Chapter 41

Chapter 41

She saw the people that had gathered in Sterling’s company the previous day just to welcome Vivienne and to show her their support.

Those weren’t all her fans. Others are more than the numbers of the people present there.

And her fans weren’t even up to the numbers of people that gathered in the company for Vivienne.

“She’s still your wife, you have to stop her from doing this,” she continued.

“She’s only going to make you look like you are a bad husband in front of the people if you don’t stop her now,”

Sebastian nodded his head. She was already making her look like a bad person. The only thing left for her was to say it publicly that he maltreated her.

“Sabrina, sit here.” He pointed at a chair.

Sabrina wasn’t there to sit, she want him to tell her what he was going to do so that her mind would be at rest.

She didn’t sleep through out the previous night just because she wanted to come see Sebastian in the morning about that.

It has been troubling her ever since she saw the news.

“Sebastian, I can’t. Please do something about this. You know this is the only job I depend on. I don’t want her to take it away from me.” She pleaded, almost in tears.

Sebastian left where he was sitting to where she was standing.

“I’m not going to allow Vivienne bring down your career. I promise you that movie will never see the light.” He patted her shoulder.

Sabrina’s mind was now at ease knowing that Sebastian was going to do something about it.

If Sebastian wouldn’t, then she would go to Pure Heart Entertainment herself and make the president of the company do something about it.

Vivienne must never take her place. She already did when she was still in the industry two years back.

And it was after she left that Sabrina got to climb the top.

Her return wasn’t a good thing and to say that she would be filming with Fowler.

“Are you free this night?” Sebastian asked her, going back to his chair.

“What do you want?” she asked him because her mind already told her what he want.

“You already know, no need to tell you.” He winked at her.

Sabrina hissed. She returned her tablet inside the bag and hung her bag on the shoulder.

“I’m not in the mood, Sebastian. Go look for a prostitute today.” he left his office leaving him in surprise.

Well, that wasn’t her fault. She’s just angry about the whole thing.

( Act like a weak girl)

Since he already knew where Vivienne now live, it was going to be easy for him to get her.

“No one’s going to stop me from seeing her, she’s still my wife.” He dropped his legs on the desk imagining the audacity Sterling has to tamper with his wife.

----

At Sterling’s company, Vivienne thought she was going to see Fowler that day but he didn’t show up.

“Isn’t Mr. Fowler coming over today?” she asked Sterling for the second time.

Sterling sighed inside. He remembered he told her already that Fowler wouldn’t be showing up that day.

“He has another movie he’s filming in the next city so, he acted some parts of his scenes yesterday,” he explained again.

“Oh, I thought we’ll be filming together today again,” she giggled.

Sterling watched her went through the document in her hand. He noticed she has been on that same page for more than an hour and hasn’t turn it over.

He didn’t know why but he thought she was thinking about something else.

Unknown to him, Vivienne was struggling to hold the lines in her head but couldn’t.

“Do you need help with memorizing that?” he asked her.

Vivienne lifted up her head and shook it. No need helping her because he would know she couldn’t memorize it.

“It’s time.” Someone announced from the stage.

Vivienne’s pupils enlarged. She wasn’t ready yet and it was already her turn to act.

That day, she would be acting her life with her step Mum and step sister.

That has been her normal acts in the industry and the simplest of all. But she didn’t know why she was finding it hard to follow what was written there.

“Ms. Vivienne?” Sterling called her attention after about three minutes.

“Yes?” she answered him, pretending she didn’t know that someone has announced the stage was ready three minutes ago.

“They are waiting for you.” he pointed at the stage where everyone’s eyes were on them.

Vivienne gulped down before standing up. She together with Sterling approached the stage and she climbed on it alone.

“Good luck.” Sterling gave her a thumbs up.

Vivienne knew in her mind that she was going to mess things up that day.

There were more people there that day than the previous day.

She wished it was the previous day that she acted that scene because they wouldn’t laugh at her or mock her behind her back.

But the ones present there, she was going to have problem with them.

“What an embarrassment,” she whispered under her breath.

“Action!” The director announced.

Pak!

A slap landed on Vivienne’s face.

“How dare you insult your sister in front of everyone? How could you embarrass her in public?” Her step Mum yelled at her in anger.

Vivienne glanced at the lady who was supposed to be her step sister in the movie crying on a sofa and she looked at her supposed step Mum.

“Why wouldn’t I embarrassed her in front of everyone? Doesn’t she have human feelings? Isn’t she ashamed of herself? Why would she keep snatching my boyfriends one after the other!” she snapped back at the woman.

The next line was for the woman but she didn’t know what to say.

Vivienne was out of line, she wasn’t supposed to say that. She was supposed to fall on the floor when her step Mum slapped her and plead with her.

“Cut!” Came the directors voice.

At that moment, Vivienne knew she messed it up.

