3.Chapter 3 She Wants A Comeback
Tommy froze. Everyone thought Yvonne was too nice, a pushover. They forgot that she was still the company’s biggest shareholder.
“Fine. Change fast. I’ll check your veil later,” Tommy said, wisely avoiding a fight.
Yvonne looked at herself in the mirror. She and Yolanda were almost the same height and build. Even their hairstyles matched.
She used to think their similarities were just sisterly. Now it was clear—Yolanda had been copying her, mimicking her moves, outfits, and routines.
Making Yolanda look like Yvonne had maximized Yvonne’s value. This copycat act would serve its purpose.
Right before the audition, Tommy grabbed the script from Yvonne’s hands. “Hurry! You gotta nail this, okay?”
Yvonne glared at Tommy and left silently.
The audition panel included the director, deputy director, screenwriter, and investor reps. Without a word, Yvonne started dancing.
The scene needed a girl’s sorrow conveyed through movement as she said goodbye to her lover. Yolanda was terrible at dancing. That was why she needed a stand-in.
When Yvonne finished, no one said a thing. She found the veil was starting to slip.
After a pause, everyone clapped. The screenwriter, Valerie Freeman, stared at Yvonne, all excited. She exclaimed, “That was awesome. This is exactly what I wanted!”
“Good job. We’ll let you know,” the director, Emmett Luther, said, feeling impressed. He seemed ready to hire Yvonne.
Yvonne stayed quiet and nodded politely. The forceful nod made her veil fall off. She turned away quickly, like she didn’t want Emmett to see her face.
“Wait. You!” the assistant director, Clyde Ludwig, called out as Yvonne tried to leave. “You’re not Yolanda.” His words were full of confidence.
Clyde rushed toward Yvonne. When he saw her face clearly, he gasped, “Yvonne?!”
“Long time no see, Mr. Ludwig,” Yvonne said, surprised to see her rival as the assistant director.
When Clyde said Yvonne’s name, everyone was shocked. They knew that she had retired three years ago.
“What’s going on? Is this a joke?” Clyde hated Yvonne and didn’t hide it.
Yvonne explained calmly, “It was a last-minute thing. Yolanda got hurt in a car accident.”
“Are you making fun of this audition?” Clyde glared at Yvonne.
Valerie, who admired Yvonne’s acting and had already cast her in her mind, stepped in. “There must be a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?” Clyde pressed. “A retired actress shows up as someone else? This is insulting. Mr. Luther, what do you say?”
“Aren’t Yvonne and Yolanda both from Starry Entertainment?” Emmett rubbed his chin. “This switch is shady but her acting speaks for itself.”
Valerie nodded eagerly. Yvonne’s acting was legendary. She could nail a scene without words. Her involvement would be huge for their award-winning film.
Clyde was furious. Being the assistant director was humiliating enough. He’d turned down his niece for this role, only to lose it to some has-been in his eyes.
“What a joke! You can’t just swap actors like that,” Clyde snapped. Seeing Emmett and Valerie side with Yvonne, he turned to the investor for help. “If Starry can’t keep their word, let’s cancel this. What do you say, Mr. Williams?”
“Clyde, you’ve got a point,” Emmett said slowly. “Starry is overstepping.” He couldn’t risk losing investors over one actress.
Yvonne stayed calm. “I’m sorry for my company’s mistake. But after reading the script, this role feels right for me. I’ll work for free, handle promos—whatever it takes to fix this.”
Yvonne sounded sincere. Emmett caught the key part. “You’ve never seen the script before?”
Yvonne replied, “Not really. I just got the message this morning and read it on the way here.”
Originally, Yvonne had planned to mess up the audition. She wanted to expose Yolanda using a stand-in, knowing netizens loved drama. If people dug deeper, they’d find dirt on Yolanda.
But now she thought that there was no better revenge than taking the role Yolanda wanted. This role could be Yvonne’s first shot at payback.
Valerie and Emmett exchanged excited looks after hearing Yvonne. She nailed the performance after a quick read. This role was made for Yvonne.
“Mr. Williams, I think Yvonne’s offer makes sense,” Emmett said eagerly to the investors. “She’s been out of the spotlight, but she still has a huge fan base and can create buzz.
“Plus, you saw her acting. Having her work for free could fix past mistakes. Let’s prioritize the movie.”
“No way!” Clyde shouted, banging his fist. “Talent’s one thing, but I won’t stand for being tricked. Outsiders don’t belong here.”
“I don’t belong here?” A cold voice cut in right after Clyde stopped talking.
Everyone straightened up. Yvonne stiffened; she knew that voice. “M-Mr. Hammond?!” Yvonne stared at Lorenzo in shock.
“Mr. Hammond! I-I didn’t mean you. I was talking about this nobody.” Clyde scrambled to please Lorenzo, his voice shaking.
Lorenzo sneered, “You call yourself a pro? An AD who doesn’t recognize an Award winner. How’s that professional?”
Clyde broke into a sweat at Lorenzo’s icy tone. “M-Mr. Hammond, it’s a misunderstanding. Yvonne’s just filling in for some extra. She hasn’t acted in years. Her skills are rusty,” Clyde lied, ignoring how everyone— including him—was blown away by Yvonne.
“Seems she did just fine. What do you think?” Lorenzo glanced at Yvonne, his voice cold.
Clyde panicked at Lorenzo’s words, wondering what Lorenzo was up to.
“Mr. Hammond, we all agree Yvonne’s perfect for the role. For the movie’s sake, I strongly recommend casting her.” Emmett seized the chance, stepping forward with courage.
Yvonne never saw Lorenzo coming. She was still in shock.
“You in?” Lorenzo turned to Yvonne, sticking to their plan—acting like strangers in public.
“I’m in. Thanks for trusting me, Mr. Hammond,” Yvonne said, determination burning in her eyes as she met Lorenzo’s gaze. Then she turned to Emmett, saying, “Mr. Luther, I’m honored by your recommendation.”
Lorenzo kept a cool face, but inside, he was impressed by Yvonne.
Clyde had no choice but to shut up. With Lorenzo calling the shots and Radiant Entertainment footing the bill, opposition was out of the question.
“Prepare yourself.” Lorenzo gave Yvonne a look.
“We didn’t expect you, Mr. Hammond. What brings you here today?” Clyde started, trying to suck up now that Yvonne’s role was set.
“Since when do I owe you an explanation?” Lorenzo’s eyes turned ice-cold.
Clyde’s face paled. “Th-That’s not what I meant—”
“Radiant Entertainment doesn’t tolerate unprofessionalism driven by personal grudges,” Lorenzo said, his voice cutting through the room.
The investors nodded eagerly, scribbling notes.
Clyde froze. He was fired by Lorenzo.
