“Although a monkey dresses in silk, it stays a monkey,” Valentina translated, probably seeing the lost expression on her face.
“It’s quite similar to the English phrase, ‘You can’t put lipstick on a pig.’ You know, to make it prettier.”
This time, a surge of laughter came from Emily, but she sobered up quickly.“Well, thanks, Val. What would I do without you?”
“Have chronic diarrhea maybe?” she asked, making Emily’s nose scrunch up. Valentina flicked her nose. “And I can’t help but say it again, but I’m so happy to work on your comeback movie with you. I don’t understand why you stopped acting for so long when you’re this amazing. I sure wouldn’t have.”
Her smile faltered for a second. “It’s complicated.”
“Baby, life’s complicated.”
Emily sighed, then she ran a hand through her hair in thought. “I don’t understand what Adrianna has against me though.”
Valentina shook her head. “It’s nothing personal. This is my third time working with her. She’s always eyeing the leads’ positions. Making them sick during script reading is her go-to move. She wants them to look incompetent.”
“I guess I’ll have to keep an eye on her.”
“Wouldn’t advise otherwise.”
After several grueling weeks,filming for the movie had begun. Emily was having so much fun, getting her spark back. Her role of Jessie was inspiring and her cast mates had great chemistry.
“I think this movie is gonna win an Oscar.”
Valentina’s comment got Emily’s attention as they walked back to the private area on set. “You think so?”
She nodded. “All the staff keep talking about it and even I thought about it too, but I was scared to jinx it. Now I honestly think it’s a given. It’s a really great production.”
Emily nodded and reached for her bag on the holding rack when a sharppopsplit the air, followed by a heavysplash that smacked against her skin.
The sound was like a balloon bursting.
Instinct screwed her eyes shut, body rigid as liquid streamed down to her feet.
“Oh my god!” Valentina’s voice rang out.
Footsteps scrambled toward them. The substance stung where it hit her. Thankfully, a cloth pressed against her, frantically wiping at her face and hair. She opened her eyes to see Valentina’s face, the lines of it creasing with concern.
“Are you okay?”
Red. The liquid was red.
It streamed onto her shoes, staining her dress. Gaspsrippled through the staff while Director Tsang shouted in anger. Everything was out of focus, except Valentina’s hands which were desperately scrubbing away at her.
Emily’s fingers trembled, her breathing becoming uneven. A pair of hands closed around them.
“Hey, look at me.” Her eyes snapped up to meet Valentina’s soft ones. “You’re good. You’re okay, E. Just breathe.”
Valentina pulled her aside, snatching a water bottle from a staff member. She poured, wiped, and poured again. Emily’s chest heaved, her breath shallow.
“Breathe. Just breathe,” she reminded her.
Emily tried to focus on the breathing techniques her therapist taught her, but they weren’t working. The set had dissolved into shouts and shuffles. With each passing minute, she felt like she was submerging underwater. It was only when someone muttered about a timed device that she resurfaced, her hearing clearing.
“E.” Her head jerked up. Valentina’s palms covered her shoulders. “They’re clean.”
Her focus narrowed onto her hands, now clean, and no longer shaking.
“You’re okay. We’ll find whoever did this. They’ll be held accountable. And if it’s Adrianna, I swear to god, I’ll personally make her pay.”
