You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 8

To perfect those brutal fight scenes, Sylvia had allowed the wire harnesses to bruise her entire body. She had spent weeks surviving on painkillers just to catch a few hours of sleep. She hadn't endured that agony just for a pitiful paycheck.

Director Carter officially lost what little patience he had left. To him, Sylvia was just a disposable nobody, completely unworthy of his time. He dropped the pleasantries entirely.

"The investor ordered it. They're dropping their girl into the cast, and they explicitly demanded your role. You're out, whether you like it or not. Who do you think you are? An A-lister? A billionaire? The fact that I'm even humoring this conversation is a courtesy."

Delivering the final blow, he didn't even look at Sylvia. He barked an order at his assistant director to keep the cameras rolling.

Standing on the sidelines, Sylvia watched the director completely ignore her existence to fawn over a customized Rolls-Royce pulling onto the lot. Two people stepped out. The man was breathtakingly handsome and terrifyingly cold. The woman beside him was petite and radiant.

The man was Ashton, the same man who had viciously dumped her that morning. The woman clinging to his arm was Reina.

Watching Director Carter shamelessly grovel at their feet, the identities of the mystery investor and the nepotism hire were glaringly obvious.

Ashton had fired her. He had ripped her dream role away to give to Reina.

The last drop of strength drained from Sylvia's body. Her blood turned to ice.

Her teeth chattered violently. She couldn't breathe. The cruelty was suffocating.

Did Ashton have any idea how much she had sacrificed for this?

She could accept the breakup. But why did he have to obliterate her life? Was this his sick way of punishing her for bringing up marriage? Was he proving exactly how powerless she was in his world?

Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, caught between a blinding rage and a devastating sorrow.

Emotion was a liability. Sylvia allowed herself exactly five minutes to drown in her despair. When the imaginary alarm in her head rang, she wiped her tears away, straightened her spine, and marched to the dressing room to change.

Thanks to Reina's arrival, the dressing room was an absolute madhouse.

"I don't pick up trash off the floor."

"And don't pretend we're friends. You and I have nothing in common."

Without waiting to see Reina's reaction, Sylvia turned on her heel and walked out.

Outside, the afternoon sun was warm, and a gentle breeze swept across the lot.

Sylvia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her heart was still shattered into a million pieces, but at least she had maintained her dignity.

In a ruthless world where power reigned supreme and loyalty was thinner than paper, no one would ever respect you unless you became a titan yourself.

So, after a few moments of absolute clarity, Sylvia pulled out her phone and called Ryan Winslet. "Hello, Mr. Winslet? Is the audition for The Mist still open?"