Burning

7

Richard looked at me with drooping eyelids, his eyes as cold as a knife.

"Pretty good..." He sneered, dripping with sarcasm. "You've certainly put in a lot of effort over the years."

He was holding back his urge to humiliate me, instantly extinguishing the fire in my heart.

I sat up straight on the bar stool, facing away from him and speaking in a cold voice. "Since I have your approval, I've obviously made significant progress in these years."

During filming, the director constantly criticized my emotional scenes.

After several takes, he danced around and asked me, "Laura, have you ever been in love? Your dead-eyed look doesn't cut it."

"When facing someone you love, there should be a sparkle in your eyes and a fire in your heart."

I was speechless.

"The director guided me, "Think of a man who makes your heart beat faster and blush and find that feeling."

Then, I thought of Richard.

The feeling came instantly, and the director didn't have to yell "cut" anymore.