Chapter 107 Just Joking with You

Emily: [Hey, if Aurora's acting isn't cutting it, that's not on me.]

Emily decided to call a meeting with everyone and asked Brian to gather the team.

Once everyone was seated, Aurora spoke up first. "I'm really sorry, everyone. I've been super tired lately because I've been helping out at the foundation with the kids. I just need a little time to get back on track."

Brian and the others nodded, understanding. They knew Aurora was usually a solid actress, so something had to be up. Now that she explained she was busy with the kids, their initial frustration turned into sympathy.

"That's understandable, Aurora," Brian said kindly. "But helping out at the foundation is great and all, but it can't mess with our shooting schedule. We've lost several days with unusable footage. You'll need to make up for it, okay?"

"I will, I promise," Aurora nodded quickly, giving Brian a grateful look.

"Hold on, Aurora," Emily interjected with a smile. "You only danced once. How exhausting could that be? Don't tell me you were taking care of the kids when I wasn't around. I've been at the foundation the whole time and saw you a few times, but never with the kids."

Aurora's face turned pale. She hadn't expected Emily to call her out so bluntly. She thought her excuse would be enough, and she had already apologized. What more did Emily want? Surely, Emily wouldn't dare replace her mid-production.

Emily: [So you want to go head-to-head with me? Well, I like that! Just watch and see if I dare to replace you mid-production!]

Emily, sensing Aurora's thoughts, found it amusing. She knew Aurora assumed that replacing the lead actress halfway through would be too disruptive. But Emily had plans to change the script, which could demote Aurora's role significantly.

"Emily, you didn't see me with the kids, but Sophia did, right?" Aurora turned to Sophia, hoping to shift the focus. She had heard Sophia was kind and helpful, and she hoped Sophia would back her up.

"I didn't see anything, Aurora. Were you sleepwalking?" Sophia shook her head, leaving Aurora stunned. What happened to the kind and helpful Sophia? Aurora thought they had a good relationship.

Unbeknownst to Aurora, Sophia had changed significantly after the incident with Olivia. While she still appeared kind and helpful, she was no longer willing to cover for others' lies, especially knowing Emily's plans to replace Aurora.

"Aurora, you've already cost me a lot of money, and now you're lying. How can I trust you'll perform well in the future?" Emily asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Emily, my acting skills are well-known. I've just been unwell, but I'm better now. From tomorrow, I'll work twice as hard to make up for lost time and ensure we stay on schedule," Aurora said confidently. If she couldn't use excuses, she'd prove herself with her skills.

"Acting skills? Let's take a closer look," Emily said, turning on a projector. It showed clips of Aurora's recent performances, highlighting her distracted and offbeat moments. The crew couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone laughed except Aurora, who realized Emily was targeting her. Aurora smirked, thinking this was about the photos. She had hoped to play the innocent victim and comfort Emily, but Emily's reaction had thwarted her plans.

As a professional actress, Aurora quickly switched to tears, crying on the spot. Brian hurriedly handed her tissues. "Aurora, don't cry. Ms. Johnson was just joking."

"I know Emily was joking, but I've caused the crew so much trouble. I feel terrible. I admit I've been affected by outside factors. Emily, you might have heard some rumors, but I assure you, Mr. Smith and I are innocent. We were just rehearsing lines. Brian and Charlotte can vouch for that," Aurora said through her tears.

Brian nodded. "Yes, I know about that. Aurora suggested a script change, and I thought it was a good direction. Charlotte revised the script, and Aurora rehearsed with Mr. Smith. I can confirm that."

Brian was genuinely backing Aurora. As a director, he knows full well it's a bad time for recasting, plus Aurora's always been a solid performer. If she can just get back on track, this show will easily hit above average.

Charlotte also nodded. "I know about the script changes."