Earning While Lying Down
Avery Hayes wasn't just willing; she was practically eager.
Twelve days of work for twenty-five hundred dollars, or twelve days of nothing for twenty-five *thousand*? It was a no-brainer.
Avery tossed the contract on the table, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at Walter Bowen. "Just pay me the penalty for breach of contract, and I'll be out of your hair right now."
Walter just stared at her. What? This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
He'd just snatched a role right out from under her. Most actors in this situation just sucked it up, accepted it, and moved on. Why was Avery Hayes different?
"You haven't even officially started work yet," Walter sneered, glancing at the contract before tossing it back onto the table. "What breach of contract penalty are you even talking about?"
The smile vanished from Avery's face. In a blink, her expression was dead serious. Was he really trying to get out of paying her? He could take her role, fine. But he was not touching her money.
She opened the contract again, her finger tapping the clause about the first party's breach. Her eyes darkened as she pinned him with a heavy stare.
"Director Bowen, you're not really trying to go back on this deal, are you?" she said, her voice flat but carrying an undeniable weight. "It's written right here, in black and white. If either party terminates the agreement, they owe the other a penalty of ten times the performance fee."
Walter didn't seem to care. He just casually lit a cigarette. "What contract? I don't know what you're talking about."
Seeing his attitude, Avery's voice hardened.
"It doesn't matter if you recognize it or not, Director. The production company filed all the official paperwork before filming began. That official stamp on the contract isn't a fake."
She leaned forward slightly. "If you want to question its authenticity, you can go ahead and sue me in court for forgery. Of course, I'll be suing the production company for breach of contract at the exact same time."
The moment she'd signed her name, that contract became legally binding. It wasn't something Walter could just wish away. As a former lawyer, Avery knew exactly how to control a conversation, and she had him cornered.
Walter opened his mouth to argue, but Avery's expression turned to ice, cutting him off before he could even start. "And don't think you can pull the classic 'stalling tactic' on me. I know how this industry works. You think you can just push me out and hope this whole thing blows over."
She let out a short, sharp laugh. "Sorry, but you won't get that chance. Owen probably hasn't told you, but right before I joined this crew, I took the Bar Exam. I'm very familiar with the legal process. I don't even need to hire a lawyer; I can represent myself."
"You... you..." Walter was completely stunned. Hearing she'd taken the bar exam, he just stared blankly, the words finally sinking in.
Everything she'd just laid out was exactly what he had been planning to do. But before he could even try, she'd blocked every single one of his escape routes. Damn it. He was a seasoned director getting schooled by some rookie actress.
Walter took a few sharp breaths, glaring at her. He forced a smile. "Little girl, in this business, contracts are just a formality. The crew decides who they use. Aren't you afraid of getting blacklisted?"
A sarcastic smirk tugged at Avery's lips. "No industry 'understanding' trumps the law. You might want to brush up on your contract law. A legally binding contract is protected, and you can't just tear it up on a whim."
She stood her ground. "That woman wants my role? Fine. I'm perfectly okay with that. Whether the penalty comes out of your pocket or Mr. Palmer's, you can figure that out among yourselves. But until I receive that payment, I'm not leaving this set."
She watched his face turn red, a smug satisfaction settling in. Did he really think he could get out of paying her with a few cheap tricks? This guy had been flattered for so long he thought every actor had to kiss his ring. Not a chance.
Avery had already heard plenty of stories about contract shenanigans in the industry.
The most famous case involved a second-tier star who'd signed on for a role, only to be handed a completely different script on his first day.
They'd replaced him at the last minute. The star refused to film and walked off set, and the whole issue just faded into nothing.
The production company got away with it, and because of the industry's "unwritten rules," the actor never sued. But that was them. That wasn't her.
Just then, Owen Bowen, the investor, walked out of a dressing room, right into the middle of the argument.
"What's going on here?" he asked, his eyes darting between Walter and Avery.
Unable to win the argument, Walter just glared at Avery, then pulled his cousin into a corner and quickly explained the situation.
Avery couldn't hear most of what they were saying, but she caught Owen's last sentence, his voice suddenly loud and clear. "Go talk to Palmer. Ask him if there are any other guys he wants to promote. If there are, he can have my role, too. I'll take five times the penalty, I don't care."
Avery blinked. What?
Walter looked just as stunned. He stood there, completely thrown by his cousin's response.
Owen didn't have time for his idiot cousin.
He walked over to Avery, his face a mask of apology.
"Dr. Hayes, I am so sorry. I had no idea my cousin was like this."
He shot a dirty look over his shoulder. "I've already talked it over with him. As long as Mr. Palmer is willing to pay the penalty, the role goes to his little girlfriend."
Afraid she might misunderstand, he quickly added, "Only a fool wouldn't take the money. Twenty-five thousand dollars? Do you know how many shows we'd have to film to earn that? If that sucker Palmer is willing to pay up, I'd hand the whole production over to him."
Avery's lips twitched. You had to hand it to him, Owen Bowen had the perfect mindset for a boss. As long as it made him money, he was on board.
"My cousin is just so unreliable," Owen grumbled.
"He's always screwing around. If I invest in him again after this, I'm an idiot."
He shook his head. "With you gone, who knows how much the ratings will drop. The show will probably lose money. Luckily, we've got a sucker footing the bill, otherwise, I would've pulled my funding and walked."
Avery nodded. "It is a mess." While she hadn't lost out this time, Walter's stunt was a real eye-opener. She was just lucky her legal background had made her paranoid about contracts. Anyone else would have had to just eat the loss.
She never found out how Walter's talk with Mr. Palmer went, but that afternoon, the money hit her account. Twenty-five thousand dollars, down to the last cent. Apparently, Mr. Palmer hadn't been too happy about paying it.
After confirming the new balance in her bank account, Avery happily packed her bags and left the set without a single regret.
On her way out, she passed the new lead actress, a woman whose face looked like it had seen a lot of "work." Maybe because Mr. Palmer had been so upset when he paid, the actress shot Avery a contemptuous look and scoffed.
Avery couldn't have cared less. The money was in her account.
As for Walter, he didn't even bother to hide his disdain, sarcastically remarking that Avery didn't know her place in this business.
Avery didn't even give him a second glance. A man that short-sighted was never going to make it big anyway.