Chapitre 80: Chapter 80: Peaceful Atlanta
On Thanksgiving holiday, the Carter siblings had sent out formal invitations in advance. Martin, in particular, had ordered a roast turkey for the occasion.
In the afternoon, Elena had prepared dinner ahead of time, getting everything ready.
Martin made a call to Harris, and together they headed to the restaurant to pick up the roast turkey.
During the car ride, Harris began discussing his star business, saying, "I've recruited a partner who helped create the official website for the Atlantic Astronomical Association. This way, all customers who purchase stars can check their corresponding records on the website in the future."
Martin nodded in agreement, saying, "That's a thoughtful move; it'll increase customer trust."
Harris added, "Our performance has increased by 100% this month, and the Astronomical Association has sold 24 stars. Martin, I've converted part of your earnings into shares. You'll need to sign the agreement later."
Despite Harris mentioning it a few times, Martin finally agreed, saying, "I'll sign it when we get back."
The two of them collected the roast turkey, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, and other desserts before returning to the Carter home.
Upon entering the living room, Martin sensed that something was amiss. Lily and Hall appeared as if they had been crying, and Elena sat there, sullen and silent.
Setting down the lunchbox, Martin inquired, "What's happened?"
Lily lowered her head and said, "Emma just called."
Martin was initially confused, asking, "Which Emma?"
Elena clarified, "Emma Carter, Scott's wife, my mother, and my father's lover."
Martin's head spun with this complicated family dynamic, and he asked, "Emma is back? What about Jack?"
Lily angrily exclaimed, "Jack, that jerk, abandoned Emma!"
Martin looked to Elena for confirmation.
Elena elaborated, "Emma called from Hawaii. Jack took all her money, and then he disappeared."
Martin's concern shifted to a critical question, "She didn't borrow money from a loan shark, did she?"
Elena assured, "No, she didn't." Then she motioned for Martin to step outside. They walked to the yard, and Elena said quietly, "Tomorrow, I'll transfer $200 to her and book her a ticket from Hawaii to Atlanta. I can't believe I'm doing this for her, but Lily and Hall deserve to have a mother."
Martin grasped her arm and made another suggestion, "Now that Emma is back, will you reconsider going to Los Angeles with me?"
As they stood outside the wooden fence, Scott approached, swaying slightly, holding an uncapped bottle of tequila in his hand.
Elena gazed at Scott and warned, "It's Thanksgiving today; don't make me ask you to leave."
She then returned inside to continue preparing dinner.
Martin turned to Scott and urged, "Tonight is a holiday; try to keep the peace."
Scott, not completely inebriated, nodded, saying, "I'll do my best."
Back inside the house, Martin joined Elena in the kitchen to help.
Scott found a seat, but no one seemed willing to engage with him, so he drank alone.
The dinner was a grand affair. Alongside the turkey and desserts Martin had brought, Elena had prepared macaroni, mashed potatoes, vegetable salad, and honey-glazed ham.
As everyone sat around the dining table, Scott reached for the knife and fork to carve the roast turkey.
Elena, however, took the initiative, seizing the knife and fork. Martin could sense that this symbolized her role as the head of the family.
The dinner was unusually quiet, lacking the liveliness of previous occasions, with even Lily refraining from conversation.
After dinner, Elena, as the elder sister, cleared the table. Martin grabbed a bottle of beer and went to sit on the steps outside, contemplating his impending trip to Los Angeles.
During his time in Atlanta, which had lasted over half a year, Martin had gained more than just vital connections and qualifications; he had also amassed significant funds.
With a pressing need for money, he knew he would likely need to take on part-time work in Los Angeles. Currently, Martin had $130,000 from pink water bottle business and an additional $150,000 from acting in Zombie Stripper.
The social investigator's salary covered his daily expenses without issue.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Lily emerged, carrying a bottle of beer. She sat down beside Martin, clinking her bottle against his and taking a sip. She remarked, "It's not as good as your homebrew, even though it has a weird taste..."
Martin gazed at her, and Lily, self-aware, extended her head and said, "Go ahead and vent."
Martin pushed her head playfully, responding, "If you behave, Elena's life will be 50% easier."
Lily, not quite understanding, quipped, "You sound just like Harris."
Martin sipped his beer in silence.
Lily rummaged through her pocket, retrieved a crystal star, and handed it to Martin, saying, "You're heading to Los Angeles, and chances are you won't be back. I hope you'll remember there was a girl named Lily Carter in Atlanta." Martin examined the star by the light of the yard lamp and asked, "Did you make this?"
"All handmade," Lily affirmed, adding, "Don't forget, I also made that kettle of yours."
Martin accepted the star, expressing his gratitude, but Lily's words continued playfully, "It'll bring you enough luck to avoid breaking your arm like Harris did!"