She glanced at the audience backstage and found out some of them were already gossiping about her.

She tightened her eyes shamefully, hoping Sterling didn’t see that.

She saw him speaking on the phone at the far end of the hall and she heaved a sigh of relief.

Sterling didn’t know what was going on there until he saw the director speaking to Vivienne while showing her the document.

“This is what you should do, Ms. Vivienne. What you did and said aren’t here.” the director corrected her.

“I’m sorry.” Vivienne apologized.

She returned back to the stage after checking it out but that repeated itself again.

“Mr. Hawthorn, I think Ms. Vivienne needs help.” Assistant Mike went and said to Sterling who was still speaking on the phone.

“What help? What’s going on?” He looked at the stage where Vivienne was looking at the document for the second time.

“She’s messing up the whole thing. She isn’t doing it as it was written in the script.”

Sterling was surprised. How was that happening? She did great the previous day.

“Are you sure she was given the right script? Maybe there has been a mistake somewhere,” Sterling said.

He read the script she would be acting that day and he knew it was going to be easy for her because she was already used to it.

It was of a pitiful girl, an orphan who always listen and is scared of her step Mum.

Not of a tough lady who talk back at her step mum.

“Tell them to give her another scene.” Assistant Mike bowed his head and hurried away.

He went straight to the director and whispered to him what Sterling said.

“Okay.” He went to Vivienne and changed the scene to another one for her while Sterling returned back to his seat to see what was happening.

“This? Okay.” Vivienne exhaled.

The next scene was of hers and her step sister. Vivienne gave back the document to the director and returned back to the stage.

She glanced at Sterling who was looking at her and he smiled at her.

She forced a smile back before the director told them to start.

“Didn’t I told you to stay away from my boyfriend!” Her step sister yelled at her.

She lifted up her hand to slap Vivienne but Vivienne got a hold of her hand before it land on her face.

“Cut!”

( I can’t do this, it’s too hard)

Vivienne released the lady’s hand and sighed. She messed up again. She wasn’t suppose to hold the lady’s hand.

“Ms. Vivienne, are you alright? Do you need a break? You look stressed.” The director said to her.

But Vivienne wasn’t stressed. She was not just enjoying the act.

She doesn’t want to be the weak girl they take advantage of.

She was finding it difficult to cope with that. Standing in front of those people and having them maltreat her was just like when she was living with Sebastian and he would always insult and beat her up.

She didn’t want to be that person again. She want to be another person.

“Yes please.” She stepped down the stage and Assistant Li hurried to her.

“Please come here, you look tired.” He took her hand and helped her to the spot where she and Sterling where sitting before.

“Here, take some water.” He uncovered the cap for her and she took the bottle from him.

Vivienne took a sip before giving it back to him.

“Thank you Assistant Li,” she said with a sigh.

“Are you sure you can do this today? Why don’t we rest for today and prepare you for tomorrow?” he asked her worriedly.

“I don’t know,” she sighed again.

“Oh sorry, I’ll go get something for you to eat. Be right back.” Assistant Li went away.

As soon as he left, Vivienne held her head with both of her hands supporting her elbows with her thighs.

“I can’t do this, it’s too weak for me,” she continued sighing.

“Are you alright? You keep messing it up.” Sterling interrupted her thought.

Vivienne lifted up her head sadly.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Hawthorn. I feel like a looser who can’t do anything. I keep messing it up.”

Sterling smiled. He sat on the chair next to her looking at her.

“Do not be so hard on yourself. You are only stressed, Ms. Vivienne. And you don’t need to apologize to me.” he said.

Vivienne believed she wasn’t stressed. She just couldn’t do it because that wasn’t the act that would help her after going through a heart break.

But how was she going to tell Sterling the story should be changed? He doesn’t want to do that.

Assistant Li returned back with a box of cookies and gave it to her.

“This should do. Tell me what you need again and I’ll go bring it,” Li said.

“Thanks Assistant Li, this is enough.” He bowed his head and walked away.

“See? Even Li is sad,” Vivienne nodded her head.

“Yes, he has been the one helping me with the rehearsal. And seeing me messing it up, he wouldn’t be happy.”

“That’s not what I mean. Li isn’t sad because you keep messing it up. He’s sad because you are stressed,”

Vivienne chuckled. That was so nice of him.

“You can do this, Ms. Vivienne. Just imagine how you’ve been doing it before and it is going to be easy.” Sterling assured her.

She nodded her head hoping she won’t mess it up again.

“Ms. Vivienne, please come on stage.” the director called to her.

“Break a leg.” Sterling chuckled.

Not leg but she was going to break hearts. Nothing was going to change and nothing did changed.

Vivienne continued repeating the same thing over and over again.

She wanted to follow the prompt of a weak girl but couldn’t. She always talked back at the step Mum and the step sis whenever they insulted her.