Chapter 485: The Mascot

[Chapter 485: The Mascot]

Southampton didn't just refer to a soccer club in England; it was also the name of a well-known town in North Long Island, New York. Compared to the buzz surrounding Manhattan's Upper East Hydee, Southampton's fame seemed a bit understated. However, a statistic once shared noted that the average net worth of residents in this picturesque town by the Atlantic Ocean exceeded a million dollars. It was here, near Southampton, that Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby found its inspiration for Gatsby's lavish mansion.

One morning, in a luxurious house connected to the white sandy beaches of the town, Joanna stood at the bathroom sink, staring blankly at the small object in her hands showing two red lines. She felt momentarily lost in thought.

After an unknowable span of time, there were a few knocks on the door, and Virginia's excited voice rang in: "Joan, Joan, come out! I'm pregnant!"

Startled, Joanna hurriedly tossed the pregnancy test into the trash can, tidied her slightly messy hair in the mirror, and then walked out to open the door.

Virginia stood at the entrance in her pajamas, her hair a bit disheveled, yet her face radiated joy. She raised the white pregnancy test with excitement, saying, "Two lines! Finally, two lines! Look!"

As Joanna took a quick look, she was at a loss for words and could only muster a response: "Congratulations, Vicky! But when are you planning to tell Eric?"

At the mention of Eric, Virginia's expression dimmed for a moment. Although she had previously planned everything perfectly, the reality of the situation made her worry about Eric's reaction.

"How about... umm... Joan, can you try to gauge Eric's reaction for me?" Virginia suggested nervously, blinking at her.

Joanna immediately refused, saying, "There's no way I'm doing that. Eric might think I'm the one who's pregnant!"

Virginia seemed inspired by the thought. "Yes, yes! Joan, you call Eric and tell him you're pregnant; see what his reaction is. If he gets mad, you can just say it's a prank! Haha, I'm a genius!"

As she spoke, Virginia grabbed Joanna's hand, eager to hurry downstairs to make the call. Joanna, shocked by the idea, thought to herself, "But wait, I'm pregnant too!"

"I'll help you dial. Just remember, you can't let it slip," Virginia said as she picked up the phone and started to dial.

Panicking, Joanna pressed her hand against Virginia's: "Vicky, it should be like 1 AM in Hawaii right now, right?"

"I totally forgot! He's probably just fallen asleep. If you wake him up now, he'll be in a worse mood," Virginia reasoned, putting the receiver down and counting on her fingers. "Okay, let's call him at noon. He usually gets up at six."

That finally eased Joanna's mind a bit, and she firmly shook her head. "And Vicky, I'm definitely not helping you with this 'prank.' You'll have to figure out how to test the waters yourself."

Virginia instantly adopted a pitiful look. "Joan, how can you do this? We're best friends, and you won't even help me with this?"

"It's not like that," Joanna sighed helplessly. "I'm saying you've got to tell Eric sooner or later. I think... maybe the longer you wait, the angrier he'll get. It's better to just tell him straightforwardly."

"But what if he doesn't want this baby?" Virginia asked anxiously.

Joanna felt her heart tighten at those words. She instinctively wanted to check her own abdomen but quickly suppressed that impulse. "If he doesn't want it, then we'll just have the child ourselves. We can manage."

Virginia pondered for a moment, slowly moving closer to Joanna and wrapping her arms around her waist, seeking comfort. "Then it's settled. We'll raise it together."

Joanna gave Virginia a reassuring pat on the back, saying, "Don't be so pessimistic. He might actually be okay with it."

"Yeah, right. Didn't I tell you already? Boys his age dislike kids the most," Virginia retorted.

"But you'll ultimately have to confront this, right? Think it over, I'll go make breakfast," Joanna said as she gently pat Virginia's back, getting up from the sofa and heading to the kitchen. She opened the fridge to obscure her figure and stole a glance back at Virginia, who still appeared deep in thought. She felt a twinge of guilt. Before knowing Eric's reaction, she had no intention of revealing her own pregnancy to Virginia. She feared that Eric would reject the idea of having a child with her even more. In just a few minutes, Joanna resolved that if Eric reacted strongly, she would temporarily leave the U.S. and find a secluded place to have her child.

Half an hour later, Joanna brought breakfast to the table, and Virginia seemed to have composed herself as she sat down. "I just called and booked a private doctor. I'll go for a checkup in the morning. Whatever that bastard's reaction may be, I'm having this little one."

