Wed To The Forbidden Uncle

CH 18

She picked up her phone to see a message from her friend Esther: "Hey girl, do you have class later? Want to visit a film set with me? It's a new TV show my dad invested in and he wants me to check out how the filming is going."

Recently, Mercy discovered that they both attended the same university, with Esther majoring in finance.

Even though medical students are usually swamped, Mercy had a photographic memory, making her studies manageable. Plus, freshman year was relatively easier.

Mercy had no classes for the fourth period today, so she happily agreed: "Sure!"

Esther replied, "Great, I'll pick you up later."

On the drive there, Esther couldn't stop chatting in Mercy's ear about the show, especially about the male lead, Zachary.

Mercy teased her, "Is he your crush? If you like him, go for it! Who could resist our Esther?"

Back in high school, Esther had plenty of admirers, though most were too intimidated by her cool demeanor to approach her.

Mercy, on the other hand, had even more admirers, but most of them ended up being charmed away by Zara. Mercy was happy to have someone fend off unwanted attention, while Zara reveled in her own irresistible allure.

To Mercy's surprise, Esther blushed at her teasing. It was clear that there was something going on between them.

Mercy quickly understood and realized they were already dating. She pulled out her phone to look up Zachary and casually followed him.

Zachary was a minor celebrity with less than a million followers. His relationship with Esther was kept under wraps and most of the shows he starred in were funded by the Landon family. Esther had invested quite a bit in him.

Just as Mercy was about to exit the app, her finger accidentally tapped on Zachary's following list. The most recent follow was someone named Cathy.

The girl frowned slightly and anonymously followed her back.

When they arrived at the set, they were warmly welcomed. The crew brought each of them a chair, placing them right next to the director.

On set, someone was rehearsing a scene. Mercy glanced at the script. This part was about the male lead being called to the piano room by someone. It turned out that the second female lead wanted to confess to him before going abroad, so she played a subtle love song on the piano. Overcome with emotion, she leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth.

The male lead, Zachary, was decent-looking, fitting the current trend of popular young stars. However, watching his painfully awkward acting, Mercy thought it was no wonder he hadn't made it big after years in the industry. It showed that the audience's taste was still quite discerning.

The director seemed to be struggling to watch as well, but with the producers who had chosen Zachary present, he couldn't express his frustration. He just told Zachary to try and find the right feeling.

After more than ten takes, the first scene finally passed, albeit barely. Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Mercy glanced at Esther beside her, who was the only one with stars in her eyes.

Is it true that love is blind?

The second scene was for the second female lead. When they saw who was standing in the center of the set, both Mercy and Esther were stunned.

Cathy?

They exchanged a look, seeing the same shock mirrored in each other's eyes.

"Why is Cathy the second lead?" Esther whispered to the director, Dashiell, beside her.

At the mention of her, Dashiell's face darkened further. "The male lead recommended her and after she got her family to invest some money, she's been acting like she's in charge. I almost got kicked off my own set."

Mercy nearly spat out her tea. That was definitely something Cathy would do.

Esther was starting to get a bit annoyed too, but she didn't want to disrupt the filming schedule, so she held her patience and continued watching.

As expected, Cathy never failed to stir things up. She hadn't been there for more than a few minutes before she started causing a scene.

"Director, the sun by the window is way too strong. It's going to tan me," Cathy complained, asking her assistant to quickly apply more sunscreen.

Mercy glanced at her lightly tanned skin and stayed silent, hearing someone in the background start to grind their teeth.

Dashiell gritted his teeth and said, "Close the curtains for her!"

After everyone bustled around for a while, Cathy finally sat properly in front of the piano. She raised her hands, striking a pose that looked quite professional.

However...

Plink! Plink plink plink... Plink plink—

The supposed beautiful piano notes pierced everyone's minds like a drill, almost causing the director to fall off his chair.

Cathy, on the other hand, was lost in her own world, thoroughly enjoying her "music," even closing her eyes slightly.

Mercy couldn't help but facepalm, thinking this was worse than Zara's cotton-picking performance.

"Cut, cut, cut!" The director was so anxious he repeated himself.

Cathy finally stopped her brain-piercing melody and impatiently asked, "What's wrong, Director?"

"You ask me? What on earth are you playing?"

It was only then that Cathy noticed the odd expressions on everyone's faces. Her confidence wavered a little, but she still tried to defend herself, "I just haven't played in a while, so I'm a bit rusty."

She tried a few more times and the director was at his wit's end. "Be honest with me," he said. "You can't actually play the piano, can you? Where did that 'Grade 10 Piano' on your resume come from?"

This role had specifically required piano skills because it was a highlight moment for the second female lead. But who would have thought someone would pretend to know how to play?

Being called out in front of everyone for lying on her resume, Cathy felt embarrassed and had grown impatient. She crossed her arms and said casually, "Who says an actor has to play the piano? Just get someone to play a piece later and dub it over in post-production."

Dashiell was furious. "This show records live sound and your hand movements don't match! Forget it. Crew, go find me a body double who can play the piano and looks similar to her."

The set moved on to the next scene, where the second female lead kisses the male lead. Since it was a school drama with a pure love theme, there weren't any real kissing scenes, usually just camera tricks.

Zachary sat in a chair as Cathy approached him, hesitating for a moment before suddenly leaning down to plant a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. Zachary looked at her in shock and they locked eyes.

This scene was supposed to use camera angles to fake the kiss, but from Mercy's perspective, she could see Cathy, with her back to the others, deliberately nibbling on Zachary's lip. Zachary's eyes even seemed to hold a hint of amusement.

These two... something seemed off.

But Esther, with her romantic notions, wouldn't listen to reason right now. Mercy decided to keep an eye on things; she couldn't let her friend get fooled.

The sun was nearly setting and they still hadn't found the right person. Judging by the director's determination, he wouldn't stop until the scene was finished. Mercy glanced at Esther, who seemed to be waiting to have dinner with Zachary after he wrapped up.

So hungry.

To get dinner sooner, Mercy was ready to do whatever it took!