The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 315

With the shocking incident and the fresh handprint on Charlize’s face, continuing the shoot was impossible. Stuart stormed off the set in a rage, while people like Doug and Goldsman, who knew Charlize well, offered a few words of comfort before quickly returning to their own affairs.

Filming was brought to a halt, leaving Doug and Goldsman with a mess to manage.

Matthew wasn't the least bit worried about Stuart calling the police. Plenty of witnesses could testify that he had only stepped in to stop an assault.

Unless Stuart was a complete idiot, he wouldn't dare call the police.

Charlize stood frozen in place, her expression exceptionally cold.

A production assistant hurried over with a towel. Matthew took it and offered it to Charlize.

"Thank you," Charlize whispered, taking the towel and pressing it to her cheek. She met Matthew's gaze. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."

Matthew shook his head. "We're friends. There's no way I'd just stand by and watch someone hit you." He let out a soft sigh. "Let's get you back to your trailer. This isn't the place to talk."

Charlize nodded and followed him into the trailer.

"Still hurt?" Matthew asked gently."It’s fine," Charlize murmured, lowering the towel. The angry red outline of fingers was still stark against her skin. "Matthew... I never thought it would come to this."

"You can't just keep putting up with this," Matthew said, handing her a glass of water. "That's not a solution."

He set the glass on the small table in front of her. "There are a few things I have to say, Salli, and they might not be pleasant."

Charlize didn't respond, but she understood his meaning. She rose and stood before the mirror, her eyes fixed on her reflection. The red mark on her cheek seemed more vivid, more shameful, than ever before.

Suddenly, she spoke. "Thank you, Matthew."

Matthew came to stand beside her.

Staring into the makeup mirror, Charlize continued, "The fact that things got this bad... most of the blame is on me."

Matthew’s brow furrowed. Surely she wasn’t thinking of forgiving Stuart, not after this?

"You're right," Charlize said, her voice low and firm. "Patience shouldn't be mistaken for permission."

A new resolve hardened her gaze.

"Salli, don't let yourself get hurt again," Matthew urged softly.

Charlize nodded. She pulled out her phone, dialed her agent, and said simply, "Get to the set. I'm in Valencia. I'll be waiting."

After hanging up, she looked at Matthew. "Am I weak?" she asked abruptly.

"No," Matthew said, shaking his head gently. "In a relationship, there's no such thing as strong or weak. And there are certainly no winners or losers."

A flicker of curiosity crossed her face. "Have you been through something like this?"

"Salli, do you know who my first love was?" Matthew’s tone was candid, as if confiding a deep secret. "The pop star, Britney Spears. I was completely in love with her back then."

For a moment, it was as if she'd forgotten everything that had just happened. She stared at him, stunned. "You were in love with Britney Spears?"

"It was back around 2000." Matthew knew people in Hollywood had short memories, so he kept the story simple. "I wasn’t famous yet, just another face in the crowd. No one knew Britney and I were together except for my agent."

He offered a small laugh. "Britney was always busy. Sometimes we'd only see each other once a month. Time and distance just wore us down. We were both miserable, but we knew breaking up was the kindest thing we could do for each other—to stop the hurt. And honestly, I'm at peace with how it ended."

Matthew's phone buzzed. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen—it was Helen. She must be close.

"My agent's here," Matthew told Charlize. "I should go meet her."

He stepped out of Charlize's trailer and waited for Helen to arrive. Once she did, they went to his trailer, where he quickly briefed her on what had happened.

“And this was just a coincidence?” A hint of skepticism entered Helen’s voice.

"You called, and I was looking for a quiet place to take it," Matthew explained. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

He added matter-of-factly, "You know Salli and I are good friends. I wasn't going to just stand there and watch him hit her."

Helen was well aware that Matthew had spent the last couple of years drinking with Depp and Reeves at Depp’s bar; their friendship, it seemed, was genuine.

Regardless, what was done was done. The priority now wasn't digging into the "why," but deciding on the "what next."

"Don't worry," Helen said, her mind already racing. "Since the paparazzi were from TMZ, Ilana will spin this our way. Stuart will be painted as the villain, plain and simple."

Matthew gave a slight nod.

Helen continued, "If Stuart has any sense, he’ll keep his mouth shut the second TMZ drops the story and find a rock to crawl under."

She glanced at Matthew. "Charlize's reaction is the other key variable here."

"Barring any surprises, she's going to leave him," Matthew stated confidently.

Helen lowered her gaze and paced the length of the trailer twice. When she looked up, her tone had shifted. "Matthew, I don't care what the real story is. This has happened, and it's playing to our advantage. We need to leverage this situation for everything it's worth."

Matthew remained silent.

"Get Ilana on the phone. We're having dinner with her tonight." Her voice was low and rapid-fire; she'd clearly processed the entire situation. "Once the story breaks, I'll talk to Goldsman. And to Charlize's agent."

...

Meanwhile, in the other trailer, Charlize's agent, Heidi Schaeffer, had just finished hearing her client's story.

Heidi stepped closer to Charlize, carefully examining the angry red mark on her cheek. "This one's worse than the last time," she said grimly.

Her tone grew severe. "I seriously doubt you'd even be standing here right now if Horner hadn't stepped in."

Charlize said nothing.

"Are you just going to keep taking this?" Heidi demanded, her voice filled with outrage. "I told you last year, and I'm telling you again now: leave Stuart."

Her voice rose. "He's going to destroy you!"

"I've made my decision." After today, Charlize's mind was made up. "You're right. I'm leaving Stuart."

Heidi let out a breath of relief. She thought for a moment, then said, "Salli, TMZ caught the whole fight on camera. You need to be prepared for the media storm."

Having made her decision, Charlize was prepared. "I know."

"There are a few things you need to keep in mind," Heidi said, shifting into business mode. "You're on the cusp of becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. We have to minimize any negative fallout from this."

"Heidi..." Charlize shook her head wearily. "Can we please not talk about this right now?"

"We can't. This is your career we're talking about," Heidi insisted. "And handled correctly, this could actually be a huge opportunity."

Exhausted and overwhelmed, Charlize just waved a hand dismissively. "Do whatever you think is best."

...

After arriving on set, Heidi spent the rest of the day gathering information. She spoke with numerous people, paying special attention to two direct witnesses who gave her a detailed account of the incident.

Frankly, given Stuart's despicable behavior, she wouldn't have to do much.

The main objective was to frame the narrative: highlight everything Charlize had sacrificed over the years to maintain the relationship, and contrast it with Stuart's actions. The goal was to generate overwhelming public sympathy for Charlize, which would in turn bolster her public image.

Then there was Horner. As a key player in the incident, his public statements would make it impossible for Stuart to walk away unscathed.

Charlize had mentioned her long-standing friendship with Horner, so Heidi was confident he would side with her. Getting him to put in a good word for her shouldn't be difficult at all.

Furthermore, if the rest of the cast could be persuaded to publicly support Charlize, her position would be even stronger.

Heidi decided to gauge the opinions of the cast and crew. She would wait until tomorrow to contact Horner's camp. If possible, she would help Charlize finally rid herself of the albatross that was Stuart.

Charlize was her most important client. Without Stuart dragging her down, she was destined for great things.