fragile, but in reality, she has a quiet strength and a stubborn streak. I think the author named her Tiffany to hint at her hidden sharpness."