Behind The Spotlight Chapter 227
Back then, Ellie was in love with her boyfriend yet had a one-night stand with Lawrence. She was the one who invited Lawrence to her room. She informed the people around them that she was single at that time, which made things complicated.
When Passionate Island became a huge hit, Ellie and her boyfriend broke up, and Ellie tried to get with Lawrence, but he didn't let it happen and kept his distance.
After the success of Passionate Island, Ellie's career indeed had a surge and she starred in many films, earning millions.
However, none of her movies truly succeeded. They were mediocre, with most of them flopping at the box office. Audiences simply didn't connect with her performances the way they had with Passionate Island.
Using this as a basis, Collin was truly talented at choosing the perfect projects for his clients. He was different from other agents who couldn't read the profitability of a script.
When Ellie fell from grace, she tried to audition for The Boss Proposal, desperately hoping for a comeback. It was the movie that Director Summerbelt filmed and Lawrence starred in. She hoped to revive her career by working with the people responsible for the success of Passionate Island.
However, Ellie was not cast in the movie. Zandra Bullock was chosen instead.
Since then, Ellie's career has spiraled downhill.
She couldn't even secure a project. Every time she auditioned for a movie, she failed to get the role. She had no box office appeal to speak of. Her name no longer carried weight in Hollywood.
From being a star to a nobody, it was a hard pill to swallow. Ellie couldn't accept the fact that she was already washed up.
So she tried to audition for a movie invested in by a new production studio owned by Producer Harper, taking whatever opportunities remained.
Producer Balthazar Harper. After being rejected by Director Summerbelt, Producer Harper had a fallout with Sonya-Collapse Studio. He resigned after realizing that the studio caught on to his real behavior.
After signing a contract stating that he would never release any information that could incriminate and destroy Sonya-Collapse Studio, they let him go. He also received substantial separation pay, which he used to fund his production studio.
His production studio was meant for small-budget films. Just like 123 Production, which produced The Born Identity and sold the movie to Metro Gold Mayer, his production studio was following that business structure.
The name of his studio was Harper Studio. Harper Studio would film a small-budget movie that cost them $1 million, then sell it to major studios for $2 to $5 million, depending on the negotiation. So far, his business has been doing well.
Ellie auditioned for his movie and Producer Harper welcomed her. After all, Ellie had a nice ass, I mean, Ellie was an actress who starred in movies. She might not be in demand, but her face was known by many, especially fans of Passionate Island.
Ellie got the role and her agent negotiated a nice deal. In exchange, Producer Harper and Ellie would date during the whole production of the movie.
Hollywood had many deals like this, unspoken trades disguised as opportunities. A small-time actor or actress would accept it because it was a win-win situation, or so they told themselves.
The reason the two attended the party was that Producer Harper was interested in selling his movie to the executives of Fair Amount Pictures.
And now, Ellie kept her head low while Producer Harper enjoyed resting his hand on her ass.
Ellie lowered her gaze as she couldn't look at Lawrence's steady, penetrating gaze. It was too much to handle. She knew her situation was humiliating, painfully aware of how far she had fallen.
"Babe, who are you looking at?" Emma saw Lawrence's mocking smile and asked.
"I'm looking at those two," Lawrence murmured, "they are such a joke that I couldn't help but grin a little."
He didn't hold a grudge, he just saw it as a joke. He also knew about the dirty secrets of Hollywood.
Emma followed Lawrence's gaze. She quickly recognized the actress, although she didn't know who the old fat man was, his identity irrelevant to her.
Ellie Bridget, the actress who starred in Passionate Island, the movie that made Lawrence famous.
Looking at Ellie's embarrassed face and Lawrence's mocking smile, Emma had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
Her grip on Lawrence's hand tightened. It didn't matter if Lawrence hated Ellie. Emma only wanted him to look at her.
"Babe, let's do the dance we practiced." She smiled adorably at him, but her eyes betrayed a possessive spark.
"Alright." Lawrence gently squeezed her hand, responding to her desires.
The two danced perfectly, catching the attention of many people. Emma and Lawrence looked like a couple from a fairytale, gliding together with ease and intimacy.
When their performance ended, people clapped for them. Even Ellie was stunned and had a complicated gaze directed at Lawrence, watching with a mixture of longing and regret. She watched the whole dance and saw how perfect Lawrence and his girlfriend looked together. She didn't know that Lawrence was already married.
Indeed, Ellie regretted her decision so much. She regretted every word she threw at Lawrence back on the island. She regretted that she was basically nothing without him.
She realized the truth. The reason Passionate Island became a huge hit was because of Lawrence Terrence's amazing acting and Director Summerbelt's filmography.
Suddenly, Ellie imagined herself in Emma's shoes. She imagined that she was the one dancing with Lawrence. Ellie had dated men after her breakup with her boyfriend, but no one brought her happiness.
She looked at Lawrence and Emma. The woman was genuinely happy. Ellie clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm.
"They are really perfect for each other," a stranger said.
Ellie heard the conversations around her.
"Indeed, no wonder Lawrence married her. She's such an elegant woman. I believe the woman is from a wealthy family. Her behavior and grace are almost too perfect to be fake."
When Ellie heard their conversation, her eyes trembled.
'Wife!? Lawrence married her?'
She felt like the world had stopped. She had been on her feet too long, and she only regained her consciousness when Producer Harper returned.
"My deal with the acquisition department is done. Let's leave."
"Oh," Ellie said, but her expression was absent. She failed to revive her career. The man she once loved was now married to a perfect woman. Ellie didn't know what to say, except for the fact that she regretted her decision so much.
Collin was watching Ellie's expression. He shook his head after she left with Producer Harper. He didn't feel pity for her, her suffering was a consequence of her own choices. Her decision at that time almost sparked a scandal between her and Lawrence. The potential fallout nearly destroyed his client's reputation.
'I can't believe you invited Lawrence to have sex with you when you already had a boyfriend. You're not the victim here. You're the cheater. You cheated on your boyfriend and destroyed Lawrence's heart at the same time. You don't love your boyfriend, and you don't love Lawrence either. You just want to rekindle that joyful time of your life.'