NOVEL NEXT Chapter 415: Rescued
"It's already decided." Magdalene's tone was a mixture of delight and disappointment. "Miss Sarah Hunt, you are officially..."
"Maggi..." The director, Mrs Ophelia –a pregnant slightly mature woman with cute bangs –called out to the casting director. Her sharp and piercing voice sliced through the tension in the hall like a knife, cutting off Magdalene's words and silencing everyone.
All heads snapped towards the audition hall entrance as Ophelia slowly walked through the door, commanding everyone's attention.
Sarah froze momentarily, recognising this woman as the same pregnant woman Henry had been talking to a while ago.
'Could he have sent her?' She pondered in her thoughts.
A hush fell in the room as Ophelia made his way to the front, where the judges were seated.
"Let her audition." She signalled, and an empty armless chair was immediately brought to her.
"No..." Deborah muttered under her breath, the earlier smirk on her face replaced with a blend of fury and anxiety.
"Henry," Sarah muttered under her breath. She was slightly disappointed that he interfered but grateful that he didn't do it in person.
"But Ophelia..." Magdalene stood up, her smile faltering. "This lady, though possessing crude talent, has proven to be very unserious."
"And what is the basis of your judgment?" Ophelia sat down, her arms crossed and her sharp eyes never leaving Magdalene.
"She was supposed to be here by 8:00 AM before the audition started. But she never showed up until a few minutes ago. Her blatant disregard for time is highly unacceptable. We can't let her audition; otherwise, we will be passing the wrong message to the others."
"I completely agree with you on this matter. We do not condone aspiring actors who cannot keep to the rules of engagement."
"Exactly." Magdalene concurred, a faint smile lining her lips.
"But..." Ophelia continued. "This young lady didn't just arrive like you said and I'm sure everyone on that stage can attest to it."
"But she wasn't here when the other judges and I arrived." Magdalene countered, anger rising in her tone at the interference.
"Yes...I am aware of that." Ophelia said calmly. "But something happened, which prevented her from joining the rest of the auditioning newbies. Something we are currently investigating."
"Something like what?" Deborah lowered her voice, as she took her seat.
Deborah felt her heart do a fatal somersault at the pregnant woman's word. She suddenly felt the need to use the bathroom as beads of sweat slowly gathered on her forehead.
"We'll talk about that later." Ophelia patted Magdalene on the arm before turning her stern gaze to the newbie actors on stage.
"I would like to address you all briefly before we continue. The movie industry is supposed to be a place for genuine creativity, talent, passion and resilience. It is not a place for sabotage and manipulation." Her glare flickered briefly toward Deborah, making her flinch slightly. "If you cannot withstand healthy competition, then you're not meant for the limelight."
Magdalene froze momentarily, already picking up a hint from Ophelia's words, her alarmed gaze flickering towards Sarah.
For the first time, Magdalene allowed herself to assess the pretty, young and resilient lady who had been nothing short of a thorn in her flesh. She observed Sarah's bandaged right hand and her flustered expression.
"Did someone try to hurt her?" Magdalene queried her thoughts, her expression softening as she met Sarah's subtle moist gaze.
"So can we continue?" Ophelia signalled Magdalene, snapping her out of her dilemma.
"Sure." Magdalene nodded. She whispered briefly to the other judges before addressing Sarah. "Miss Hunt, you have the stage. But you are to perform solo. If you were here earlier, I'm sure you know what to do."
"Thank you, ma'am." Sarah exhaled, smiling feverishly.
Murmurs rippled through the room as Sarah boldly made her way to the stage.
From where she was seated, Deborah almost peed on herself as she caught sight of Henry, making his way into the hall, with his murderous gaze pinned on her. But she remained calm, plastering a sweet harmless smile on her face while praying in her heart.
"There is no way they would put a camera in the changing room." She muttered under her breath, reassuring herself.
Up on the stage, Sarah stood slightly trembling, her cheeks flushed from anxiety and resolution. Her pulse hammered so loudly in her vein that she could barely hear anything. Her costume clung awkwardly from her rushed change, but her eyes burned with determination.
