Chapter 21: A Filial Daughter
What…
A woman’s dead body is crawling from its grave at midnight… a soldier holding a flag in the background while two armies fight… a mistress who destroys families.
There was only one impressive role when Kylie played a servant who suggested bad ideas to the queen in a historical TV drama.
Did this seemingly outgoing actress actually have mental problems? All of those roles amounted to no more than a couple of hours of screen time. The reporter was a little embarrassed to ask: “Why didn’t you choose a normal screen script?”
“Because normal screen scripts wouldn’t cast abnormal people like me,” she responded. This seemingly joke and the relaxing line ended the interview.
The reporters’ attention turned to Cliff Benjamin, and the line of questioning was finally back to normal. Julian Johnson, who had been standing to the side the whole time, nodded in satisfaction after he had witnessed Kylie’s performance.
“Though she’s stubborn, this girl is a diamond in the rough. She can truly become somebody, after some training and a little polishing.”
But the producer didn’t agree with Julian Johnson. “Don’t go near the water, till you’ve learned how to swim. You or I can’t tame that girl,” he warned.
“What do you mean? Didn’t Lord Ethan recommend her?” Julian Johnson was full of confusion.
“Can’t tell, can’t tell…” The producer smiled mysteriously and turned to leave.
At the same time, in a different, and part of a completely quiet film crew, Khloe bit her lip until the skin split. She just couldn’t maintain her pure and innocent image any longer! Damn it! They had been about to uncover Kylie’s knockoff dress, but Cliff, the Best Actor, had gone to her defense! It had been the first time that Khloe had met Cliff, as well. Why the hell was he on Kylie’s side!
“Khloe, this Kylie Finch is your junior, but in this instance, she has stolen your thunder.” Tim Kerry smiled in a meaningful way.
Khloe suddenly switched to her considerate face. “You’ve seen for yourself that Kylie is brilliantly good at acting, and I’m sure she won’t disappoint us.” Khloe had complimented Kylie right in Tim’s face!
The several reporters who were still hanging around genuinely thought that Khloe was truly happy for her colleague, and earnestly giving Kylie her best wishes.
But Lucas Jackson knew she was actually setting a trap for Kylie, and exalting her before the movie began shooting was part of the plan. If the movie weren’t successful at the box office, the newcomer would have to shoulder all the blame.
Then, even Best Actor Cliff’s fans would criticize her for involving their idol in a bad picture.
The Q&A session was finally over. Kylie was hardly back at the resting area when she was pulled aside by Lucas Jackson.
“Kylie Finch, where the hell did you get this insane clothing! Change right now… Look at you, you know our company is having an opening ceremony here, but still, you performed your little tricks on stage. Do you think I’m blind?!”
Kylie raised her hand and touched her nose, replying in a relaxed tone: “You didn’t prepare any clothing for me for this occasion, so why do you suddenly care about my dress? Besides, I didn’t have enough time anyway, so I bought a working dress from a waitress in the dining car. Isn’t it beautiful?”
A waitress in a dining car couldn’t afford such a beautiful cheongsam! Lucas Jackson knew she intended to annoy him. But with some reporters still hanging around, Lucas had to curb his anger.
“Come over when the meal begins; I need you to accompany two bosses,” Lucas said.
Kylie couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Me? I’m an actress, not a bargirl. You already have the top actress from Garcia Entertainment. Let her accompany the bosses.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
Lucas Jackson and Khloe Finch were birds of a feather. Undoubtedly, Lucas was so angry that his hands were shaking. “Kylie Finch! Don’t think too highly of yourself, even now that you’re a leading actress! Let me tell you that I can exalt you, and I can also destroy you! You wait and see!”
Kylie rolled her eyes and left. Lucas watched her walk away, but even with her back turned, she had the power to frighten him.
He knew in his heart that Kylie was an unbridled wild horse, which was hard to tame. Lucas had trained many actors, and he could always tell which ones were talented. Kylie Finch was the truly talented kind, who was born for the screen.
If she only gained more favor, Khloe would be unable to compete with her. But Lucas had taken Khloe’s money, and now had to solve her problems. He had to stop Kylie from developing and showing off her talent.
Both dinners following the opening ceremonies were in the same hotel. At the Tea House dinner table, the scriptwriter, whose eyes were filled with appreciation, invited Kylie to sit by her side.
“Kylie, it’s said that both you and Khloe come from Garcia Entertainment, and work with the same agent! Even your last names are the same!”
Kylie gave her a slight smile but didn’t explain. The same last name? The only difference between them was their mother! But still, their fates were completely different. One was a top actress, and the other was still an extra.
While they were chatting away, there was a lot of commotion outside the door. The big boss of Garcia Entertainment appeared, along with two other fat assed men. Those two men were the important clients that Lucas Jackson had mentioned.
Ever since Laurence Finch had gained control of Garcia Entertainment, its annual profit had been on the decline. So, he was on the lookout for several new investors and got the actresses to act as bargirls to win the men over.
The director immediately asked the hotel to prepare another private room for Laurence Finch. Khloe and several other actresses followed them.
In the private room, Khloe sat beside Laurence, while two other actresses sat beside the fat men.
“Order anything you like…” Laurence patted Khloe’s shoulder, acting like a considerate father. “My daughter still needs your promotion,” Laurence continued, facing the two men.
“President Laurence, you’re modest. Your outstanding daughter must be the greatest actress in the industry. It’s we who want to cooperate with you.” Boss #1 was leering at Khloe, while his hands began to grope the actress at his side.
The actress looked reluctant but forced a smile when she saw Khloe’s threatening look. Meanwhile, Laurence pretended that nothing was happening.
“My daughter works constantly. If I didn’t come to visit her, she wouldn’t realize how late it was.”
“Haha, your baby daughter works hard to live up to your expectations.” Then, the man turned towards Khloe. “But you should go back home no matter how busy your work is. You know that men of our age are all afraid of loneliness…”
Khloe leaned against her father, acting like a spoiled little girl: “Dad, you keep bad-mouthing me, and nobody will hire me anymore… So, if I can’t earn enough money, don’t blame me for not taking care of you when you’re old…”
Everyone in the room laughed.
Kylie Finch left the table to find the ladies’ room and overheard them talk as she walked by the private room. She thought that she’d trained her heart to feel nothing, but she felt breathless and depressed after hearing this laughter, from a “considerate father and a filial daughter.”
Meanwhile, the door to the private room suddenly opened. Laurence Finch walked out. His caring eyes turned cruel as he looked from Khloe to Kylie.
Then, his face filled with disgust when he spotted the one-of-a-kind cheongsam. It seemed that the fact that Kylie wore this dress was a shame not only to the designer but to him as well.