Chương 136: Chapter 136: No PR, No Awards
[Chapter 137: No PR, No Awards]
In a multi-million dollar mansion in Beverly Hills, Jennifer Aniston packed her belongings and approached Lucia in the living room, saying, "Please wrap the gift box I prepared for today."
"Sure," Lucia answered.
Brad Pitt emerged from the study, kissed Aniston, and asked, "Honey, are we still eating out for lunch?"
"To win an award, you have to wine and dine the judges," Aniston replied helplessly. "Without PR, how can I win?"
Pitt warned her, "Don't overdo it; take care of yourself. I'll wait for you to come back for dinner."
Aniston headed to the garage. Pitt watched as her car left the estate before returning inside.
As he entered the living room, where they had set up the Christmas tree, he noticed their nanny Lucia had changed outfits -- still in her maid uniform.
Perhaps due to having once served as a personal attendant to male actors, Pitt developed a particular fondness for the role of a nanny or maid after his rise to fame, akin to Quentin Tarantino's penchant for feet.
Lucia knelt before the Christmas tree that Aniston had set up herself.
Pitt quickly approached, and they soon engaged in a story of hidden encounters between master and maid.
By the afternoon, a fatigued-looking Aniston returned home, unaware of anything out of the ordinary, just like before.
Seizing the opportunity while Pitt was out, Lucia requested a vacation from Aniston, wishing to return after the Christmas holiday.
Aniston granted the leave and even sent a Christmas gift for Lucia's child.
Aniston would also be heading out soon; she had a soiree to attend that evening.
...
Lucia took her bag and left the mansion, driving her Nissan out of Beverly Hills, searching for a roadside parking space before promptly making a phone call.
Before long, two cars approached her location one after the other.
The first car surveyed one side while another monitored the opposite side; Campos finally made a call to Lucia, directing her over.
Lucia climbed into his car and returned her bag.
Having viewed the camera inside, Campos paid the remaining amount, stating, "You all leave tonight."
Lucia's family had not lived well in Los Angeles. "There's nothing worth reminiscing here."
Campos reminded her, "Don't return to California."
Lucia nodded and expressed, "I want to go..."
"No need to tell me." Being pursued by drug cartels, Mexican law enforcement usually received special treatment from their compatriots. Campos advised seriously, "Don't reveal anything to anyone."
By dark, Lucia drove back to Oliviera Street, picked up her husband and daughter, packed a few belongings, and under the cover of night, drove away from Los Angeles, heading onto the highway straight to Arizona.
With financial means and legal identity, settling down would become easier.
...
After Campos arrived at the safe house, the video from the camera was transferred to a laptop, just as Hawke instructed, copying it to several storage drives.
Moments later, Hawke and Edward came over.
They sat before the laptop, watching the footage of the nanny filming.
Pitt and the ordinary-looking nanny engaged in activity beneath the Christmas tree.
The video was clear, and various sounds could be heard, including Pitt expressing discontent and grievances about Aniston.
Pitt vented not only his desires but also the constraints of his married life.
"Pitt really has a great body; no wonder the nanny didn't ask for money before," Edward remarked, impressed.
Campos inquired, "If this video is released, will the faces of non-public figures be blurred?"
"Online media might not blur them, but traditional TV networks will," Hawke stated after watching the video. He switched off the player and patiently explained, "Videos like this are a seller's market. Networks may only get a handful each year, especially with Pitt being a top-tier actor. So long as the seller's conditions are reasonable, buyers generally agree."
Having done similar deals before, Campos asked, "If this one doesn't go through, can I seek another buyer?"
"Correct," Hawke confirmed. "Not only can you ask for a higher price, you can also include additional conditions in the exclusivity agreement, such as the requirement for the video to appear in news segments instead of being suppressed, and ensuring faces of non-key figures are blurred..."
Campos understood, "You mean I should sell this video myself?"
"Exactly." Hawke had previously shifted all filming responsibilities to Butterfly Company. "You should head to Channel 11's Ace News first."
In Los Angeles, there were hundreds of companies and studios that had provided news to Fox Channel 11 just in the last half-year.
Each day, thousands of individuals shot gossip and scandals involving stars.
Handling gossip surrounding business corporations or political figures was often riskier.
However, scandals about Hollywood stars or sports figures were comparatively safer.
Every year, there's bound to be a super-scale scandal involving celebrity figures. Like the infamous Kobe incident.
In all his years, Hawke had never heard of a reporter being silenced over celebrity scandals.
He pulled out several contact numbers for Campos to note down. "From now on, you'll handle this independently."
Campos nodded.
Hawke continued, "The producer and host currently in charge of Fox Channel 11's Ace News is named Megan Taylor. You contact her directly on behalf of Butterfly Company."
Campos replied, "I understand."
"The Brad Pitt's footage could fetch between $400,000 to $500,000 at least," Hawke quickly outlined. "Hundred-thousand dollars will serve as operation funds for your company. Some of it will also help you and your crew with legal status, and the remaining will be in cash or reserved funds, and I might have you procure vehicles or other items."
