Chapter 319: The Actress's Boyfriend

Stuart Townsend stood outside the isolation tapes set up by the film crew, his hands in his pockets and a sullen look on his pale, brooding face. Lately, he had been having a rough time on the set of "Unmatched Men," constantly hearing demeaning references like "Charlize Theron's boyfriend" or "the gigolo kept by an Oscar-winning actress."

This made him extremely uncomfortable, yet he couldn't refute these remarks.

Compared to Charlize Theron, he lacked fame and significant acting credits.

"Charlize Theron's boyfriend and the gigolo kept by an Oscar-winning actress..."

Stuart muttered to himself. When he first met Charlize, both were promising young actors with bright futures ahead. Little did he know how much their paths would diverge in just a few years.

Such a situation was hard to accept.

It wasn't uncommon in the industry to see similar relationships, like the one Julia Roberts had with her former fiancé, which also ended in separation.

Stuart could choose to break up with Charlize, but then he thought about the house, the car, and most of their living expenses, all paid for by Charlize, and he immediately dismissed the idea.

His hopes for new roles and a career turnaround were also tied to Charlize; his recent gigs were all through her connections.

Breaking up would mean losing these opportunities, and a reversal of fortunes would become impossible.

More importantly, his quality of life would plummet dramatically.

Thankfully, Charlize was committed...

As these thoughts crossed Stuart's mind, he was interrupted by a voice.

"Hello..." He turned to see a blonde female journalist asking, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Stuart Townsend?"

Stuart, seeing a member of the media after so long, nodded, "Yes, I'm Stuart Townsend."

He forced a smile for the camera the journalist was holding.

The journalist was polite and asked courteously, "Hello, Mr. Townsend, I'm lucky to have run into you here. May I ask you a few questions?"

It had been a long time since Stuart was last interviewed, and finding the journalist's approach agreeable, he quickly agreed, "Sure, ask away."

"Thank you." The journalist maintained her polite demeanor but her questions were less pleasant, "Mr. Townsend, has Charlize Theron winning the Oscar for Best Actress put a lot of pressure on you?"

Stuart's smile vanished, but he managed to respond, "No, I'm happy and proud of her."

The journalist then asked, "How do you feel about being called the 'Oscar-winning actress's boyfriend'?"

This question hit a sore spot for Stuart, igniting a fire inside him.

However, having been in Hollywood for many years, he had the patience to keep his composure. He closed his mouth, refusing to answer any more of the journalist's unfriendly questions.

But the journalist persisted, "Mr. Townsend, we have reliable information that your lifestyle, including the house you live in and the car you drive, are all paid for by Charlize Theron! As a man, how do you feel about this?"

This comment was even more grating, openly picking at a wound he never admitted having.

Pride wounded, Stuart quickly retorted, "Your information is false."

After saying this, he glanced at the journalist and her cameraman, and to avoid further bothersome questions, he tried to cross the barrier tape to enter the set.

"Sir," a staff member approached him, clearly not recognizing Stuart, "This area is closed for filming. Please stay outside the tape."

Stuart had no choice but to stop. He turned back to see the journalist still waiting there, her camera still rolling.

"Don't you recognize me?" Stuart pointed to his face, "I'm Stuart Townsend!"

"Stuart Townsend?" The staff member, a recent hire and unfamiliar with him, mumbled, "Are you famous?"

Facing such ignorance, Stuart was at a loss for words, almost exploding with frustration.

He turned and shouted at the journalists, "Stop filming!"

But being professional paparazzi affiliated with TMZ, they were not about to heed Stuart Townsend's words.

"Sir! This area is rented by the production team, and if you try to force your way in, I'll have to remove you!" warned the staff member.

"You..." Stuart was speechless.

"Don't be delusional..." the staff member added with authority, "This is a hundred-million-dollar blockbuster project featuring major stars like Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron. Any trouble you cause could be very costly."

Stuart, feeling increasingly furious and helpless, finally said, "I'm Charlize Theron's boyfriend, here to visit her on set."

The staff member looked at him incredulously, "You're Charlize Theron's boyfriend?" He scoffed, "Don't dream during the day. Look, I'm giving you a chance to walk away.

 Don't think about sneaking past me."

After dealing with both the journalist and the staff member, Stuart felt the acute misery of being a lesser-known actor.

The argument soon caught the attention of an official security officer, who came over and asked, "What's going on here?"

Seeing Stuart, the officer quickly said, "Hello, Mr. Townsend, are you here to see Miss Theron?"

The staff member immediately stepped aside.

Stuart was led by the security officer to the outermost trailer on the set but could go no further.

"I can only take you this far," the security officer smiled. "They're filming inside, and director Doug Lireman has been clear about not disturbing the shoot."

Knowing how directors disliked interruptions, Stuart thanked the security officer and waited patiently.

Although he couldn't avoid the reporters' cameras, being away from their direct presence was a relief.

He glanced back; the persistent reporters were still there.

Stuart shook his head, feeling frustrated. He couldn't vent his anger here and paced back and forth.

As an adult, Stuart wasn't foolish. He could discern the disregard and condescension in the reporter and guard's tone.

No one took him seriously; no one considered "Stuart Townsend" a significant name. His only label was "the actress's boyfriend," a tag that deeply irked him.

"Shall we go?" the male cameraman asked the blonde journalist outside the barrier, noting they couldn't enter.

The journalist, still watching Stuart, replied, "We can't go. Our job these days is to keep an eye on Stuart Townsend, interview him, and capture what happens around him."

The cameraman continued filming, curiously asking, "But why are we focusing on Stuart Townsend? He's not a star."

"Are you brainless?" the journalist looked at him disdainfully. "Who's Stuart Townsend's girlfriend? Charlize Theron, the Oscar-winning actress!"

She watched Stuart and said, "Do you think those questions I asked were made up? They're all based on solid information the boss gathered. The boss told me there are issues between Stuart Townsend and Charlize Theron, and if we push just right, it could blow up into a huge story!"

"Where does the boss get such information?" the cameraman asked curiously. "Last time with Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, and Angelina Jolie, no one knew anything until she sent someone to stake out, and then..."

He shook his head, impressed, "The boss is really well-connected."

"Obviously, or else why would she be in her position?" the journalist said wistfully, "If I had sources like that, I wouldn't need to be out here running around."

They continued watching Stuart, who was unable to enter the set and paced back and forth outside the trailer.

After a while, a voice from the set's loudspeaker indicated a break in filming.

"Look, Charlize Theron is coming out from the set," the cameraman pointed out.

The journalist looked up to see Charlize emerging from behind a trailer, waving at Stuart as she walked toward him.

At the same time, she noticed Matthew Horner also leaving the set, standing at the corner of a trailer, seemingly on a phone call.

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