The room suddenly fell silent and heavy with expectation as judges whispered among themselves, some already scribbling notes.
Magdalene leaned forward, her voice dripping with authority and impatience. "Don't keep us waiting, Miss Hunt. We have other important things to do."
Henry's jaw clenched from where he was seated and silently watching. But he said nothing as he fixed his gaze on Sarah, silently rooting for her.
Sarah closed her eyes briefly, inhaling and exhaling. She remembered Henry's words from the night before, echoing afresh in her head.
"Don't just say it, live it." She muttered under her breath, exhaling.
When she opened her eyes again, she wasn't Sarah anymore. She was the female lead and she owned the stage like she was made for it.
"I know I don't fit in..." She began softly, her voice trembling with vulnerability. "...I know the world laughs at me when I stand beside you. But tell me..." she tilted her head slightly to the side as if staring at an imaginary male lead. "...has she ever loved you the way I have? Has she ever bled for you, fought for you or even dreamed for you?"
Her tone swelled with each word, raw emotion cracking through her voice. She took a step forward, tears glossing her eyes but refusing to fall.
"I don't have her riches. I don't have her throne. I do not fit in her world. But what I have is a heart that will never betray you, even when the world does. If you walk away now, you're not losing me… You will be losing yourself."
The silence that swept across the hall was electric.
Every word Sarah said had struck like lightning, unpolished but alive.– vibrating with an intensity that no rehearsed technique could match.
One of the judges leaned forward, his pen hovering mid-air. "My God," he murmured. "I felt every bit of her emotion. She owned it."
Another nodded slowly. "She's untrained… but the emotion is undeniable."
Magdalene shifted in her seat, clearly unsettled. She scribbled something down on her notepad, while keeping her opinion to herself.
"Beautifully executed." Ophelia nodded clapping her hands.
And within seconds, everyone, including Henry, was clapping and cheering loudly for Sarah. She gave a respectful bow, beaming in appreciation, before joining the others.
Deborah's face twisted with jealousy and anger at Sarah's outstanding performance. Her fists clenched so tightly by her side, as she struggled to hold back the scream in her chest. She could already foresee herself losing to the inexperienced pain in the butt, and she wasn't about to let that happen.
Standing up, she pushed aside all sense of reason as she stepped forward quickly, trying to retake control.
"Miss Magdalene... please may I say something?"
Magdalene looked up from her notepad, a frown etched on her face. "Go ahead."
"With all due respect..." Deborah began as decorum returned to the hall. "... When I came in here to audition, I was expecting to compete with professional minds and not amateurs with dramatic theatrics." She turned to the panel, her tone smooth and respectful. "The industry requires skill, and not just pretty speeches. And I'm not saying this out of jealousy but a voice of reasoning. Thank you."
Sarah scoffed and Henry's eyes darkened.
Murmurs rose in the room, but no one seemed to echo Deborah's concerns. Rather they were infuriated by her audacity and polished insult.
Ophelia, who had earlier recommended Deborah was infuriated by her boldness and arrogance.
Magdalene raised a hand in the air silencing the room.
"That's enough." She narrowed her gaze at Deborah. "The last time I checked, you were here to audition like the rest of your colleagues. Why don't you stick to your role and allow me to be the judge?"
"Certainly ma'am. Please forgive me." Deborah plastered a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Magdalene's gaze flickered to Sarah.
"Miss Hunt, please step forward..." She paused briefly as Sarah came up beside Deborah. "I have conferred with the judges and it has been unanimously decided. Both of you performed brilliantly and will now move on to the final selection stage. Tomorrow, one of you will leave with the female lead role. That will be all."
Deborah's jaw tightened, with invisible steam coming out from both ears. She gazed at Sarah with a venomous glare.
"Enjoy your miracle today. But have this at the back of your mind, that title is mine and you will end up being the pathetic loser that you are."
"Hmm...miracle huh!" Sarah mirrored her glare, Deborah's words confirming her suspicion. "We shall see about that."