"Cut!" Ray said for the umpteenth time. As soon as these words were spoken, Lily flinched like a frightened rabbit and looked at him guiltily.
The girl had had doubts, but she'd gotten into the filmmaking process very quickly. However, she just couldn't nail the kissing scene. Although Ray said he was fine with it, Lily still felt awkward. Looking guiltily at Tony, she apologized.
"It's okay, I understand," Tony said calmly.
Taking the girl aside, Ray looked into her eyes.
"I can see you enjoy working on the film, but if you don't overcome this, you won't be able to do it. I really don't see it as a problem, because I'm confident in our feelings for each other. Even my vivid imagination can't conjure up what would have to happen for you to decide to cheat on me," Ray said, gently stroking her head.
Noticing their difficulties, Michelle, who had been present at all the shoots—even those where Tony wasn't involved—said to Ray:
"Give us a moment to talk."
Over this time, all the members of the film crew had grown close, despite the age differences.
"You still can't do it?" Michelle chuckled.
"I know we don't have romantic feelings for each other, and it's just a movie. But every time I do it, I feel like I'm betraying Ray," Lily said sadly.
"If I hadn't seen how you and Tony look at each other, I'd think you didn't love him," Lily said. "Seeing how calm you are."
"If I doubt him, that means I doubt his feelings for me. I know that before he met me, he was, to put it mildly, flighty. But since we started our relationship, he hasn't given me any reason to doubt him."
Pausing, Michelle added:
"The only reason Ray is so calm is that he trusts you. And whatever Tony is like, he would never sleep with his best friend's girl."
"You have talent for this, so either pull yourself together or give up on this endeavor."
It took Lily a few more tries, but eventually they managed to shoot the perfect kissing scene.
For the bed scene, they used shadows and a body double—Michelle stepped into that role.
The scene shifted. The atmosphere between the couple, who had seemed genuinely in love, had changed dramatically. The strong man who had once seemed like an unassailable wall now looked in every way like a gutter drunk.
The girl, who had the image of an innocent angel, looked tired. In her beautiful eyes, once full of love for this man, there was now only indifference.
Noticing this look, the man awkwardly approached her.
"You little slut, don't you dare look at me like that!" he said viciously, grabbing the girl by the throat and pinning her against the wall.
The girl's eyes rolled back. Suddenly, a guy burst into their small home, kneed the big man in the groin, and caught the girl.
"Ashley, get out of here! Get in the car, I'll be right there!"
Hesitating, the girl remembered her unborn child and nodded, heading for the exit.
Unexpectedly for both of them, the limping, drunken man abruptly grabbed a knife and lunged at the girl. Seeing the knife plunge into the girl's body, Gary—who had been in love with his older brother's girlfriend for years—felt an incredible surge of rage. Grabbing the first thing at hand (which turned out to be a bottle), he smashed it on the table and lunged at his brother. The fight was brutal, but somehow, Gary still emerged victorious.
Seven years later.
Seeing his niece, Gary couldn't help but smile—a mixture of bitterness and joy. A smile was on the man's face, while tears streamed from his eyes.
Noticing this, the girl wheeled up to him in her wheelchair.
"Mister, why are you crying?" she asked.
"You remind me so much of your mother," the man said, wiping away his tears.
"You knew my mother?" the girl asked with clear interest. It was evident she wanted to know more about her.
"I was a good friend of your mother's. Would you like to visit her?"
"I'd like to, but I don't think they'll let me," the girl said sadly.
"I'll arrange everything, if the princess doesn't mind taking a walk with me," Gary asked, giving the girl a gentle smile.
Standing before her mother's grave, the girl said quietly:
"She really was very beautiful. Did you know my mother well?"
"Yes. To be honest, your mother was my first love, but I never had the courage to confess," Gary replied sadly.
"Why?" the little one asked with interest.
"I was too insecure and thought she was too good for me. Besides... she was my brother's wife," the man said, smiling bitterly.
"You're my uncle?" the girl asked in surprise.
"Yes. I know you want to learn more about your parents, and I'll tell you everything when the time comes. For now, I want to ask: would you like to live with me?"
As he said these words, the man squatted down so the girl could look him in the eyes. In Gary's green eyes, she saw a mixture of sadness and loneliness.