Chapter 35

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"I don't want you to interfere!"

The blonde girl, tears streaming down her face, rushed out of the study and ran straight back to her room. Before the people behind her could catch up, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang, shouting, "I don't need you to interfere either!"

A middle-aged couple in their forties emerged from the study, their faces dark and clearly angry.

"How can she be so disobedient!" The middle-aged man seemed to be fuming, "Is this still our daughter?"

The middle-aged woman was no better, angrily saying, "Going to university is a hundred times better than studying acting!"

Julian Ferros, along with his cousin, walked into the living room, asked them to sit on the sofa, and then brought over two cups of water, trying to mediate, "Cary is not usually like this, don't be angry, try to persuade her again."

"Persuade? Will persuasion work?" The middle-aged man raised his voice, clearly speaking to Cary Mulligan, who was hiding in her room, "If she doesn't give up, we'll take her back to London and send her to a Catholic boarding school."

"Bang!"

A clear sound came from the other side of the door, as if someone inside was throwing things.

The middle-aged man was about to stand up, but Julian Ferros quickly held him back, "It'll be fine, let her vent."

Compared to the irritable middle-aged man, the middle-aged woman was slightly better. She picked up the script she had been looking at and asked, "Judy, who is this Murphy Stanton?"

"I had someone investigate him. He just got out of prison a few months ago, and he used to be a freelance journalist."

Julian Ferros couldn't help but show some disdain, "He only started Stanton Studios a few months ago. This is his first project, he's a newcomer."

"Prison?" The middle-aged man slapped the coffee table in front of him, "Cary absolutely cannot join a production with someone like that."

"And the script..." She pushed the script to her husband, "How can Cary be involved in such a topic?"

"I'm sorry, I was negligent."

Although he said that, Julian Ferros didn't really care. While the topic was sensitive, Hollywood produced so many movies each year, and what sensitive content hadn't been covered?

Not to mention, what was Natalie Portman's breakout role last year? A little girl falling in love with a killer...

And Kirsten Dunst, how old was she when she filmed a kissing scene?

As a veteran actor in Hollywood, Julian Ferros didn't think there was anything excessive about such a topic.

Julian Ferros' wife brought out two cups of coffee from the kitchen and placed them in front of the Mulligans, also trying to comfort them, "Nowadays, kids are very rebellious. Scolding them in the study like that will only have the opposite effect."

The middle-aged man was unconvinced, loudly saying, "After we take her back to Britain, I'll find the strictest etiquette teacher for her."

Cary Mulligan, hiding in her room, heard everything clearly. Tears streamed down her face like a flood, thinking of her parents' harsh scolding in the study and the miserable life awaiting her in Britain, she couldn't help but sob.

She felt like the whole world had betrayed her.

Why couldn't they understand her like Murphy?

The girl sobbed even louder, and outside, her parents had already started discussing how to take her back to Britain.

Hearing those harsh words, Cary Mulligan felt more and more wronged, more and more distressed, and her heart grew harder.

She wouldn't give up, no matter what, she would fight against those bad guys to the end!

Thinking of this, Cary Mulligan took out her phone and dialed Murphy's number again. When he answered, she sobbed, "What should I do, Murphy! My acting dream is about to be shattered!"

"Hey, Cary, why are you crying again?" The voice on the other end was still so understanding and kind, "Did you have an argument with your parents? Don't take it to heart, all parents in the world love and support their children..."

"But I'm the exception!" Cary Mulligan raised her voice, "I'm not arguing with them, I'm being harshly scolded, no matter what I say, I get scolded!"

"They're going to take me back to Britain!" She clenched her teeth, "I've had enough!"

"What did you say?" She hadn't heard clearly because she had clenched her teeth so tightly.

In the studio, Murphy twirled a pencil in one hand and held the phone in the other, seemingly well-intentioned but actually trying to persuade her, "You need to find a quiet place to calm down."

The girl immediately said, "I really need a quiet place."

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Can I come to you, Murphy? I can't think of anywhere else to go, can I come to you?"

Murphy couldn't help but scratch his head; this girl was really a flower raised in a greenhouse.

But having Cary Mulligan come to him was definitely not a wise choice. She was still a minor, and a private meeting could bring some trouble.