Martin was momentarily irked, even contemplating using his beer bottle as a weapon.
Lily stood up, saying, "I'm going back to study."
"You're studying?" Martin was genuinely surprised.
"Don't underestimate me," Lily retorted, walking away. However, she couldn't resist a parting remark, "With some hard work, I might skip a grade and get into a school in Los Angeles early."
Martin had grown accustomed to Lily's constant stream of unreliable statements and didn't bother distinguishing truth from fiction.
After finishing a beer, Martin felt someone watching him from behind. When he turned around, he found Scott leaning against the doorframe, teetering slightly, clutching an uncapped bottle of tequila.
"Listen, I'm warning you one last time." Scott, about to head back to the liquor store, approached Martin and warned, "Your father Jack kidnapped my wife. If you dare to lay a finger on my eldest daughter, I'll never let you off the hook. I'll... I'll bash your head in with this bottle!"
Martin gestured towards the door, urging, "Hurry back to bed. Watch out for getting mugged by someone on the road."
Scott thought about it, got up cautiously, and, especially before opening the door, pulled out the flashlight he had bought specifically to illuminate dark areas.
Martin returned to the house and exchanged a few words with Elena before heading back to his room to pack. He didn't have many large items, simply putting his clothes and daily necessities into a suitcase. He could leave early the next morning.
Just as he was preparing to rest, Elena approached. After their rather exuberant activity on the old wooden bed, it finally gave way and collapsed.
Martin dragged the mattress out onto the floor.
Their noisy escapades even reached James in the backyard, nearly causing him to surface from the ground.
Martin picked up the car keys from the wooden floor and handed them to Elena, saying, "These are yours."
Elena, straightforward as always, replied, "I'll drive it for now. I won't be seeing you off tomorrow; you can manage on your own. Get to the airport."
Martin retrieved his cellphone and dialed Bruce's number, saying, "Brother, be up early tomorrow to take me to the airport."
A strange sound emanated from the receiver, and Bruce erupted, "You filthy piece of crap, can't you make phone calls during daylight hours?"
"I'll leave you to it then," Martin retorted before ending the call.
Elena, who had been listening in, couldn't help but chuckle, "Bruce is realy a pervert."
Martin quipped, "Bruce has the makings of a perverted serial killer."
Early the next morning, Bruce arrived in his new car to pick up Martin.
Harris helped load Martin's suitcase into Bruce's car.
Elena rushed back home, retrieved the new cellphone she had forgotten the previous night, and handed it to Martin.
There wasn't too much sadness about parting. With modern transportation and affordable airlines, traveling between Los Angeles and Atlanta wasn't particularly daunting.
As Bruce drove them to the Clayton community, he inquired, "Have you thought of everything you need?"
Martin grinned, "As long as you've got money, you can buy anything."
Bruce retorted, "Atlanta will be a tad more peaceful without you, you wretched piece of crap."
Martin shot back, "It would be significantly more peaceful without a civilized individual like you."
Bruce didn't take offense, "Man, you can go wreak havoc in the grimy swamps of Hollywood all you want, corrupt the gays and lesbians there, conspire with all the swindlers, junkies, and perverts. Believe in yourself—you've got enough wicked ideas and methods!"
Martin replied, "If I ever get in over my head, I'll definitely call you, the civilized one."
Bruce waved him off, saying, "Let's get going."
Martin passed through airport security and sat down at the boarding gate, waiting. Benjamin and Catherine arrived together.
Catherine was elegantly dressed, and in terms of looks alone, she could rival Julia Roberts.
The three of them were close-knit, so Catherine openly shared, "I'm going this time, and I don't intend to come back."
Martin had no reason to hide his intentions, stating, "I also want to stay in Hollywood and explore the possibilities. This might be a great opportunity."
Regarding Louise, Martin had yet to share the full story with anyone other than Kelly Gray, Mel, and Robert Patrick.
People like him wouldn't reveal their connections to just anyone.
Catherine continued to dream about Hollywood.
In contrast, Benjamin took a more cautious stance, saying, "I'll fulfill my contract with Gray Entertainment first, and then decide on my future."
The exciting news of "Zombie Stripper" receiving a wide release continued to fuel Catherine's fantasies. She wondered aloud, "If the film can gain some traction, might I have a shot at a major role? Just like one where Julia Roberts took off to become a superstar."
Benjamin offered a gentle reminder, "You seem overly excited, with grandiose fantasies."
The boarding announcement came over the radio, prompting Martin to bid them farewell, "Time to board."
He entered the plane, took his seat by the window, and as the engines roared and the runway slipped away beneath him, watched Atlanta from high above.
Whether heading for heaven or hell, it seemed you had to make a layover in Atlanta.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
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