He took out his phone, dialing Erica. "Any updates on that matter we discussed last time?"
Edward picked up a pad and pen beside him and actively collaborated.
"I have a lead, take this down," Erica replied, relaying a contact number while reminding him, "A minimum of $30,000 per person; it's a bit pricey, but there shouldn't be aftercare issues."
Hawke nodded. "I won't say thank you to you; something's come up, so I'll talk to you later."
"Got it." Erica hung up.
Hawke asked Edward to pass the contact number to Campos. "When the time is right, you can handle their identification issues."
Campos collected the information. "I understand."
Hawke didn't linger, letting Edward take a copy before departing.
...
Campos grabbed his laptop and storage drives, then left to drive to the Fox TV center.
When he arrived at Channel 11, he found many freelance reporters coming to sell news, with studio staff coming in and out frequently.
Because he had contacted Ace News during the show and reported that there was explosive news about Pitt's cheating, Campos was treated preferentially by the show crew and entered the reception room alone.
Aisha watched the video and immediately called Megan.
The latter had been informed by Hawke, but still pretended to be ignorant of the matter. She first negotiated a piece of heavyweight news with a female paparazzi before coming to the reception room.
After watching the footage, Megan was very satisfied with the explosiveness of the news and decided to invite Hawke to her house to reward him.
This footage regarding two of the most-followed stars in America was undeniably a seller's market; securing a price of $500,000 and Campos' terms would not pose any problems.
The contracts for the rights transfer were quickly signed.
...
Upon returning to the studio, Hawke received a call from Campos, confirming the video would air on Ace News as scheduled.
He dialed Sarah Parker, "Channel 11, Ace News."
...
In the Sherman Oaks mansion, Sarah lay in her upstairs master bedroom, utterly drained. Beside her nightstand, the bottle of liniment Edward sent her was now empty.
Heaven only knows what this woman had been through recently.
Finally energizing herself, Sarah exclaimed, "That's amazing!"
Worried she might lose her mind, Hawke abruptly ended the call.
Meanwhile, Sarah emerged from her bedroom clad in a nightgown, calling downstairs, "Stephen, where are the happy waters you bought? Could you bring me a few bottles?"
Stephen strolled into the grand hall, asking, "Didn't you just have one? Using it up so quickly? You wouldn't gulp it down, would you?"
Sarah rushed downstairs, retrieving three bottles.
...
Award season in Los Angeles was always a bustling time, markedly more chaotic than the mayoral elections.
At a rather unremarkable party, impeccably dressed Jennifer Aniston was mingling among several media reporters, discussing the latest hot topics, including Sarah Parker.
Sarah was Aniston's primary competition.
While they chatted, Aniston suddenly observed that some newcomers entering the venue were glancing over at her and whispering among themselves.
Some server even passed by, shooting her odd looks.
Gossip travels faster than wildfire, spreading like a plague throughout the banquet hall.
As a star, Aniston was particularly sensitive to certain feelings.
She sensed she had become the center of attention in the banquet hall!
The problem was that there were many stars here.
Her old friend Courteney Cox quickly approached, grabbing Aniston by the arm. "Something's up, come with me."
Aniston followed Courteney outside, anxiously asking, "What's happened?"
"I overheard people discussing how Fox 11's Ace News aired footage of Pitt cheating with your nanny," Courteney replied. Although she hadn't seen it herself, the word of mouth suggested otherwise, "You better check it out."
...
As people walked past, strange glances landed on her again.
Aniston felt a full wave of discomfort wash over her and quickly entered a lounge, rifling through her bag to pull out a long-stored number, dialing with hesitant hope.
"Fox 11, Megan Taylor," came the response.
Aniston revealed her identity. "Megan, are you out to get me? You could give me a heads-up before doing this!"
"Let me correct you; I'm not out to get you; it's Pitt who cheated with your nanny," Megan replied, sounding defiant as per Fox's stance: "And also, it's against Fox's protocol to notify involved parties before airing news."
Aniston knew well that Fox was not the rigid, old-fashioned type.
She abandoned her insistence, "I want a copy of the original video."
Megan responded, "Would you prefer it sent to your email or to come get it?"
"Send it to my email," Aniston provided an email address, stating, "Quickly, I need to view it right now."
There was a computer available for entertainment within the lounge.
Courteney powered it on, and by the time Aniston hung up, the computer was already booted up.
As Aniston logged into her email, the video arrived shortly after.
While the female face was blurred, Aniston instantly recognized her; it was Lucia.
Pitt and Lucia engaged right beneath the Christmas tree that Aniston had meticulously decorated.
Amidst it all, Pitt spoke some unsavory remarks about her.
Aniston turned off the video, yet she showed no anger or panic.
After all, Lucia wasn't the first nanny Pitt had messed around with; that's why she changed to a less attractive nanny.
Previously, they had handled things privately without any rumors surfacing.
But now, Pitt had not only cheated again but had been broadcast on television.
Aniston felt utterly betrayed, her greatest concern being the embarrassment now shared with the world.
