Chapter 33

"It’s been a while since I played in a movie." I gave a brief speech. "I hope you can all guide me and that we can work together to create this amazing movie."

The director, Matthew, smiled at me. "Well said, Samantha. We’re thrilled to have you on board. Now, let me introduce you to everyone."

After meeting a few supporting actors, Matthew gestured toward a man seated at the far end of the table. He was tall and rugged, with sharp features and an intense gaze that seemed to pierce right through me.

"This is Ethan Reed," Matthew said. "He’ll be playing Alan, Elara’s abusive husband."

Ethan stood. "It’s nice to meet you, Samantha," he said, offering his hand.

His grip was firm, almost too firm, as if it mirrored the character he was about to portray.

"Nice to meet you too, Ethan," I said.

Even though he seemed like a harsh person, he was actually so sweet and kind.

He even reminded me to tell him if he accidentally made me uncomfortable, especially when he acted as Alan.

"Don’t worry about it. I know you’re just acting," I said. "If I feel uncomfortable when you’re acting, then it means you’re a great actor, Ethan."

Ethan smiled. "I’ll do my best to make you uncomfortable then."

I laughed lightly at his playful response, the tension easing a bit between us. "Fair enough. Just don’t overdo it, or I might actually throw something at you during filming."

The trauma of being abused by Rowan still lingered in my heart, but as long as I reminded myself it was just acting, I believed I could handle it.

Still, the thought of facing such scenes on set made my chest tighten slightly.

They were just reading scripts now, but what about when we were on set? The movie was set in modern times, so we would be filming in practical settings like real houses and other everyday locations.

I wondered how much more intense the scenes would feel in that kind of environment.

At that time, would I be able to separate the performance from my own memories?

"Samantha." The sound of a little girl’s voice woke me up from my reverie. "Do you want to help me rehearse this line?"

I blinked, refocusing on the present. Tiana stood beside me, holding out a script with a shy expression.

"Of course, sweetheart," I said, smiling warmly. "Which part are we working on?"

"This one." Tiana pointed to a line where her character confronted her abusive father when he abused her mother. "I think it’s supposed to sound brave, but I’m not sure how to say it."

I crouched down to meet her at eye level. "Let’s try it together, okay? You can say it however feels right to you, and I’ll guide you if needed."

Tiana nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!"

As we began rehearsing, I felt a small sense of peace.

Though I still had to confront my fear of portraying scenes with an abusive character, at least I could finally have a kid in the movie, something I couldn’t achieve in my life.

However, sometimes I felt relieved I hadn’t had children with Rowan. The thought of raising a child in such a toxic environment made my stomach turn.

I couldn’t imagine letting an innocent kid be manipulated and controlled by him.

Even though it meant I couldn’t experience having my own children, it was better than having them and watching them suffer.

I shook my head, pushing the dark thoughts aside. I focused on the script in my hand and the little girl sitting beside me.

"Let’s try this scene again," I said gently to my young co-star, who eagerly nodded and began reciting her lines with enthusiasm.

Other actors and crew members who witnessed our interaction were touched. We already looked like a mother and daughter, and if we kept this dynamic, the director believed the audience would be in tears by the time the movie ended.

As the rehearsal continued, I found myself becoming more confident. For the first time in a long while, I started to believe that I could truly shine again.

About three hours later, the producer finally wrapped the rehearsal up. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that my performance wasn’t that bad for the first rehearsal.

"Alright, listen up everyone." The producer asked for our attention. "We’re ready to launch the official actor reveal to the public. The marketing division will handle the campaign, but before they release it, I want everyone to be prepared for the public’s reaction."

"If something goes wrong, we’ll try our best to handle the situation," Diego emphasized his words. "However, as you know, we can’t always control the public’s reaction, so please, don’t do something stupid like commenting on their statements."

I sat quietly, a slight nervousness creeping up on me. I knew the official public reveal of the actors would be a significant moment, especially for me.

I wasn’t sure how the public would react once they found out I was making my comeback.

What about Rowan’s situation?

His bad reputation had tainted everything, and I feared that people would associate me with him.

Would they talk negatively about me too? After all, the public knew him as my husband, not the other way around.

Would they think I deliberately made a comeback to clear Rowan’s name?

"And Samantha." I immediately lifted my head as the producer called my name. "Mr. Lloyd wants to talk to you after this, so you can’t leave yet."

What kind of thing did Zephyr want to talk to me about?

Why hadn’t he mentioned it earlier when we were in his office? Oh... maybe he wanted to discuss it with the producer and director as well.

For some reason, I suspected their conversation would be related to my current situation with Rowan.

I nodded. "Okay."

I remained seated as the others left the room. I checked my phone but didn’t see any new messages from Zephyr.

I sighed. He must be planning something behind my back.

Zephyr was a man full of surprises after all.