Love Starts From Gratitude

Chapter 2 Replacement for a Show!

This was the first time Emily denied Ronald s*x in bed.

Although he didn't say anything, she could feel that her man was dissatisfied with her actions.

Ronald headed out the next morning.

Emily curled up in bed. All glimmer of hope was lost in her eyes.

Ronald didn't return home a few days after that.

Emily sat on a stool at the corner of the movie set, absent-mindedly flipping through a script and stammering through her lines.

"You're just a pet to him. Who are you to look forward that he'll love you? If it weren't for the fact that they're indebted to you, he wouldn't even be bothered to look at you... Let alone take you as his wife!"

When she muttered this line, the light in Emily's eyes gradually died.

Wasn't this the same relationship she had with Ronald?

Emily was lost in her thoughts when someone suddenly bumped her elbow.

Her agent, Abby Palmer, hurriedly said, "Time to go. The director announced that Chloe Walker isn't coming today and he needs a replacement who looks like her right away. I recommended you to him, so let's get going!"

Chloe was supposed to be the female lead of this show. She was one of the most popular celebrities in the entertainment industry as of now.

"But I've never acted as the female lead before..."

Before she could finish, she was interjected by Abby who said, "Look, which mainstream actor or actress in showbiz played the male or female lead when they were first starting out? Surely they had to grab the opportunity while it was there, right?"

Abby immediately dragged Emily to see the director. She was giddy with excitement to introduce Emily to him.

"Mr. Price, this is our Emily. Although she's not famous yet, her acting skills are absolutely fantastic. Fancy letting her try for the role?"

Abby gave Emily a small pinch.

Emily returned to her senses and looked the middle-aged man in the eye. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Price," she said curtly.

The script the director held in his hands was squeezed to the point where it was almost deformed. Several directors and their assistants looked over at Emily with doubtful expressions on their faces.

It looked as if he was wondering if this uncultured-looking woman wearing flat shoes and denim jeans could be the female lead of this show or not.

Their gazes made Emily feel as if she was stripped bare and that she had nowhere to hide.

Despite this, she managed to muster up her courage and said, "Rest assured, Mr. Price, I'll give it my all..."

Since Abby had tried her best to obtain this opportunity for her, she felt that she should not let her manager down.

She was holding her breath when the director finally responded.

"Alright, go for it!"

There were very few actresses nowadays who could remain calm in this situation. Mr. Price couldn't help but give her another look. He then raised his hand and ordered his crew, "Lights!"

While Emily let out a sigh of relief, Abby secretly gave her a victory sign with her hands. Emily pursed her lips and was led by a makeup artist and stylist for a makeover.

...

A few hours later, Emily finished the shoot with a shower of praise from everyone.

The directors gathered together to replay the clips they shot, and their faces glowed with approval throughout. Whether it be her body movements or her ability to dish out her lines, Emily's acting was impeccable.

They even thought she was more suited for the role than their original pick, Chloe, as she had such a powerful presence on screen.

"Oh my God, Emily! You're literally my idol right now!"

After removing her makeup, Emily was met with a big bear hug as soon as she stepped out of the changing room. Abby gushed, "I was so immersed in your performance just now! Look, I bawled my eyes out just now!"

Abby pointed at her pitiful-looking, tear-filled eyes.

"Surely it wasn't that great?" Emily asked, amused.

"Are you kidding me? You can ask the director yourself if you don't believe me!" Abby said gleefully with arched eyebrows. "It was so much better than Chloe's performance!"

Not too far away, a Toyota Alphard had come to a stop. An assistant was holding an umbrella outside the car.

A slender pair of legs stepped out of the vehicle and stopped as soon as they touched the ground.

A pair of gorgeous eyes turned towards the bustling set. Her gaze finally settled on Emily and Abby.

"This... This is madness! She's just a small-time actor. Does she really think of herself as a bigshot? The director is also too much. How could he find a replacement without your permission?" The assistant who held an umbrella for her glared and muttered discontentedly.

The amusement in Chloe's eyes started to fade away. After letting out a scowl, she swept aside the curls on her temples, stomped on her high heels, and started strutting towards them.

"Oh? She gave a better performance than I did?" Her clear voice could be heard even before she arrived on set.

Visiting fans couldn't help but cheer happily outside. "Chloe! Chloe! Our Goddess! You'll be our goddess forever!"

The director and producer were equally shocked. Their expressions mirrored their crew's expressions. "I thought that mega-celebrity Chloe Walker was preoccupied today so she couldn't attend the shoot. Then why is she suddenly..."

Emily and Abby exchanged confused looks with each other.

Chloe? Why was she here?

"Pa!"

Before Emily could react, Chloe had walked up to her in her high heels. A hand slapped Emily squarely on the right side of her face. Her ears rang and she felt a burning sensation.

The slap was so sudden and loud, it made everyone freeze in place.

The group of directors was shell-shocked. It didn't once cross their minds that Chloe would strike the first blow.