"Please!" The pleading voice came from the phone, "They're about to go out, I can sneak out."

After a few seconds of consideration, Murphy said, "I'll wait for you at Merton Café."

Cary Mulligan's parents were clearly more stubborn than he had imagined. Murphy had thought that if she made a big fuss, her parents might agree, but now they not only disagreed but also planned to take her back to Britain...

On the way to Merton Café, Murphy kept thinking about this. If it didn't work out, he would have to give up. Fortunately, he had anticipated this possibility and was still recruiting male and female actors, looking for suitable candidates.

When he arrived at Merton Café, the owner Lynch was not there. Murphy told the waiter and found a booth, sitting down and opening his notebook to review his schedule while waiting patiently.

After a full hour and a half, Cary Mulligan finally entered the café.

She was wearing a tracksuit and a baseball cap, her delicate doll-like face completely hidden under the long brim.

"Over here." Murphy waved to her.

The girl took off her baseball cap and quickly walked over, sitting directly across from him.

It was clear she had been crying, her eyes red and a bit swollen.

"Would you like something to drink?" Murphy asked.

"Anything." She seemed to have a lot to say, a lot of grievances to vent, "I've been strictly required to do everything according to their standards since I was little..."

Murphy ordered a latte for Cary Mulligan, looking at her but not speaking, earnestly playing the role of a listener.

After talking about her unfortunate life for a while, Cary Mulligan felt thirsty and took a sip of coffee.

Murphy could tell that her complaints and dissatisfaction with her family were not just due to this one incident but had accumulated over a long time. "Are you sure you want to be an actor?" he asked again.

Cary Mulligan nodded without hesitation, "It's my dream."

"But achieving a dream is never easy," Murphy paused, organizing his thoughts, "It's a difficult process, and you often have to pay a price you can't imagine."

He looked at Cary Mulligan and began to speak freely, "When I was younger than you, I was determined to become a successful film director, but I was from the slums and could only attend a terrible public high school, with no chance to receive professional education in this field."

Cary Mulligan thought Murphy was comforting her with his tragic past and showed a look of sympathy.

"But I didn't give up. I knew no one would invest in a movie by someone like me, so I had to find a way to raise the money myself."

Hearing this, Cary Mulligan interjected, "You succeeded, you're about to start filming a movie."

"Have you any idea what I've been through to get to this point?"

Cary Mulligan shook her head, and Murphy said half-truthfully, "To raise the funds, I offended many people and spent a year in prison."

He pointed to the not very noticeable scars on his face, "These are the marks I got in prison."

"But I didn't lose heart," Murphy said lightly, "I knew what I wanted, and I would work hard to achieve my goal. No difficulties or obstacles would be a reason or an excuse to stop moving forward."

He concluded, "What determines our future is not what we think but what we do."

Listening to these words, Cary Mulligan seemed to understand something.

After thinking for a while, she gradually realized that waiting for her parents to let go was not the way to become an actor...

"I know what my goal is, why can't I strive for it myself?"

This thought became clearer in Cary Mulligan's mind, "I'm going to fight for it!"

Faced with this particularly rebellious girl, Murphy never told her what to do. He always followed her thoughts, guiding her indirectly. So far, the effect was good, but he didn't know if this seemingly innocent but rebellious girl could bring him some surprises.

If possible, he didn't want to give up on Cary Mulligan. After all, she was the best among the dozens of actresses he had auditioned, and she was directly related to whether James Franco would join his production.

Cary Mulligan took a sip of coffee, suppressing all her unhappiness and grievances, and looked at him, "Thank you, Murphy, you've made me understand a lot."

"Understand?" Murphy immediately looked puzzled, "What did I do?"

"Nothing." Cary Mulligan shook her head, feeling that the person opposite her was really very understanding. She stood up, waved goodbye, "Thanks for the coffee, I have to go back."

As she walked out of the booth, she turned back and reminded Murphy, "Don't forget your promise, you'll wait for me for a week."

It was still far from October, and Murphy wasn't in a hurry. He pointed to his head and said solemnly, "I'll remember it here."

What would this rebellious British girl do? Murphy didn't know, but just three days later, he received a call from a Mr. Mulligan, who wanted to meet him, see the script, and discuss Cary Mulligan's contract preliminarily.