Divorcing Hollywood’s Genius: I Am My Own Muse Chapter 02
Divorcing Hollywood’s Genius: I Am My Own Muse Chapter 02
Mavis sat with me in the coffee shop, opening her mouth to speak for the sixth time before stopping herself.
“A wartime espionage thriller, first billing, female-led. Scarlett, these terms are so ridiculously good that it feels like a beautifully packaged scam.”
As she spoke, a director timidly poked her head into the room.
To everyone’s surprise, it was a female director.
Nora laid the script on the table and gave a shy smile.
“My mentor sighs every time he sees me, saying things would be better if I were a man. He says it’s too hard for girls to direct. Well, I refuse to believe that.”
She looked up, her eyes incredibly bright.
“Anything men can do, I can do better.”
I looked down at the script, falling silent.
It wasn’t just directing; the entire entertainment industry operated this way.
Men were responsible for ambition, while women were responsible for beauty.
Men’s stories were hailed as epics, while women’s pain served merely as an embellishment.
Even Ronan had expressed disdain more than once, claiming that art was meant to be this way and that roles were defined long ago.
Back then, I opened my mouth to tell him he was wrong.
Humans are the creators of art; we shouldn’t be bound by rigid frameworks.
Art can be molded into whatever shape you hold in your heart.
Nora looked up at me cautiously.
“Ms. Scarlett, you are my idol. You are the only Sable Rowe in my mind.”
Mavis held her head high with pride. “Haha, our Scarlett has quite a portfolio. Which of her works do you like the most?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Mavis felt a pang of awkwardness.
After all, it had been a very long time since I had a decent project.
But Nora replied in earnest, “The Girl Named Suri.”
I froze.
When I was seventeen, I was accepted into Westbridge Film Academy.
By then, Ronan was already a star student in the directing department. He had approached me out of his own accord.
“Hey, I’d like to invite you to be the leading lady in my graduation film.”
The Girl Named Suri was where Ronan’s dream began.
It was the first leading role of my life, and the witness to our love.
I thought it was just the beginning of our collaboration, never imagining it would be the first and last time.
During my sophomore year, I skyrocketed to fame after a photoshoot went viral, earning countless beauty-obsessed fans.
Meanwhile, after graduation, Ronan lost the aura of a campus golden boy and realized how harsh reality truly was.
Because he insisted on breaking into the film industry, the Vale family froze all his cards, and making movies was nothing short of burning through cash.
So, I took on one empty eye-candy role after another, making a fool of myself and laughing on reality shows, enduring the mockery that I had “no real work, only red-carpet looks.”
I used my own face, my buzz, and my reputation to buy him breathing room, securing his very first capital for creation.
Finally, he hit the jackpot and became an overnight sensation.
And then?
What he left me with was merciless ridicule: “Scarlett, you don’t actually think you can still be called an actress, do you?”
I let out a bitter smile, offering a gentle reminder to the director in front of me.
“Though I love this story, I must remind you that my current public image is… well, terrible. Plus, I haven’t acted in a serious project for years. Are you certain you want to choose me?”
Nora simply shook her head, her voice firm.
“I believe anyone who could play the lead in The Girl Named Suri can achieve anything.”
…
The official announcement of the movie sparked an uproar.
The angry comments from fans nearly drowned me alive.
[I’m so done. We’ve been tearing into Bianca’s fandom for so long, and while she gets announced as Ronan’s leading lady, you pick up whatever garbage this is?]
[Sister, you’re turning thirty soon. Can you stop being so reckless? I see zero benefit in taking a movie from a director like this, other than being mocked by your rivals.]
[Ronan is gunning for the Aureate Awards, and you’re doing a low-budget wartime film with a female director? Scarlett, wake up, will you?]
Ronan called me late that night.
“Scarlett, what are you thinking? Drop out now. I’ll cover your termination fee. I’ll speak to Director Julian again, and you can join his set next week.”
I took a deep breath.
“No. I’m acting in this movie.”
He let out a cold laugh over the line.
“You throw away the opportunities given to you. Don’t ever come crying to me about how wronged you feel again.”
Later, when an entertainment reporter visited Ronan’s set, they intentionally brought me up.
Ronan spoke coldly to the camera, “Desperate for fame, resorting to any means necessary. I will not work with an actor like that.”
Gossip accounts immediately jumped on the bandwagon.
[Sharp-Tongued Ronan Slams Scarlett; The Battle for the Next Generation Starlet Has Already Been Decided]
[Bianca Sets Her Sights on the Aureate Awards; Scarlett’s New Movie Announcement Invites Ridicule—One Step Behind, Always Behind]
That evening, Bianca pretended to accidentally like one of those posts.
Once again, I was pushed into the line of fire.
But I didn’t care about any of it; I simply kept studying my script in silence.
Only Mavis gave me a hesitant look.
“Scarlett, our filming location overlaps with Ronan’s crew. We’re right next door to them.”