Chapter 34 The Untouchable Big Shot
With roughly four days left until the start of filming.
Jessica got up early in the morning and started reading the script. She continued reading through lunch and into the evening as darkness fell. She was immersed in figuring out how to portray Katrina's character through all her stages of a life filled with tragedy and descent into darkness, aiming to bring out the layers of her persona.
It was as though the happenings of the previous night, spurred by her nightmare, were Something she didn't wish to bring up again.
Jessica's car, which she'd sent in for maintenance, had been returned to her that day. She thought Danielle needn’t take the school bus home that evening; she could personally pick her daughter up and buy some snacks along the way.
Though she said it reluctantly, Jessica also felt it necessary to buy some supplements for Spencer, whose injury had healed well. However, he'd lost too much blood in the days immediately following his injury, and she assumed he was still weak. With his condition improving recently, it only made sense to help him build his strength back up.
Just after Jessica stepped out, her cell phone, which was left charging in the living room, suddenly rang.
It rang twice, unanswered.
Gabriel walked over to pick up the cell phone and saw the incoming caller's name—Mackenzie.
Knowing the misunderstandings Mackenzie had about him and her quick temper, Gabriel knew he couldn't answer the phone for Jessica.
About fifteen minutes later, a sudden knocking sounded at Jessica's door.
Mackenzie had been knocking impatiently for a while and, getting no response, called Jessica's phone again. Through the door, she could hear Jessica's cellphone ringtone.
Anxiously, she said, "Jessica, I know you're home. You're not answering your phone or coming out to see me. Did you hear the news from somewhere? I understand your current mood. If it were me, I couldn't accept it either."
Mackenzie's face was a mix of temper flaring and apology for her shortcomings as she addressed the closed door. "I just can't figure it out. Who exactly did you offend? Suddenly, someone wants to force their way into the cast of 'Charles II,' demanding the role of the second female lead, Katarina. Our contracts were signed long ago; everything should be the same now. But the production company says the person being shoehorned in is somebody in the industry we can't afford to offend!"
"At the end of the day, this person is blatantly after your role. The production company knows they're in the wrong, and they don't want to fuss over a breach-of-contract fee. They offered us some compensation. Considering their embarrassed stance and considering future opportunities, they want things to be relaxed. I've accepted this compensation deal, but I'm not sure if you'll be content with this peaceful resolution."
"I know how much effort you put into this show, how perfect you were for the role of Katarina. You'll get more attention right away. It's my fault. I've been running my studio for so long, yet my resources and influence still need to be improved. With such a big company backing their choice, even if I wanted to fight for you, I don't have the means."
Gabriel heard the voices outside the door but remained silent.
Mackenzie also couldn't hear any movement from inside and was unsure of how Jessica was doing at the moment.
