บท 279: Chapter 279: Trouble Arose
[Chapter 279: Trouble Arose]
Seeing Eric on the verge of exploding, Arnon Carpenter didn't linger any longer. He dropped a business card with simple contact details and said, "Mr. Williams, feel free to call this number whenever you want to talk."
Once he finished speaking, Arnon Carpenter got up to leave. Eric tossed the card into the trash and headed to his study. He pulled out his recorder from his pocket and pressed play, hearing a conversation between two people. Then he retrieved a freshly recorded videotape from a machine with a monitor in the study, opened the VCR, and inserted the tape before hitting play.
The video of Arnon Carpenter sitting directly facing the camera appeared on the screen, capturing every detail with crystal clarity. Even an ordinary person could roughly discern what he was saying from the movement of his lips.
The tape didn't run for long and finished quickly. Eric put both the recorder and the tape into the safe and locked it, letting out a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't fall into the kind of predicament that Michael Jackson found himself in during his past life, where he couldn't justify or defend himself.
It was humorous to think about; normally, not many people would install cameras in their own homes, but this villa was built to resemble Iron Man's mansion from his memories.
Since it was a copy, these small details couldn't be overlooked. Not just in the living room but in many areas of the estate, there were cameras connected to his study. As long as Eric wanted, he could know every movement occurring anywhere in the estate from his desk.
Who would've thought that a moment of impulsive inspiration back then would yield such significant insights today?
...
On January 1, 1990, New Year's Day.
Jeffrey returned to Los Angeles just after ten in the morning, accompanied by Chris Hansen. Chris had already left Morgan Stanley. During that time, he had been preparing Eric's investment company. Concerned after hearing Eric mention various issues from his father, Chris came to Los Angeles as well.
After understanding the details, the three of them couldn't come up with any solutions, instead discovering that Firefly Films was now facing many sticky problems. However, Jeffrey and Chris didn't suggest that Eric compromise with those people, ultimately agreeing to deal with whatever came next as the situation unfolded.
New Year's Day passed without much incident, but it felt like the last calm before a storm.
...
On January 2, Eric rose early and asked a servant to bring today's newspaper. The front page of the Los Angeles Daily News splashed a bold, black headline across the top:
"Eric Williams: Hollywood's Most Hypocritical Playboy."
"Wow, they really held nothing back," Eric murmured as he glanced over several photos of himself with various women that appeared prominently on the cover.
Inside the article, things got even more outrageous; it distorted Eric's reputation for chasing beautiful women, painting him as a shameless character who expected actresses to provide favors for roles.
After checking other newspapers, while the reputable Los Angeles Times hadn't reported on the scandal yet, many less prominent papers had similar stories.
Since the era of blockbusters ended, Hollywood's film industry had become more robust, and the so-called unspoken rules no longer had a place to thrive. Stars were no longer imprisoned by their circumstances, and they didn't have to endure manipulation by those in power.
However, this didn't mean the unspoken rules had disappeared; rather, everything had been laid bare.
In Hollywood, if an actor wanted to rise without any background, the only option was to offer their bodies. Years later, a magazine would outline dozens of secrets to success in becoming a star, with the top item being: regardless of gender or sexual orientation, to make it big, one had to be ready to provide sexual services to those who could further their careers.
Of course, while this kind of exchange was rampant in Hollywood, most people quietly adhered to these rules without causing any upheaval. Occasionally, some rebellious spirits didn't make much of a splash.
The public wasn't entirely clueless about the inner workings of Hollywood; they mostly just saw its glitzy, bright side. Hence, most stars had a positive image in the public eye, and people enjoyed indulging in that facade.
But today, someone had twisted the rumors linking acclaimed director Eric Williams to various actresses and widely publicized them. Eric undoubtedly became a reluctant 'rebel' against Hollywood's rules. Thus, seeing such articles, his image in the public's mind was bound to plummet.
Just hours after the new day's newspapers hit the stands, Eric's Malibu mansion was surrounded by relentless paparazzi. Eric had initially planned to head out, but upon seeing the chaos outside, he decided to stay put in the manor.
...
In a small villa in Beverly Hills, Jennifer Aniston was frantically waving a newspaper, shouting at Nicole who sat at the dining table, "Why? Why would you do this? I considered you a good friend, but you went after my boyfriend, you backstabber! Drew is also a backstabber, and Julia Roberts, and..."
The agitated girl read aloud the names printed in the article, ripping the paper into shreds and throwing them at Nicole, "You're all backstabbers! I've had enough!"
Nicole calmly picked some of the torn bits out of her collar, then replied, "If we're all backstabbers, then what does that make you? If it weren't for Eric, would you have landed the lead role in Friends? Would you have the fame you enjoy today?"
For a moment, Jennifer was taken aback before responding, "I'm his girlfriend!"
"And so what?" Nicole replied nonchalantly, "Even if you marry him, so what?"
"You--" the young girl pointed a finger at Nicole, gritting her teeth before storming off to her bedroom. She hurriedly stuffed her belongings into a simple suitcase and pulled it out, slapping a check down in front of Nicole. "This is my rent. Starting today, I have nothing to do with you."
