The False Counter-Accusation
Avery chose her words carefully, keeping her tone pleasant. She was giving Director Miranda Lynch an easy out, making it clear she wouldn't be taking the part without actually making a scene.
But when Avery said no, something flickered in Lynch's eyes.
Instead of taking the graceful exit, the director feigned distress.
"Who said you weren't a good fit? I've been counting on you for this role the whole time."
Her voice took on a blaming tone by the end, thick with conviction.
"If you back out now, where am I supposed to find a replacement on such short notice?"
Avery's polite smile vanished. Seriously? They both knew exactly what was going on here. She'd already done Lynch a favor by stopping Leo from blowing up at her, but the director clearly didn't appreciate it and just kept pushing, trying to talk her into coming back.
Avery lowered her gaze, pretending she hadn't caught the manipulative edge in Lynch's voice. "Doesn't your casting director have a few other options?" she said bluntly. "They're men, so they're a better fit for the role than I am, anyway."
"But you already signed the contract," Lynch shot back, her expression finally darkening now that she saw Avery wouldn't be swayed. "If you don't do it, that's a breach of contract."
She'd heard from Perry Bell what had happened earlier.
If Avery was going to use the contract to demand damages, Lynch figured she could use that same contract to force her back onto the crew.
She had to get her back today, no matter what.
The show's future investors were on the line.
She'd really messed up, and the regret was a sick feeling in her stomach.
She'd never expected this newcomer to have such a backbone.
"Director Lynch, if we're going to get technical, your production team is the one that breached the contract first," Avery said, her patience finally gone. Her voice turned ice-cold.
Lynch's face fell. "What are you talking about?" she said stiffly. "I never said I was replacing you."
Avery's gaze sharpened. "You didn't, but Mr. Bell did. He's the casting director for your film crew, and he has the final say. By violating the terms of our agreement and refusing to let me play the role we agreed on, *he* already breached the contract."
She lifted her chin, her tone calm but her words hitting with undeniable force.
"Whether you admit it or not, that's a fact. So, I'm not the one in breach here. You are."
It was a stalemate. Avery wasn't about to take the fall for a breach she didn't commit, and Lynch would never admit she'd tried a bait-and-switch.
That's when Leo Foster sneered, glancing at Lynch before pulling out his phone. "Hey, Director Lynch," he said, his voice dripping with mock respect. "Want to hear what your casting director had to say? Let's see who *really* breached the contract. I've got it all right here."
He smirked and hit play. Avery had to hand it to him; his foresight was impressive. The casting director's dismissive voice echoed clearly from the phone's speaker.
Lynch's face went dark. She whipped her head around and shot a furious glare at Perry Bell, who was still being held by Shane Croft.
Just as the tension hit its peak, Director Simon Vance walked over with a small, knowing smile.
"Director Lynch," he said, his tone smooth as he stepped in to mediate.
"Miss Hayes just left your production. She thought you didn't need her anymore, so she signed with my crew. Whatever the penalty is for breaking the contract, I'll cover it."
He sounded like he was helping, but every word was a clear show of support for Avery. Seeing Vance step in, Lynch's expression soured. She could bully a newcomer like Leo, but she couldn't afford to cross an industry veteran like Simon Vance.
Swallowing her anger, she forced a tight smile. "I couldn't possibly let you do that, Director Vance. It's fine. Since Miss Hayes has already signed with your crew, I'll just find someone else."
Vance's own smile never wavered. "Then I'll pull rank and steal your talent, just this once." With that, he turned and called out, "Miss Hayes, we're about to start filming. Go find a spot over there by the corner of the building."
Avery got the message loud and clear: he was getting her out of a jam.
She did as he said, crossing the street and finding a random place to squat down and wait.
Once she was gone, Leo shoved his phone into the waistband of his beggar costume, shot a sideways glance at Lynch, made a smug little sound, and trotted over to squat down next to her.
Furious, her face pale with humiliation, Lynch stiffened her back and stormed off *The World's Game* film set. She must have forgotten all about Perry Bell in her anger, because she left him standing there as Shane Croft finally let him go.
The two sides had parted on terrible terms, but both Avery and Director Lynch had made a mental note of each other. This wasn't over. They knew they'd have a chance to settle the score someday.
Avery ended up loving the vibe on *The World's Game* set.
Maybe it was because she'd saved Dylan Nash that one time, but everyone was surprisingly nice to her.
Even a few of the actresses who had seemed a little jealous at first, like Sadie Vance, were now greeting her warmly.
It was simple, really: they all knew that if Avery hadn't stepped in that day, their whole production might have been shut down.
For that, everyone from the director to the actors was grateful.
Avery spent the entire day on set and ended up getting cast in three different extra roles.
Besides the beggar part, Director Vance gave her two cross-dressing roles, a bandit and a scholar, after hearing that was the kind of part she'd lost on the other production.
Her face was so versatile that with the right makeup, you'd never know it was the same person.
The only catch was that the roles had no lines, but Avery was more than happy with that.
They never even discussed payment. After her last scene, Avery got a notification for a transfer from *The Gilded Spoon*'s production team: three times her salary for the breached contract. Leo had apparently trotted over to their set after he finished his scene and demanded it.
Seeing the money hit her account, Avery's eyes lit up. She immediately sent three hundred dollars to Leo with a note: *For all your hard work.*
He accepted it without a second thought, then sent a text like a kid looking for praise: *Pretty slick, right?*
Avery didn't bother replying. She just changed out of her costume and got ready to go home.
Before she left, Director Vance pulled her aside. "A friend of mine has a role open on his film crew," he said, getting straight to the point. "Are you interested in auditioning?"
"An audition?" Avery hadn't expected him to offer her an opportunity like this. She knew he was just returning a favor, but she was genuinely touched. A real smile curved her lips. "What kind of role is it, and when's the audition?"
"A barbarian princess," Vance replied. "It's about a month of filming. The audition is in four days at North Star Film and Television Studio in New York."
Avery frowned, thinking it over. The only thing on her schedule was waiting for *You Are My Defender* to start filming, and that was at least two months away. The only real conflict was the Bar Exam.
"The timing might be tricky," she admitted. "I have to take the second part of the Bar Exam in about a week. If I get the role and have to join the crew right after the audition, it'll clash."
Vance thought for a moment. "His show has already been filming for about a month. They're replacing the actress for the third female lead at the last minute, she's about to be hit with a scandal. Tell you what, I'll ask him tonight when you'd need to be on set if you get the part.
Your exam is just one day, right?"
Avery nodded, a little curious about which actress was about to have her career implode. People in this industry really had their ears to the ground.
"It shouldn't take up too much of your time," Vance said, doing some quick mental math. "I'll talk to my friend tonight. If we can work around your exam, I'll send you the script."
Avery's eyes curved into another genuine smile as she thanked him.
They chatted for a few more minutes before she left to change.
On her way out, she found the screenwriter, Jude Finch, and told him she'd have an answer for him that evening.
If the doctor she'd scheduled an appointment with was free, she would take him directly to the hospital so they could work out the details in person.
After that, it would be up to Jude to get the doctor cleared to work back in Fairview.