Chapter 405 Too Pathetic
Juliet had no clue how she got off the set and ended up back in the city. The autumn wind was biting like it was already winter, stinging her skin.
By 10 PM, Upper West Side was still buzzing. Couples were out and about, looking all happy and stuff. But none of that could lift Juliet's spirits.
She was dragging herself down the street, her feet killing her from all the walking. Tears started welling up and soon she was bawling her eyes out.
After busting her butt, she was told it was all for nothing. She couldn't handle it. Her phone kept blowing up in her bag, but she ignored it.
Wilber slammed his fist on the steering wheel, clearly pissed. "Where the hell did Juliet go?"
He hadn't seen much of her lately. Every time he tried, she'd pull the company rules card. And her fancy neighborhood was like Fort Knox; he tried twice but couldn't get in.
Wilber's knuckles were red as he slumped in the driver's seat, rubbing his temples. Just as he was lost in his thoughts, he spotted a familiar figure. Without thinking, he jumped out of the car. "Juliet!"
Juliet heard him and turned around. If she was feeling wronged and angry before, now she had an outlet. She burst into tears and ran into Wilber's arms. "Wilber, why is everyone picking on me?"
Wilber didn't know what was up, but the curious stares from people around made him uneasy. "Let's talk in the car."
He led Juliet to the car, grabbed some tissues, and gently wiped her tears.
Juliet's shoulders were shaking, her nose was red, and she kept sobbing.
Wilber asked, "Juliet, what happened? Why didn't you pick up my calls? And who the hell bullied you?" Juliet spilled everything that went down that evening.
Wilber was livid. "What the hell? Is the director nuts? Or does he get off on torturing people?"
He looked at the marks on Juliet's face with concern. His eyes drifted down. "Are you okay? Anywhere hurt? Feeling sick? Maybe we should hit the hospital."
To be real, Wilber was more worried about the baby in Juliet's belly, his only and last kid.
Juliet got what Wilber was hinting at and shook her head. "I'm not seriously hurt; they didn't dare to really mess me up, just some scratches."
Wilber sighed in relief.
"But Wilber, I can't take this. You know how much I've given up for this movie; I can't even sleep right." Juliet choked up, "Now they say they're replacing me, just like that. I'm really heartbroken."
Wilber nodded. "Yeah."
Juliet looked at him with those tear-filled eyes. "Wilber, you got my back, right?"
Wilber's heart did a little flip when he saw her like that. But he knew he was out of his depth. He didn't know squat about the entertainment biz, didn't have any connections, and wasn't some big-shot investor. If he tried to stir the pot, he'd probably just end up in hot water himself.
Thinking about it, Wilber's tone shifted from sympathetic to more scolding. "Juliet, you can't put all the blame on them. I thought it was a bad idea from the get-go, especially with you being pregnant. This ain't the time to be pushing yourself so hard. Now look, you've got nothing to show for it, just wasted energy and no good results. If you had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened. I think you should use this chance to ditch the entertainment industry. I promise, I'll take care of you and the baby."
Juliet's eyes went wide, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was like the guy who was just cussing out the director with her wasn't Wilber at all. "Wilber, what are you saying? How can this be my fault? They're the ones who played dirty first."
Wilber nodded. "I get it, but it's already done. What's the point of dwelling on it? We can curse them all we want, but they won't even know, and we'll just end up with sore throats."
Juliet's voice got louder. "So you mean I should just pretend it never happened, right? All the crap I've been through this past month should just be brushed aside?"
Wilber shot back, "Then what else can you do? The Gilbert family has no pull in the entertainment world. You don't expect me to stand up for you, do you? How's that even possible?"
Juliet's anger flared up at his words. She sat up straight, her red-rimmed eyes blazing. "But you're my husband. I've been wronged, and you're just gonna stand by and do nothing?"
Wilber said, "The best thing for you now is to cut ties with your company and never look back."
"That's easy for you to say. Don't you remember the penalty fees?"
"Well, you signed the contract yourself, and you chose to do the movie. Isn't this all on you?"
Juliet felt a chill listening to Wilber. She realized she shouldn't have expected anything from him. If Myron were here, he wouldn't hesitate to stand up for her.
Juliet's mind flashed to Myron defending Luann. She wished she had a man like Myron to protect her.
She thought it was because Wilber had no power or influence that she was getting pushed around by so many people.
Grace, who was doing well despite being blacklisted after such a big scandal, was a perfect example. In this industry, having a strong background still held a significant advantage.
