Chapter 5: You Got the Role!

Chapter 5

Lila

“Good morning everyone. Please pick your numbers and wait till you are called. We would also like for you all to maintain proper decorum to avoid disturbing the producers. Thank you all for coming”

An assistant shared the number cards as he addressed all of us. I had underestimated the number of actresses who wished to work with Adrian Cole.

I couldn't depend on the words of a note he sent along with gifts for my future so I had planned ahead.

This was his biggest movie yet. An ancient Korean setup where the monarch chose his third concubine to take the role as his Empress much to the disappointment of his entire family and his betrothed.

I was auditioning for the role of the said third concubine and planned to hit the hardest part of her role.

The role where she dies in the hands of the Emperor after being poisoned by the Empress.

Heartbreaking, sure. But I knew if I could tap into the right emotions, I would be able to wow the directors.

“We came here as early as possible and we still ended up as number 503. Like 503!! Imagine we were here any later”

Rena was in a fit cause of the crowd here. Honestly I could understand why.

But that didn't deter me or shake my confidence.

I was going to get that role. And I would make sure of it.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!! Oh my gosh!!! It's Tiana. Tiana is coming for the auditions”

One of the actresses there jumped excitedly as my biggest rival made her way to the waiting room.

And with her were four personal assistants, one standby makeup artist and her own fashion designer. Talk about living a luxurious life.

With me was just Rena. My manager and best friend. I didn't need anyone else.

Tiana made her way to me as she acted all surprised to see me there.

“Oh my. It's been a long time since I saw you, Lila. I heard you were admitted to the hospital before. Hope you are all better now? It wasn't anything serious I presume?”

I knew the trap she set too well. By admitting, it would make me look unfit to take on the role. Denying it would bite back when people found out.

“My artist was there for a regular body check up. Nothing serious or life threatening. You know how you female artists tend to act about your body”

Rena replied in a subtle manner as I smiled. She truly knew how to evade questions like these ones.

Tiana, having not gotten the answer she wanted, frowned and with a ‘Hmph’ walked to her own seat as knew of her personal assistant or I would say, handmaiden's, brought out a fan and started fanning her.

Again, talk about a luxurious lifestyle.

“Did you hear, Tiana went abroad for a tummy tuck and boob lift. That's why she looks all weird now”

One of the actresses there sat close to me and whispered. An attempt to make me backlash Tiana.

But Rena already gave me the do’s and don'ts of an artist in a public setting while I had started newly and now, they were engraved in my bones.

“I'm sorry. But I am trying to concentrate on the script. You are free to have the conversation after the auditions though” I faked a smile to lessen the effect of my words.

And it worked. I hoped. The artist stood up with a smile and excused herself to which I replied warmly with a light wave.

It didn't take long before many of the artists who had entered the audition room left. All had tears gushing out of their face

“Shit what's happening inside there?” Rena asked in a confused manner and even I couldn't help but be puzzled.

“I don't know. Hopefully it's just bad acting”

I tried consoling myself with these words as I tried to concentrate.

But three hundred and twenty five actresses bursting in tears were enough to wreck a person’s state of mind.

Especially when one of the said actresses was your all time rival.

Tiana was good. I had watched her movies when I needed to set myself straight.

Both of us could be on the same par. We were both A list actresses and even netizens had drawn up voting polls to know who was better.

The result was both of us ending up a tie.

There has never been a winner or a loser. Which made the entire internet interested in our feud.

“Fck him and his stupid movie. He wouldn't even recognize true acting if they shoved it in his face”

I heard Tiana mumble aggressively as she made her way out.

“Shit. Their standards must be high if they rejected even Tiana”

Rena handed me a bottle of water which I grabbed and hurriedly drank gulps of it to ease my anxiety.

“Are we all auditioning for the same role?”

“No. For some reason, auditions for the Empress and the third concubine are taking place today since they are both the main female leads for the movie.

Auditions for the first and second concubine might happen later considering the fact that they don't have much screen time”

So that explained the numbers. But that still wasn't enough reason to keep rejecting people.

“Number 501, you are up next” the assistant yelled.

“That's one more person before you. Try not to get pre-show jitters. Your’s might be different okay? Fighting”

Rena raised her pinkie finger as I locked it with mine. It was our thing.

A pinkie promise that everything would be fine.

“Number 502 next”

“That fast?!” It's not even up to 10 minutes she went in.

Trying to keep up my mood and not spiral, I slowly started tapping into the emotions needed to perfect my act.

“503, you are up next”

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and opened them. A new look taking over.

I stood up with confidence and walked into the audition room.

“That's the look we are looking. That's our Ming Yue” One of the directors rejoiced happily which made me tap out.

What the fck just happened?

“Congratulations, you got the role”