Joanna served Virginia breakfast, trying to keep her tone casual. "When are you planning to tell him?"

"At least after he finishes filming Jurassic Park. I'll find a good time then."

Joanna agreed that this was likely the best timing. She quietly chewed on some bread for a moment before remembering a crucial question. "Vicky, what about your work?"

Virginia looked puzzled, unsure why Joanna brought it up, but she responded, "I already arranged everything. You know that action film I guest starred in for Fox? It'll be released at the end of the year. I don't have a lot of screen time, so I won't need to participate in promotions. Kepler is negotiating a drama contract for me right now, and we're expected to shoot next month for about two months. If I'm careful, no one will notice I'm pregnant. The pay for these two films, plus some savings I have, will keep me set for quite a while. After that, I can take one or two years off to raise my kid."

Listening to Virginia's well-organized plan, Joanna felt a twinge of envy.

Due to their different upbringings, Virginia had been striving for independence since she was twelve. Regardless of her surroundings, she managed her life with precision, while Joanna's path felt utterly chaotic and directionless. For instance, despite the success of Twister, it hadn't brought her significant income. Without a child, she could have capitalized on the film's fame to save up money over the coming years, but now, with the baby on the way, the news's potential fallout would surely impact her public image greatly. What if Eric rejected this child?

The worry for her future gnawed at Joanna. After finishing breakfast, she seized the opportunity while Virginia changed clothes to grab the living room phone, hastily dialing her agent's number. "Hey, Charlie, didn't you say there was a film over at Universal that would suit me? ... Yes, I'd like to take it on, but I have a few conditions..."

...

"...Joan, do you think I'm petty? As long as you think the script is appropriate, I certainly wouldn't oppose it. But since it's a Universal project, Eisner won't be stingy. How much did they offer you? ... Hmm, that figure is generous. When does the film start shooting? ... At the end of the month? Why the rush? ... Oh, alright, then... Okay, I'm hanging up. Bye." After ending the call, Eric smiled and shrugged, picked up the script and walked out of the room.

It was already mid-August, and they were in the sixth week of filming Jurassic Park. A tropical storm at the beginning of the month had delayed the crew for a few days, but the impact was still manageable. If all went well, Eric could even wrap up filming before September 10 and head to Paris for the Disneyland opening.

As he thought about these matters, just walking into the hotel lobby, a deep voice rang out enthusiastically. "Hey, Eric, morning!"

"Morning, Donald! I was in meetings all night and couldn't pick you guys up -- sorry about that," Eric said as he embraced Donald Trump. He then glanced at the slightly shy girl standing next to Donald. It had only been a year since he last saw Ivanka Trump, and at eleven, she had grown considerably, transforming from a little girl into a lovely young lady.

"Hey, Ivanka, do you still recognize me?"

The girl clearly rolled her eyes at the statement but kept her composure, responding politely, "Hi, Eric."

The three of them entered the dining room, ordered breakfast, and chatted about updates. Then, after a moment of silence, Ivanka finally spoke up, "Eric, can I not hold the stuffed animal on camera this time?"

"Ah, but Ivanka... I've already prepared for that," Eric replied.

Finally unable to hold back, Ivanka rolled her eyes again and said, "Eric, you're one of Hollywood's finest directors. Can we skip this childish stuff? I'm not some mascot in your movie!"

"Ivanka, first off, I appreciate the compliment. But this isn't childish at all. After Ghost and Twister, audiences are just starting to notice you. If you suddenly decide to shift your style and abandon the 'girl holding a stuffed animal' persona, you'd lose that attention-grabbing effect."

"Being the girl holding a stuffed animal? That's so boring! Oh my gosh, I'm actually considering doing this ridiculous thing for a hundred bucks. Eric, can I give that hundred bucks back to you?"

Eric feigned seriousness, saying, "Ivanka, it's not just a hundred bucks anymore. The tickets and accommodations for you and your dad's trip to Hawaii are all covered by the crew."

Ivanka looked at her father.

Donald Trump made a 'heavy' face and nodded. "Both of us would rack up at least five grand. If you refuse to act..."

Facing her dad colluding with Eric, Ivanka felt defeated. The young girl even began to question her life, wondering if she really was born into a billionaire's family.

A few hours later, Ivanka ultimately appeared with a big dinosaur stuffed animal during the scene where the programmer Dennis exchanged for dinosaur embryos.

*****

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