Chapter 35: Struggle to the End

"I don't want you to interfere!"

With tears streaming down her face, the golden-haired girl stormed out of the study, running straight back to her room. Without waiting for anyone to follow, she forcefully slammed the door shut, making a loud bang. "I don't need your interference either!"

A middle-aged couple in their forties emerged from the study, both wearing grim expressions, clearly angry.

"Why is she so disobedient?" the middle-aged man seemed on the verge of exploding, "Is she still our daughter?"

The middle-aged woman wasn't any better, fuming, "Is studying acting not a hundred times better than going to college?"

Julian Faros gestured for the cousin couple to sit in the living room, then fetched two glasses of water and offered them, trying to calm the situation. "Kerry isn't usually like this. Don't be angry, let's try to talk to her again."

"Talk? Will talking work?" the middle-aged man raised his voice, obviously addressing Kerry, 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 crisp sound came from behind the door, indicating that whoever was inside was throwing things.

Just as the middle-aged man was about to stand up, Julian Faros quickly held him back. "It'll be fine. Let her vent."

Compared to her hot-tempered husband, the middle-aged woman was slightly more understanding. She picked up the script they had been reading earlier and asked, "Julie, who exactly is Murphy Stanton?"

"I did some research. He was released from prison earlier this year, and before that, he was a freelance journalist," Julian Faros said with a hint of disdain, "He only established Stanton Studios a few months ago, and this is his first project. He's a newcomer."

"Prison?" The middle-aged man slammed his hand on the coffee table, "Kerry definitely can't join the crew of someone like that."

"And the script..." Pushing the script towards her husband, the middle-aged woman said, "How can Kerry be exposed to such content?"

"Sorry, it's my oversight."

Although Julian Faros said this, he didn't really care. Sensitivity aside, Hollywood churns out countless films every year, covering all sorts of sensitive content.

Last year, what was Natalie Portman's breakout film that gained global fame? A young girl falling in love with a hitman...

And what about Kirsten Dunst, filming kissing scenes at such a young age?

As a seasoned actor in Hollywood, Julian Faros didn't see anything excessive about this kind of content.

His wife brought two cups of coffee from the kitchen and handed them to the Mulligan couple, also offering some consolation, "Kids these days are rebellious. Reprimanding them like you did in the study will only backfire."

The middle-aged man was unconvinced, raising his voice, "After taking her back to England, I'll find the strictest etiquette teacher."

Inside her room, Kerry Mulligan could hear everything clearly. Tears of frustration flowed down her cheeks as she thought about her parents' harsh reprimands in the study and the bleak life awaiting her in England.

She felt like the whole world had betrayed her.

Why couldn't they understand her thoughts like Murphy did?

As the voices outside grew louder, Kerry Mulligan felt increasingly aggrieved and uncomfortable, her heart hardening with each passing moment.

She wouldn't give up no matter what; she would resist against those villains with all her might!

With this thought in mind, Kerry Mulligan took out her phone and once again dialed Murphy's number. When he answered, choked sobs poured out, "What should I do, Murphy? My dream of becoming an actress is about to be shattered!"

"Hey, Kerry, why are you crying again?" Murphy's voice, as always, was understanding and warm, "Did you have an argument with your parents? Don't worry, all parents love and support their children..."

"But I'm an exception!" Kerry Mulligan's voice rose a little, "It's not just an argument, it's a harsh reprimand for anything I say!"

"They're even planning to take me back to England!" She gritted her teeth, "I've had enough!"

"What did you say?" Kerry Mulligan hadn't heard what Murphy said clearly earlier, her teeth clenched too tightly.

In his studio, Murphy twirled a pencil in one hand while holding the phone in the other, appearing sympathetic but actually manipulative, "Right now, you need to find a quiet place to calm down and think things through."

The girl on the other end immediately said, "I really need a quiet place."

After hesitating for a moment, she 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 scratching his head. This girl was really sheltered.

But having Kerry Mulligan come to him wasn't a wise choice. She wasn't of legal age yet, and a private meeting between them could potentially cause trouble.

