You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 7

Sylvia was currently filming the historical drama Whispers of the Crown. They were only halfway through, with at least two more months of shooting left. Taking on a new project wasn't impossible, but it meant running ragged between two different sets.

Filming two shows simultaneously was a nightmare. It would destroy her physically, and the risk of bleeding one character into another was too high. After a brief internal debate, she politely declined his offer.

She booked a reasonably priced motel nearby, dropped off her things, and sprinted straight to the set. Director Carter had given her three days off, but terrified of losing her spot, she decided to push through the pain and show up early.

Even though she was the second female lead, Sylvia was treated like any other disposable supporting actress. She ate the same cheap boxed lunches as the crew.

Seeing her back at work a day after her massive fall, Director Carter seemed visibly relieved. However, right after lunch, he vanished, leaving the assistant director in charge.

A pretty, fresh-faced actress sitting next to Sylvia started gossiping with the crew. "Did you guys hear? The director met with a major investor yesterday. The guy dropped millions of dollars into the production without even blinking."

"Who is this billionaire? Isn't he worried about the show tanking?"

"Are you kidding? He doesn't care about a return on his investment. He's doing it to launch a career. The guy is absolutely obsessed with this girl, and he's using his checkbook to pave her way."

Another actress eavesdropping suddenly gasped. "Wait, so he's forcing someone into the cast? It has to be a massive role. Is he replacing the female lead?"

"Hard to say. They might just force the writers to invent a new character for her."

"If they do that, someone else's screen time is getting slashed, right?"

The actress accurately predicted exactly how this nepotism would hurt the rest of them.

Last-minute script changes fueled by cash were standard in the industry. Whether due to scheduling conflicts or sudden nepotism hires, writers constantly killed off established characters midway through. Tragically, many of these prematurely axed characters ended up being massive fan favorites.

Sylvia listened to the gossip in silence while doing her leg stretches.

Director Carter waved her off impatiently. "It is what it is. I'll pay your breach of contract fee. Take the cash and get out."

Sylvia opened her mouth to argue, but seeing the immense irritation etched into his face, she realized her fate was sealed. No amount of begging was going to save her.

Sylvia stood frozen under the blazing sun, the world spinning violently around her.

The crew resumed filming without her. She was entirely isolated, invisible to the machine she had just poured her blood into. Her legs gave out, and she slumped into a dark corner, completely lost.

After a long moment of stunned silence, a fierce wave of indignation hit her.

She tracked the director down and pleaded one last time. "Director, it's not about the money. I poured my soul into this character..."