Chapter 406 A Win-Win Collaboration
Seeing Juliet hang her head without saying a word, Wilber realized he might've gone too far. He broke the awkward silence, reaching out to stroke her hair. "Alright, babe. I only said that 'cause I was worried about you. You can't put all the blame on me. You made the choice, and now you gotta deal with the fallout. That's how you learn, right? But don't sweat it, no matter what, I got your back."
Juliet felt sick to her stomach hearing Wilber's words. He lost it over a few words, so how could she count on him? She was starting to think being with him was a bad move.
After Juliet told James about it, he didn't seem fazed. "Forget it; just chalk it up to experience. Adam's got mad filming skills. Spending a month with him, you must've picked up something. It'll make it easier to get on other crews."
Juliet sat in front of James, her hands clenched into fists on her knees, knuckles turning white. "So all my hard work was for nothing, huh?"
James shrugged, "Didn't he give you some cash?"
Juliet turned away, speechless. Yeah, Adam gave her money, but as a newbie, it wasn't much. Plus, it was a 90-10 split, leaving her with peanuts.
"You're just starting out. Don't get hung up on the money. Once you hit it big, you'll have everything you want," James said, sounding all high and mighty.
Juliet felt a chill listening to him. If she knew she'd get played like this, she would've never signed with Dawn Talent Agency. But whatever, if one door closed, another one opened.
Leaving Dawn Talent Agency, Juliet immediately called Grace. As expected, no answer.
Juliet shot her a text: [How long you gonna stay down? You just gonna let Luann outshine you and do nothing?]
Half an hour later, Grace replied: [What do you wanna say?]
Juliet smirked. [Let's meet.]
Two hours later, Juliet finally met up with Grace.
Compared to the confident Grace from a month ago, she now looked like a wreck. She had on a baseball cap, mask, and sunglasses. When she took off all her gear, Juliet saw her greasy, stringy hair. No makeup, sallow complexion, dark circles under her eyes.
"Grace, looks like life's been rough on you." Seeing Grace like this, Juliet was secretly thrilled. Sure, Adam screwed her over, but at least she still had a shot.
But Grace? She probably had no chance. Even if she managed to endure the period of being sidelined, it was important to realize that the entertainment industry moved fast. New faces replace old ones in a heartbeat. And there was never a shortage of pretty faces.
Whether Grace could make a comeback in the entertainment industry and reclaim her former glory was up in the air. She knew it too; otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to meet Juliet, someone she always looked down on.
Grace's eyes were dark and brooding. "So, are you happy now?"
Juliet gave a light smile and waved her hand dismissively. "Why would I be? No matter what, you looked out for me before. I'm not ungrateful. Plus, we've always been on the same team. You want to take down Luann, and so do I. But Grace, you know, you can't survive in this industry without some serious backing. Luann's got connections. Even if I fight solo for another five or ten years, I might not surpass her. Are we really gonna let her flaunt her power for that long?"
Hearing Luann's name, Grace's emotions flared for a moment. "Alright, what do you need?"
Juliet's eyes lit up with excitement. "Grace, don't worry. I'm here to propose a partnership. If we team up, it's a win-win! I won't forget your help. If you really help me make it big, it'll also boost your return to the industry."
Grace nodded, understanding the logic. "I know some good directors and producers. I can recommend you to them. But you know, I'm not who I used to be. My name might not carry much weight anymore. So, you'll have to fight for it yourself. Got it?"
Juliet nodded, getting the hint. "Got it."
Grace closed her eyes and let out a tired sigh. "I've seen the buzz about you and Luann these past few days. Is it true she doesn't support your dad?"
"Absolutely."
"Good. I'll get some online trolls to stir the pot." Grace seemed pleased with this answer.
"Okay." With Grace's help, Juliet felt a surge of hope.
"If you really want to sue Luann, let me know. I'll get you the best lawyer in the business. You won't lose."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. We're on the same team now."
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
With Grace's intervention, an online storm quickly brewed. The situation escalated, like a volcano ready to blow.
But on the morning of the fourth day, Juliet finally made her move against Luann.
In Mike's name, she filed a lawsuit against Luann. Reporters and media outlets, who got wind of it last minute, swarmed the courthouse, even starting a live stream on Facebook.
After a moment of buffering, the live stream was flooded with comments.
[Did Juliet really sue?]
[Will Luann show up?]
[What's going on? I'm so confused. Is Juliet telling the truth?]
[The hearing's at 2 PM. Why are people here so early?]