"Oh," Nicole said, picking up the check, looking at it before folding it and, in a flirtatious manner, sliding it into her bra in front of Jennifer, flashing her a coy look. "I'll just consider the extra you paid as a tip."
"Backstabber!" Jennifer spat again as she dragged her suitcase towards the exit.
Nicole watched as the front door slammed shut behind her, then picked up scattered newspaper pieces from the dining table, unfolding one to read the contents. She murmured, "What a fool, not even realizing that jerk is in trouble and just knows how to be jealous."
...
Jennifer stuffed her suitcase into her car and had just opened the gate when she was suddenly surrounded by several paparazzi.
"Miss Aniston, what do you think about the article in today's paper?"
"Jennifer, will you break up with Mr. Williams?"
"Miss Aniston, living with Miss Kidman means you already knew about the situation between her and Eric, right?"
"..."
Annoyed by the buzz around her, Jennifer shoved aside a microphone thrust in her face and shouted, "Get away from me! As of now, I have nothing to do with Eric Williams! Please don't bother me anymore!"
The reporters were even more excited by Jennifer's outburst; this was the kind of reaction they wanted. If the subject remained calm, they certainly wouldn't squeeze any sensational news from them.
"Jennifer, will you continue on Friends?"
"Miss Aniston, are you sure you just said you want to break up with Eric Williams?"
"Jennifer..."
Jennifer coldly pushed through the crowd, jumped into her car, and slowly drove onto the road to escape the paparazzi. She aimlessly cruised through the streets of Los Angeles for a while, her phone rang. Upon answering, she heard her father's voice, causing her to pull over and finally break down, crying into the phone.
...
"We are now live from the entrance to Eric Williams' estate in Malibu. Since the scandal erupted two days ago, linking Eric with many actresses, over 72 hours have passed, and the estate remains tightly closed. Eric Williams has yet to make any clarifications."
A woman in a blue suit stood outside the bustling crowd of reporters with a microphone, addressing the camera, the locked gates of the estate visible behind her. Despite having been three whole days since the scandal broke, the buzz from the newspapers showed no sign of dying down; reporters kept increasing in number, now surpassing a hundred.
"Due to the impact of Eric Williams' scandal, the box office for the five films currently showing from Firefly has taken a hit this week. Notably, Sleepless in Seattle suffered the worst, with ticket sales dropping over 40% the following week, pulling in only $17 million. The other three films, The Island, Home Alone 2, and Steel Magnolias, also saw dips beyond expectations, while Scent of a Woman faced minimal impact due to limited release. According to data from related institutions, the total box office losses from these five films could exceed $100 million as a result of Eric Williams' scandal."
"The three well-known actresses affected by the Eric Williams scandal -- Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, and Nicole Kidman -- are currently silent, with none issuing any statements. Whether they have received warnings from any powers remains unknown. Meanwhile, Eric's public girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, announced their breakup on the same day the scandal broke. Since the falling-out between these two, the cast of Friends' second season has become a major question mark."
"Model Leigh Zimmerman, who delivered an outstanding performance in Home Alone 2, publicly defended Eric Williams during an interview with the Manhattan Post, stating he is a genuinely kind and caring man, and that the attacks against this young director by various newspapers are mere defamation. As of now, she is the only actress to publicly stand up for Eric among all his films."
...
Inside the Malibu mansion, Eric sat still on the sofa, watching the news about himself rolling across the TV screen. His coffee table and the floor were covered in various newspapers.
Drew carried a small tray filled with delicate snacks, cautiously bringing it over to Eric. "Eric, would you like something to eat?"
Eric's eyes, which had been glued to the TV, shifted slightly, and he glanced out the window; the blue sea was still littered with some 'junk.' Before he knew it, the sky had darkened again.
"Just leave it there; I'll eat later," he said.
Drew complied, placing the tray on the coffee table and tidying up the scattered newspapers before carefully sitting beside Eric. She had spent enough time around Eric to sense even the smallest changes in his emotions, and she could tell he was very angry, likely ready to explode. Although she knew he wouldn't lash out at her, she felt a bit timid.
After sitting quietly for a while, the girl finally said, "Eric, how about I get a woman to come over?"
"Hmm?" Eric looked at her, puzzled.
"I thought you might need an outlet," Drew said hesitantly.
Eric forced a smile. "Who would I call? Is it not messy enough as it is?"
"Well..." The girl slowly lowered herself, kneeling on the floor, inching toward Eric and reaching for his belt.
Eric stopped Drew's action, ruffled her soft hair, and said, "All right, I really don't have the mood for that right now."
Hearing Eric say this, Drew stopped her movements, but she still nestled against his leg, rubbing her cheek against his thigh. "Eric, no matter what happens, I'm always yours."
"You misunderstand, Drew. It's actually that I'm the one calling to prevent them from speaking up. In this situation, it's best if they stay quiet."
"Okay," Drew chimed, obediently acknowledging, knowing that whatever Eric said was right.
*****
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