Page 20 of Love Unscripted
“What a snowflake you sound like.”
“James says that even if its proven that I broke the contract—”
“Which it will be—”
“—then Simon has to prove that he took reasonable steps to reduce the financial impact. Which I know he did. He immediately found a replacement for me, the actress who plays my long lost sister, and he rewrote the script accordingly. So based on that, the lost to him was likely to be minimal.”
“All of this is speculation, you know. If you quit this movie and go back to the show, Simon is willing to forgive everything. I think that’s pretty generous of him.”
“I’m shocked that you can use the word generous and Simon Halden in the same breath.”
“He isn’t as terrible as you make out.”
“Not terrible! The man who lied to me for years about his intention to divorce his wife and then forced me to abort my child.”
There was silence. “I don’t think you can blame him for the abortion,” Rita said quietly. “That was your choice.”
Camille acknowledged that. It had indeed been her choice. A choice that haunted her every day of her life.
“I wasn’t a Christian then. I fell for the lie that it was my body and my choice.”
“If you had just come to me …”
But she hadn’t because she knew that Rita with her catholic upbringing would have talked her out of it.
“Anyway,” Camille went on, steadying her voice, “this isn’t about the past. I’m committed to this film. I know what I’m choosing. I’m not pretending it’s free.”
“So youwantto risk everything?” Rita asked. “You see your life, Camille? Your house, your security, what you’ve built? You’re asset-rich, yes—but liquidity is another matter. You don’t have endless cash lying around.”
That triggered Camille.
“And why do you think that is?” she said. “Who didn’t pay taxes on my income for years? Who left me with penalties and interest so large I spent the best of my twenties repaying?”
“That wasn’t me, Chiquita. That was your father!” Rita said defensively.
Silence reigned for a couple minutes then Rita sighed.
“Camille,” she said quietly now, the sharpness gone. “You’re acting as though this is about money. It isn’t.”
Camille didn’t respond.
“This is about leverage,” Rita continued. “About who gets to walk away and who doesn’t. People like Simon don’t lose. Theywait.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” Camille said.
“I know,” Rita said. “That’s what frightens me.”
Camille was silent. Thinking. She knew Rita was right, Simon was adept at playing the long game. She knew it full well.
“You think this is strength,” Rita continued. “Walking out mid-season. Making it moral. But morality doesn’t protect you in this business.”
“So I should stay,” Camille said softly, “even if it costs me my soul.”
Rita didn’t hesitate. “I’m saying people survive worse things than bruised souls.”
Camille flinched. “That’s your answer?”
“My answer,” Rita said, “is that this movie is a luxury you can’t afford right now.Shadow Peakis infrastructure. You give up infrastructure, the ground starts to move. All you have to do is endure a little longer until the season ends.”
