With neither inspiring the other, the acting came out hackneyed.
Caspian and Stella just stood there like robots once theyâd said all their lines. They were both at a loss of what to do.
Bradley kept the camera rolling while he stared coldly at the monitor. Stella kept pinching herself out of nervousness. Her face was gradually turning red. She knew that her performance was nothing less than terrible, yet Bradley just wouldnât stop filming, inexplicably prolonging this scene. Each passing second felt like fresh torture to her.
After what felt like forever to Stella, Bradley massaged his temples and finally yelled, âCut!â
Stellaâs shoulders relaxed instantly, as if a weight had been lifted off of her. She looked at the camera and saw Bradley sternly gesturing for them to go to him.
âGet over here!â he shouted.
It was obvious at a glance that they were about to be upbraided. Stella and Caspian slowly walked toward the director. Just as expected, the moment they both stopped in front of him, Bradley immediately started bellowing âAre you both corpses?! What were you doing just standing there? Even school children show more emotions while reciting texts than your stiff masquerade! You!â
He pointed at Stella.
âDidnât you tell me that youâve memorized all your lines?! Youâve been doing pretty well off camera, so why did you stutter so much during filming?â
He paused and turned to Caspian. âAnd you! Youâre supposed to be the more experienced actor here!
Youâve been in so many films now! Why were you so off with your positioning?! I didnât even see you on camera at all! How could you still be making such a rookie mistake?!â âSorry, Director Yatesâ¦â âIâm so sorry, Directorâ¦â Both Caspian and Stella admitted their mistakes humbly, but Bradley was so angry that he couldnât even look at them.
âD*mn it all to hell! Weâll shoot the next scene for now! As for you both, just get out of my sight! Come back once Iâm done shooting these scenes. If youâre still as lousy as you were back there, then just pack up your things and leave before I beat your *ss!â
Caspian was used to Bradleyâs explosive temper. He knew that Bradley liked to threaten to fire people when he got angry, but he would never really come through with it. Stella did not know any of this, though. Her face turned frighteningly pale at the thought of getting fired. She simply couldnât allow this hard-earned opportunity to just slip through her fingers!
Caspian sighed and walked toward his manager. Stella stared at him and summoned up all her courage to call out to him.
âCaspian! Hello! Would you mind rehearsing this scene with me please?â The moment she finished her sentence, Caspianâs manager rushed over and blocked Stella from approaching Caspian. âWhereâs your manager?â he asked, glaring at Stella. âI, uhâ¦â Stella was thrown off by the question. âI havenât got a manager yetâ¦â âWhich scene do you want to rehearse?â the manager asked again in a particularly accusing tone.
The manager couldnât help but be cautious. The entertainment industry is a particularly treacherous one. There was no telling if this womanâs intentions were pure. She could be attempting a free ride to stardom on Caspianâs coattails and that would be troublesome. Everyone in the industry had their own way of making it in this field. For Caspian, what worked best for him was to dedicate all his energy on the work itself while keeping a low profile. Ever since his debut many years ago, he had yet to be involved in any scandals, especially not with any other actresses. This had been possible because heâd always kept a healthy distance from his co-stars. But Stella knew nothing of this industryâs twists and turns. She was stunned by the managerâs reaction. She assumed that her performance earlier mustâve been so terrible that it affected Caspian âIâm sorry,â she quickly said. âI didnât mean to disturb you. Iâll just go rehearse on my own.â
She then turned and left.
The manager snickered.
âDonât think that you can fool me with that pure and innocent look!â he sneered. âIâve seen enough women like you to know what you really want!â