Chapter 85: Crying

[Chapter 85: Crying]

After a moment of pause, Eric felt a bit thirsty. He got up, headed to the fridge, grabbed a can of beer, took a few swigs, and returned to the sofa, ready to continue. However, when he glanced at the woman across from him, he suddenly shut his mouth.

She was crying...

With no other option, he reached under the coffee table, pulled out a box of tissues, and pushed it toward her.

"Alright, don't cry. I won't say anything more."

But that backfired. Julia grabbed a few tissues, covered her face, and her tears fell more freely, accompanied by soft sobs.

Under normal circumstances, at this moment, a woman would typically need a shoulder to cry on, a few tender words whispered, and then off to some little room for a quick roll in the hay.

However, it seemed Julia had worked herself into this state. Eric thought he probably didn't have the right to be the reason for her tears, did he?

Thus, the atmosphere grew a bit tense. One sat there helplessly staring, while the other sobbed heartily.

It was perfectly normal for a woman to feel foolish and humiliated, feeling enraged and building walls of tears around herself. "You jerk, just give a little support and say something comforting. I would've calmed down and everything would be fine."

But why did it suddenly feel so awkward?

Minutes later, the young woman had to take the initiative to stop crying, wiped her face, and crumpled the tissues into a ball, hurling them at Eric. "You're really a jerk."

With that, she stood up, somewhat flustered, making her way to the bathroom. Her makeup was likely a mess, oh, how ugly.

...

After fixing her makeup and fidgeting in the bathroom for a bit, she finally emerged, taking her place back on the sofa. Not brave enough to scold him now, huh? Hmph!

"I'll... keep an eye out for a script that fits you. Don't rush it. If you're feeling bored, maybe take some easy classes; that'll help shape your image. The public generally likes ambitious actresses. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to take on some variety show appearances either. You'll need to check with Kepler about that; he's the professional agent, not me."

"Hmm," Julia nodded obediently.

"By the way, have you seen a therapist about that thing?"

Julia shook her head and shot Eric a resentful glare. It was all this jerk's fault.

After the movie had premiered, she found herself with some spare time. She took a moment to look up information and learned all about Stockholm Syndrome. The examples listed in the books seemed absurd to her, yet when she connected them to her own erratic behavior, she had to acknowledge the truth of it all.

At the same time, the release of Pretty Woman turned her from a small-time actress into a big star; she felt even more wary about seeking therapy. What if a therapist accidentally disclosed her condition? Her burgeoning career could come crashing down. How could the public accept a star who might turn into a sexual slave at any moment? Thus, even her closest ones remained in the dark about this secret, with only Eric knowing.

Eric quickly grasped Julia's concerns; this was indeed a delicate matter. Once word got out, a scandal would be unavoidable.

"This kind of issue should have a lot to do with self-confidence, right? I thought you looked great when you first came to my house, all fiery and fierce. Keep that up, and maybe it'll all fade away."

"You... nonsense! I checked the material; this is all your fault. If you hadn't treated me the way you did that night, none of this would have happened."

Eric raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, it's all my fault."

"Exactly, it is your fault."

Seeing the awkward expression on Eric's face, Julia felt a sense of satisfaction. "By the way, where's Drew Barrymore? Isn't it the weekend?"

"She's at boarding school. They don't have to come home on weekends. She might not even know I'm back today. The girl loves to play; while I'm away, she rarely stays at home alone."

Julia's tone turned a bit sour, "You're really nice to her."

Eric laughed, "You're not the first to say that. The girl owes me a million. In this day and age, those in debt are the boss, so I gotta take care of her."

"Hah..."

"Are you going to the Fox party at the Hilton tonight?"

"Of course," Julia nodded, glancing at her watch. "It's getting late; I need to head back."

Eric helped her with her disguise again, seeing Julia out the door before returning to the villa.

...

After some aimless TV watching, as the sun set, Eric went upstairs to change clothes and drove over to the Hilton.

A celebration party for a movie like Pretty Woman, with its blockbuster success, was definitely a hot target for paparazzi. Eric didn't much fancy dealing with them and had planned to take the parking garage elevator directly to the banquet hall, but it suddenly dawned on him that he'd forgotten to check which floor the party was on.

Looking around, he saw there were no other people in the parking garage. He couldn't very well ask the overhead cameras for help. Reluctantly, he chose to wait a bit, hoping to run into someone else attending the party. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side; he waited several minutes without seeing a single soul. If he continued this way, he might attract unwanted attention from the security cameras, and they'd think he was some sort of car thief.

Resigned, he left the parking lot, only to be immediately swarmed by a pack of paparazzi.

The Hilton security were fairly diligent and rushed over to help Eric, blocking the crowd. The paparazzi clamored, firing off a stream of chaotic questions.

"Director Williams, you've been missing for a week; were you preparing for your next film?"

"Eric, did Julia Roberts get her role in Pretty Woman because she slept with you?"

"Lamborghini announced that their latest model has 153 pre-orders in just a week; Eric, will your next movie feature product placements again?"

"Eric, how come Drew Barrymore didn't come with you? Isn't she living with you now?"

"..."

Well-meaning, malicious, and loaded questions buzzed around him, making it difficult for Eric to respond appropriately. Not wanting to say too much, he silently trudged forward, guided by the security, until they finally got into the Hilton hallway, where the paparazzi ceased their pursuit.

The Hilton manager greeted him with a smile.

"Mr. Williams, welcome. The celebration for Pretty Woman is on the fourth floor. Do you need me to escort you?"

Eric quickly shook his head. "No need; I can find my own way."

Once inside the elevator, he pressed the button and noticed the manager still smiling at him. What on earth was going on?

Actually, it was quite simple: the manager had also seen Pretty Woman and was fond of Eric for his portrayal of the cool hotel manager, Bernie Thompson.

*****

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