"Can you hold back a sneeze and end up laughing? Do you think I'm a three-year-old you can fool?" Molly Morgan's face was unpleasant, and her tone was sharp.
She had just gone to find the director and producer, thinking that she was somewhat known on television screens, yet neither of them showed her any courtesy.
Their words were polite and nice, but they refused her request for a private audition, insisting instead that she audition alongside these newcomers who knew nothing. This was clearly looking down on her fame and deliberately making things difficult for her!
Competing with a bunch of newcomers for a role so peripheral it couldn't be more marginal, if word got out, who knows how many people would quietly mock her!
The more Molly Morgan thought about it, the angrier she became, unable to suppress the rage boiling inside her.
"Miss Molly, there are a lot of people here..." The assistant stepped forward and tugged at the angry Molly Morgan, her expression somewhat cautious.
"A lot of people? And now I should be afraid of a lot of people? Are you laughing at me in your heart too? You scoundrel!" Molly Morgan's anger reached its peak, completely losing her mind, and she swung her hand to give the assistant a heavy slap.
Bella Acker and the others nearby also heard the crisp 'smack' sound, and the assistant's head was knocked sideways by Molly Morgan's slap.
After hitting her, Molly Morgan was momentarily stunned, seeing everyone in the lobby looking in her direction, her anger made her stomp her foot and hurriedly head towards the restroom.
The assistant covered her face and didn't follow, not being much older herself, being slapped publicly, her cheeks turned red, and her eyes welled with tears.
"Are you alright?" Bella Acker stepped forward, handed two tissues to the tearful assistant, her expression showing some guilt. It was obviously her who had angered Molly Morgan, and in the end, someone else ended up taking the hit, making her feel a bit uneasy.
"Thanks, I'm okay." The assistant took the tissue, forced a smile at Bella Acker, and then chased after Molly Morgan.
Only then did the lobby fill with subdued murmurs, Bella Acker watching the assistant's back, slightly frowning,
"That's her job, don't feel compelled to stand up for her. If she loses her job because of it, she might blame you instead." A long-haired girl next to her extended her hand, "Hello, I'm Sandra Woods, what's your name?"
"I'm Bella Acker."
"Bella Acker?" Sandra Woods was momentarily surprised, then smiled, "Your parents must really love you to give you a name like that."
Bella Acker smiled without responding, not sure what to say. After all, she was an orphan left at the welfare home doorstep by her parents.
Sandra Woods didn't notice this as she continued, "You're here to audition for the role of Iris too, right?"
"Yeah. I read the novel, really love Iris, heard the role is open for casting without requiring someone to have formal training, so I wanted to try." Bella Acker quickly threw aside the bit of sadness in her heart, "What about you? You should be formally trained, right?"
"Yeah. I'm a junior at Drama Academy, graduating next year." Sandra Woods said, "I also read the original novel, really liked the character of Iris. Heard from my senior this casting was happening, so I took time off to come audition. What about you, Bella, are you still in... high school?"
"No, I'm not studying anymore." Bella Acker shook her head, laughing cheekily, "I heard you pause earlier, were you actually wondering if I'm still in junior high?"
Sandra Woods wasn't awkward, "You do look very young after all."
"I'm small, can't help it." Bella Acker sighed.
At that moment, a staff member in professional attire came out and said, "The audition is starting, proceeding in order of sign-in, I'll call and you go in one by one."