Chapter 197
197 Lowballing
197 Lowballing
Alice glanced over at the group of reporters huddled in the corner.
They were still in disbelief.
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Some just stood there frozen, while a few of the quicker ones were already typing away and publishing articles.
After today, Eliza’s career might be over for good.
Alice didn’t have time to care about any of that, because the male actors were about to perform next.
Risa leaned in and whispered in her ear during the break.
“Just so you know, a bunch of directors called me earlier. They all want to sign you.”
Alice waved it off. “You know I don’t have time for that.”
Risa sighed. “Are you sure you’re not even going to consider it?”
“Honestly? I do enjoy acting … But … ”
“I know,” Risa cut her off gently. “You still have to find your mentor’s killer. We’ll talk about it once that’s over.”
Alice nodded. “You always get me.”
Hearing that, Risa smirked like she had just thought of something. She leaned in closer with a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Maybe it’s time I step aside. Mr. Eric’s ready to take the spotlight.”
Alice followed her gaze–Eric was watching her.
She felt her ears burn and nudged Risa. “Stop it.”
Risa giggled. “I’m just saying, Mr. Eric is a good man. He’s always stood by your side.”
Risa had been in the industry long enough to give up on things like marriage. But after seeing how Eric behaved, she started to wonder–maybe someone like him was one of a kind.
Alice lowered her eyes in thought.
“He has someone he likes. We’ll be divorced in about a year.
“So please , stop spreading rumors, okay?”
But Risa didn’t take her words seriously.
“People change,” she said with a shrug.
“Once you’ve tasted the best, who would still care for the mediocre?”
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Alice gave her a look. “That doesn’t even make sense.
“All I’m saying is, I’m rooting for you two.”
Alice had never been this speechless in her life.
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The next round of auditions started soon.
The male actors, as a whole, seemed to be performing better than the females.
Risa watched with mild satisfaction.
Before long, it was Boston’s turn..
He was playing the role of a spoiled rich kid–not the lead, but an important character with a lot of emotional twists and personality shifts.
It was a challenging part, which made it all the more appealing to Boston.
This scene was about the character dealing with a sudden family tragedy.
Standing center stage, Boston slipped into character almost immediately.
His gaze went blank, and sorrow filled his face.
His hands clutched something invisible, and his entire posture screamed grief.
“Dad… Mom … Don’t worry,” he said, voice trembling with pain.
“I swear I’ll avenge you both!”
The moment the line was delivered, the room burst into applause.
Darlene’s eyes lit up as she grabbed his arm./
“Boston, that was incredible! You’ve gotten so much better!”
Boston still looked a little dazed.
Darlene blinked. “Wait … You’re still in character?”
He exhaled softly, snapping out of it. “I guess I was just thinking about how unpredictable life is.”
“You went deep,” Darlene said, leading another round of applause.
Alice stayed quiet..
To her, Boston’s performance was okay.
She generously gave him a five out of ten, while others scored him around seven or eight.
When Boston saw her score, he immediately frowned.
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197 Lowballing
He knew how good Alice’s acting was–he respected her talent, even feared it a little.
But this? This felt personal.
“Alice, that’s just mean,” he snapped.
Darlene suddenly stepped forward, eyes shimmering with tears.
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“Everyone saw how good Boston was. Are you seriously lowballing him just to settle a personal grudge?”
Linda chimed in, too.
“Alice, that’s unfair. Boston and the rest of the Spencers care about you. You can’t just throw that away like this.”
More murmurs spread around the set.
“Didn’t people say Alice had it pretty good with the Spencers?”
“I heard Linda was supposed to marry Mr. Eric, but Alice replaced her at the last minute.”
“That sounds like a win to me.”
“Mr. Eric was in a coma back then, remember?”
“Oh, right. Now it all makes sense.”
“Rich families sure know how to stir up drama.”
“Sounds like the Spencers prefer the fake daughter over the real one.”
“Well, they did raise her for years.”
“No wonder Alice wants revenge–she probably feels cheated.”
“Let’s not dig too deep. It’s their private family business.”
Amid all the accusations, Alice stayed calm.
“I have a clear conscience,” she said quietly.
Next to her, veteran actress May softly reminded,
“When you go out later, talk to the reporters, okay? Don’t let them twist the story.”
Alice nodded but didn’t follow through.
Some things didn’t need defending–they just needed people to look closer.
Risa stood up. “Are you all seriously going to hold up the casting process over this?”
There were still plenty of actors waiting to audition.
And while no one was thrilled with Alice right now, none of them dared to push too far with Risa