"Don’t let this burden you," the female crew mber said softly, her tone reassuring. As she got closer to Hera, a realization hit her—she recognized the young woman from the recent conference interview, the one where she spoke out strongly against bullying at the launch of a new product.
Hera’s stance had earned her praise from various platforms, and her words had made waves on the internet.
The female crew mber felt even more certain that her decision to stand by Hera was the right one.
Hera wasn’t just a newcor; she was a voice for those who suffered in silence, a spokesperson for the anti-bullying movent.
Despite her rookie status, Hera had already demonstrated the strength of her character.
The sincerity in her eyes was undeniable, and the crew mber could see that Hera’s fight against bullying was more than just words—it was who she truly was.
It beca clear to the female crew mber that Hera had truly been wronged earlier—not because she deserved it, but simply because she appeared to be an easy target, maybe they didn’t recognize her.
As she looked at Hera now, the crew mber couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of pity.
Despite her calm exterior, Hera had the kind of vulnerability that made her seem like an easy person to bully, and it only made the injustice more painful to witness.
Perhaps it was because the female crew mber had silently developed a good impression of Hera, causing her judgnt to naturally lean in Hera’s favor.
Regardless, she truly believed that Hera was the victim here.
Moreover, no one had spoken up to cover for the troublemakers, as no one wanted to be dragged into their ss.
If anyone spoke against Hera now, it would only sound like victim-blaming and expose their own flaws for not standing up for her when it was clear she was being targeted.
Hera’s responses, no matter how sarcastic they might have seed, would be viewed as a defense chanism—a way for her to protect herself.
Everyone understood that, even if the words sounded sharp. And apart from the troublemakers, no one had witnessed how Hera had appeared earlier when she was facing them down.
They didn’t see how quickly her expression had shifted, how she had gone from sarcasm to vulnerability in the blink of an eye.
So, even if the troublemakers tried to explain themselves, it would only hurt their case. Their excuses would seem like attempts to shift the bla, avoiding accountability for their actions, and only furthering their downfall.
With a final, comforting pat on Hera’s shoulder, the female crew mber turned and headed back inside.
Sending a stern warning was only the first step; there were other asures to take.
They needed to send a clear ssage to the entire industry—to ensure that actors knew the consequences of crossing the line on their production.
It wasn’t just about this incident; it was about setting a precedent. Everyone had to understand that such behavior would not be tolerated.
After hearing the comforting words from the female crew mber, Hera nodded without looking up, but inside, she was struggling to hold back a wide grin.
Her shoulders trembled slightly, betraying the effort it took to maintain her composure.
The female and male crew, noticing this, could only pity her more, unaware that Hera was fighting the urge to laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all.
anwhile, Alice, who had tried to redirect the trouble to Hera, bit her lip in frustration.
Her eyes burned with hatred as she glared at the pillar blocking Hera’s figure, as if wishing she could burn a hole through it.
If only she had known how this would turn out.
She regretted not enduring the harassnt on her own, thinking that if she had, she could have secured a more favorable impression of herself—one that would surely reach Director Nick’s ears.
Now that the atmosphere had quieted, Hera returned to reading her script in silence.
No one dared to stir up trouble again, and the audition process continued smoothly as candidates, both newbies and veterans, entered and exited the room.
Each audition typically lasted between 15 to 20 minutes, and soon, Alice had regained control of her expression, redirecting her focus back to her goal.
Although Hera had earned a favorable impression, Alice was determined to secure the role for herself.
To her, Hera’s gain would only amount to a fleeting impression, nothing more.
With that resolve, Alice silently imrsed herself in her script and character background, preparing herself to ace the audition.
Soon, it was Alice’s turn. As she entered the room and saw Xavier sitting beside the Director, her expression softened, and she straightened, waiting for the Director’s signal.
Each candidate was assigned a different scene based on the Director’s direction, so no one knew what scene they would be performing.
As the Director observed Alice, her face exuded a perfect balance of innocence and fiery confidence.
Her striking red hair only amplified her strong, edgy presence. The Director nodded, clearly impressed by her appearance, signaling her to begin.
"Please start with scene 26," the Director instructed. After Alice helped his daughter, the Director had developed a positive impression of her.
He appreciated that Alice had only asked for the opportunity to audition and hadn’t made any outrageous demands.
In fact, he admired her character for not taking the easy route by asking to be cast as the heroine in his film—a request he knew many others would have made.
Her decision showed both courage and alignnt with his own values of integrity.
Because of this, when the Director saw Alice, he couldn’t help but show a little leniency. Understanding that she was still a newcor, he decided to assign her a slightly easier scene compared to the others, especially since he didn’t have too much of an expectation.
Scene 26 was a mont in the script, where the heroine and the male lead, having spent the entire day running through the city trying to survive, finally found a mont to rest and converse.
They exchanged their experiences and tried to make sense of the zombie apocalypse, discussing what had happened and where they should go next.
Since this scene involved a dynamic conversation between the two leads, Alice would need to act alongside the male lead.
This ant that, even if she didn’t land the role, the interaction would still be a valuable learning experience for her.
Alice looked at Xavier expectantly, hoping he would take the lead, but Xavier remained motionless in his seat. It was clear that he had no interest in participating.
Seizing the opportunity, the second-choice male lead stood up with a confident air, eager to demonstrate his skills and prove to the director that he was not only a better team player but also a more capable actor than Xavier.
He stepped onto the small stage, his gaze fixed on Alice with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
It was clear he was captivated by her beauty, but there was also an underlying sense of competition in his deanor as he prepared for the scene.
When Alice heard the cue to start, her innocent and gentle expression quickly morphed into one of exhaustion.
She panted heavily, her face filled with a mix of fear and confusion, unable to comprehend the chaos unfolding around her.
Despite the terror, she knew she had to keep running, had to survive.
She dropped to one knee, taking a mont to steady her breathing, her body still trembling from the physical and emotional strain of the scene.
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