Pitt's phone rang at that moment, but without a second thought, Aniston hung up and told Courteney, "Can I stay at your place tonight?"
Courteney replied, "Perfect timing; David is away filming. I could use someone to keep me company."
The two of them left the hotel together, got into the car from the back door and left together before the reporters could react.
...
In the vehicle, Aniston made up her mind, first calling her lawyer: "I want a divorce as swiftly as possible, no child support from that jerk; let's stick to the prenup."
Next, she contacted her agent: "Tomorrow morning, I want to call a press conference to announce my divorce from Pitt."
Finally, she reached out to her public relations manager: "Draft a statement regarding my divorce from Pitt."
Having taken care of this, Aniston leaned back against her seat, her phone slipping from her grasp, feeling utterly drained.
Courteney asked, "Have you thought this through? Diving into a divorce will consume a lot of your energy. If it escalates into a messy divorce battle, it will complicate matters and be detrimental to your award chances."
Aniston slumped against her friend and simply stated, "I want a divorce!"
...
That night, an uproar erupted across America, centering around the first celebrity couple of Hollywood undergoing a deep relationship crisis, dominating all news cycles.
The next morning, looking exhausted, Aniston promptly appeared at the press conference to announce her divorce from Brad Pitt.
Pitt was not one to sit idle.
Seeing no chance of salvaging their relationship, he began leveraging his media contacts, crafting carefully polished articles to attack Aniston.
Like reports claiming Aniston was unable to conceive, among others.
Though their divorce could be characterized as a straightforward course of action compared to the drawn-out divorce between Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, neither held back from slinging mud.
The entire American public was glued to their popcorn.
Aniston was overwhelmed and battered by the scrutiny surrounding her divorce and the fiery media frenzy.
Whenever she appeared in public, she drew five to six paparazzi, alongside Pitt's fans hurling verbal abuse.
Inspired by feminist critique aimed at Broderick, some of Pitt's extreme fans even subjected Aniston to bio-chemical warfare.
Similarly, Rachel's zealous fans waged biochemical attacks against Pitt.
Aniston found herself unable to go out, work, or live normally, concluding she needed to leave North America for a time.
Before Christmas arrived, Aniston announced through her agent her withdrawal from the awards season PR, then she and her friend Courteney took a private jet to temporarily escape North America, the land of strife.
...
Throughout Hollywood's awards season, an unspoken rule had taken root: Without PR, there would be no awards for the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Aniston's departure from awards season effectively amounted to giving up her chance at the Golden Globes.
The day before Christmas, Sarah Parker had arranged to meet with Hawke and Caroline at a Beverly Hills business club.
Having won her divorce lawsuit, this woman had secured a substantial portion of couple's assets.
At the entrance of the club, Hawke peered outside through the glass wall.
Stephen drove Sarah over, and as she alighted from the car, she was careful, even covering her rounded belly as she walked. With years of ingrained acting skills and makeshift training, she showcased the finesse of a qualified expectant mother.
Journalists alerted by Caroline congregated outside the club, snapping pictures.
Pregnant mommy Sarah Parker would appear in the news the next day.
Hawke commented to Caroline, "Sarah isn't looking for something from us; she's seeking to create her pregnant image."
Caroline added, "That was all your idea." She hinted at Hawke, "I feel like she has some unusual intentions towards you."
Hawke's hairs bristled at her remark, "Don't joke about that; I can't handle it."
Caroline responded with surprise, "You can feel fear?"
"This isn't fear, but..." Hawke struggled to find a suitable word to describ the sentiment, saying, "We are normal, while they? A bunch of perverts, you know?"
Caroline blinked, "But I think you're a pervert."
Hawke scoffed, "What did you say? Do you need to think about it again?"
"Am I wrong? With respect to normal people, who gives anyone such nicknames?" Caroline continued teasing, "Normal people would never force someone as fashionable, beautiful, and elegant as me to act like a sheep!"
Hawke grinned at her.
Suddenly realizing she hadn't received all her earnings yet, Caroline quickly changed her expression, beaming wide as she opened her mouth, "Baa--"
Just then, Sarah entered the club's front door.
Hawke turned and walked towards the meeting room.
They all filtered inside.
Sarah could hardly contain her excitement. "Are we winning?"
Hawke cautioned, "The awards ceremony is still more than half a month away, so don't mention victory, and don't celebrate early."
Having dealt with the Johnson incident, Caroline advised, "Sarah, better listen to Hawke."
With their biggest competitor being worked against to the point of withdrawing and leaving North America, Sarah now obeyed Hawke obediently. "Okay, no mentioning of winning or early celebrations, we need to keep our PR efforts going."
Looking at Hawke and Caroline, she added, "Once I win Best Actress, I'll throw a grand party to celebrate."
It was at that moment that agent Sofia also rushed over.
She arrived together with Caroline and Sarah to discuss normal PR matters.
Stephen called Hawke aside to talk outside: "I've procured a batch of liniment and high-concentration pepper spray. I've found a few people to assist, and it'll be sent into Broderick's prison shortly."
Hawke nodded. "I believe Broderick will thank us for this."
*****
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