"Please!" The pleading voice came through the phone again, "They're about to leave. Can I sneak out?"

After a few seconds of consideration, Murphy said, "I'll be waiting for you at Milton Café."

Kerry Mulligan's parents were evidently more stubborn than he had imagined. Initially, Murphy thought that after making a scene, they would eventually agree. But not only did they refuse to agree, they were also planning to take her back to England...

As he made his way to Milton Café, Murphy pondered over the situation. If things didn't work out, he would have to give up. Fortunately, he had already considered this possibility and was continuing to recruit male and female actors, searching for suitable candidates.

Arriving at Milton Café, Murphy found that Lynch, the owner, wasn't there. He instructed the waiter to find a booth and settled in, opening his notebook to review his plans while patiently waiting.

After a full hour and a half, Kerry Mulligan finally walked into the café.

She was dressed in sportswear, with a baseball cap covering her delicate doll-like face.

"Over here," Murphy waved to her.

Taking off her baseball cap, the girl walked briskly over and sat down opposite him.

It was evident that she had been crying, her eyes red and slightly swollen.

"What would you like to drink?" Murphy asked.

"Anything," she seemed to have a lot to say, a lot of grievances to pour out, "I've been strictly controlled since I was little. Everything I do has to meet their standards..."

Murphy ordered a latte for Kerry Mulligan and listened patiently, playing the role of a sympathetic listener.

After venting about her unfortunate life for a while, Kerry Mulligan felt thirsty. She picked up the coffee and took a sip.

Murphy could tell that her complaints and dissatisfaction with her family weren't solely because of this incident; they were the result of long-term accumulation. "Are you sure you want to be an actress?" he asked.

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

"But achieving dreams is never easy." Murphy paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts, "It's a difficult process, often with unforeseen costs."

He looked at Kerry Mull

igan, starting to ramble, "When I was your age, I aspired to be a successful film director. But I was from the slums, could only attend a mediocre public school, and had no chance to receive professional education in this field."

Thinking that Murphy was consoling her with his tragic past, Kerry Mulligan's face showed a hint of sympathy.

"But I didn't give up. I knew no one would invest in a person like me for a film, so I had to find a way to raise money myself."

Hearing this, Kerry Mulligan interjected, "But you've succeeded! You're about to start filming a movie."

"Do you know what I've been through to get here?"

Kerry Mulligan shook her head, and Murphy began to weave a half-truthful tale, "To raise funds, I offended many people and spent a year in prison."

He pointed to the not-so-obvious scar on his face, "These are the marks left in prison."

"But I didn't despair," Murphy said lightly, "I knew what I wanted, and I was determined to work towards my goal. No difficulty or obstruction was a reason or excuse to stop."

Finally, he said, "What determines our future is never what we think, but what we do."

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

After thinking for a while, she gradually realized that waiting for her parents to let go wasn't going to work if she wanted to become an actress...

"I know what my goal is. Why can't I strive for it myself?"

This kind of thought became clearer and clearer in Kerry Mulligan's mind. "I also want to fight for it!"

Facing this uniquely rebellious girl, Murphy never explicitly told her what to do. He always guided her according to her own thoughts, using indirect means to lead her. So far, the effect had been good, but he didn't know if this seemingly naive yet rebellious girl could bring him any surprises.

If possible, he didn't want to give up on Kerry Mulligan. After all, out of dozens of actresses who auditioned, she was the most outstanding one, and her involvement directly affected whether James Franco would join his crew.

Kerry Mulligan picked up her coffee and took a sip, suppressing all her displeasure and grievances, looking at Murphy across the table, "Thank you, Murphy. You've made me understand a lot of things."

"Understand?" Murphy's face immediately showed confusion, "What did I do?"

"Nothing," Kerry Mulligan shook her head, feeling that the person in front of her was too 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, saying solemnly, "I'll remember that."

Would this rebellious British girl make a move? Murphy didn't know, but after just three days, he received a call from Mr. Mulligan, who wanted to meet him to look at the script and discuss Kerry Mulligan's contract issues preliminarily.