Chapter 35. Bullied at the Studio
Jacintha smiled and was about to respond when another actress, her tone dripping with sarcasm, said, “As if the director picked her! I think it was Mr. Wulfhart who arranged that role for her. Haven’t you all seen the news online? Your precious Jacintha is Mr. Wulfhart’s mysterious lover!”
She deliberately emphasized the phrase “mysterious lover,” then let out a sly laugh, clearly implying that Jacintha had “slept her way” into the role.
The makeup room was quite spacious. Apart from the lead actors who had private rooms, all the supporting actors shared this space. After that actress’s comment, several people began secretly glancing at Jacintha.
Jacintha calmly replied, “So what if Mr. Wulfhart arranged the role for me? If you’re not happy about it, you could try going to him too. Of course, whether or not he’d spare you a glance is another matter.”
“You!” The actress, clearly struck in her sore spot by Jacintha’s words, shot up from her seat in fury. “I... I’m not as cheap as you! I got my role through my own ability!”
At that moment, someone shouted through a loudspeaker outside, “Have the actors for scene three finished makeup? Hurry up! Don’t delay the shoot!”
The voice had barely faded when several people in the makeup room rushed outside.
As she walked past Jacintha, that actress intentionally bumped her lightly on the back.
Jacintha had already anticipated that someone would try to stir up trouble by exploiting the recent rumors about her and Raphael. Gossip was unavoidable, especially on a film set, the most gossip-ridden place in the entertainment industry.
She paid it no mind and quietly reviewed her script. Just as she was about to find someone to rehearse her scene with, the makeup room suddenly grew lively. Then someone whispered, “It’s Jason!”
Jacintha looked up and saw a handsome young man entering with a smile. In his hand was a delicately decorated box that looked like a cake box.
“Jason, what a rare treat to see you visiting our film set on the very first day of shooting,” joked a makeup artist, who seemed quite close to him, laughing as she teased.
Jason slightly curled his lips into a smile, his eyes sweeping around the dressing room before settling on Jacintha. His gaze lit up. “I didn’t expect she’d be even more beautiful in person than in the photos.”
Jacintha frowned slightly, sensing something strange in the young man’s look, then lowered her head to continue reading the script.
But she hadn’t even finished a line of dialogue before someone walked up slowly and said, “Jacintha, happy birthday.”
Jacintha looked up in surprise. It really was her birthday today, but she rarely mentioned it to anyone. Every year, aside from her family and a few close friends, almost no one remembered her birthday.
She hadn’t expected the first birthday wish of the day to come from a complete stranger.
Both surprised and puzzled, Jacintha stood up and asked, “Who are you? Do we know each other?”
“My name is Jason. I’ve messaged you before, but you didn’t notice me,” Jason said, a little aggrieved, as he placed a box on the dressing table in front of Jacintha.
When he opened the box, inside was a chocolate hazelnut cheesecake with the words: “Jacintha, happy birthday.”
The atmosphere in the dressing room became rather peculiar.
Some people quietly watched Jacintha, some whispered to each other, occasionally casting disdainful glances her way, as if there were something shady going on between her and Jason.
A few actresses came up to wish Jacintha a happy birthday, then quickly turned to chatter excitedly with Jason in sweet and familiar tones.
Jason only gave them a few half-hearted responses before saying, “Alright, alright, I’ll treat everyone to dinner tonight, your choice of place. But for now, go shoot your scenes. I’ve got something I’d like to talk about with Jacintha in private.”
Although the actresses looked somewhat displeased, they had no choice but to leave the dressing room. Soon after, the others left one by one as well, leaving only two people behind: Jacintha and Jason.
Outside the makeup room, several actors were already on set. Those who weren’t scheduled to shoot yet sat to one side, some reviewing their lines, others chatting idly.
"Just who exactly is that Jacintha girl to have Jason personally show up for her birthday?" a female actor in a pale blue gown glanced toward the makeup room, her expression a mix of disdain and envy.
Beside her, another actress adorned in layers of jewelry whispered, "Word is she’s Wulfhart’s sugar baby. She got that supporting role in this film because he pulled some strings for her."
"Jason’s Wulfhart’s cousin," another chimed in, astonished. "So both Wulfhart brothers have their eyes on the same woman? Jacintha’s schemes are truly sophisticated."
"Maybe her sex skills are so amazing that even Wulfhart couldn’t resist. Ha! Here we are, making a living off our acting chops, and we still can’t compete with how tight her pussy is."
These were actresses who had been in the industry for years without making a name for themselves. Seeing Jason visit Jacintha had stirred up resentment among them. Their voices dripped with bitterness, barely masking their jealousy.
The heavily jeweled actress rolled her eyes and whispered, "Do you think she and Jason are… you know, having sex in the makeup room?"
"Of course they are."
"Disgusting. Today’s only the first day of filming and she’s already pulling this kind of filthy stunt on set. If this keeps up, our crew’s gonna turn into a damn brothel."
Their gossip grew more heated. No longer bothering to lower their voices, they maliciously fabricated all sorts of scandalous tales about Jacintha and Jason behind that closed door.
Amid the noisy chatter, the woman in the blue gown suddenly sprang to her feet. Alarmed yet eager to please, she called out, "Mr. Wulfhart, why are you here?"
The rest of the actresses froze, then scrambled to their feet, faces filled with visible anxiety.
Jason was Raphael’s cousin. They had been so engrossed in their gossip that they hadn’t noticed when Raphael entered the studio, or how much he had overheard. If Raphael was offended and demanded they be kicked off the film, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising.