Chapter 42: One Thought to Heaven, One Thought to the Mortal World
Chapter 42: One Thought to Heaven, One Thought to the Mortal World
After eleven o’clock, the people at the party gradually took their leave. Eric saw off the last departing guest, Jeffrey Hansen, then returned to the living room and discovered Julia Roberts curiously flipping through a stack of photographs. These photos had been left behind by the group of girls who attended the party today.
Speaking of which, those girls had truly come prepared. Detailed personal information was written on the back of each photo, even including private measurements.
Eric had struggled at the bottom of the entertainment industry in his previous life, so he understood very well these girls’ desire to rise to fame. Thus, when they nervously handed him their photographs, Eric did not refuse them and politely said he would contact them if needed.
“Mr. Eric, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snoop through these things,” Julia said quickly when she noticed Eric appear.
Eric waved his hand to show he did not mind. Walking over to the sofa, he sat down and leisurely began flipping through the photos one by one.
“You know, Julia? Every year, thousands upon thousands of young men and women come to Los Angeles chasing dreams of becoming stars. Among them, even those who manage to get temporary roles in film crews make up less than one percent. And those who eventually become world-famous film stars are one in ten thousand.”
At this point, Eric looked at Julia meaningfully before continuing, “Most people waste a few years, recognize reality, pack their bags, and return home, going back to their original lives. That’s already the best outcome. As for those who still refuse to give up and continue yearning for the glamorous life of the entertainment world, they often end up scattered across the tangled streets and alleys of Greater Los Angeles, struggling aimlessly at society’s bottom. Some even abandon the principles they once held dear and gradually sink into becoming gangsters, prostitutes, thieves, drug dealers, swindlers, pimps, adult film actors…”
Julia was not stupid. The more she listened, the more she realized that Eric was indirectly emphasizing one fact: for actors, opportunity was everything.
This young man seemed strangely determined to get her. She was very curious why, after meeting her only once, he would develop such a thought.
She did not believe in love or hatred without reason, nor was she narcissistic enough to think Eric desired her body. Among the girls at tonight’s party, several had been much prettier than her and had repeatedly flirted with the young man, yet not one of them had successfully stayed the night.
In the end, Julia could not help asking, “Mr. Eric… why me?”
Eric set down the photos and stood up. Walking in front of Julia, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. One hand wrapped around her slender waist while the index finger of his other hand gently traced across her youthful face before finally stopping on her sexy lips.
Julia was stunned by Eric’s sudden action. Her hands instinctively guarded her chest while her mind went blank. She even forgot to resist. Looking up into Eric’s eyes—eyes filled with appreciation and amusement as they stared at her—her red lips, which he was caressing, trembled slightly.
“Because I want to.”
The confident and domineering voice sounded beside her ear, finally snapping Julia back to her senses.
“Please… don’t do this,” Julia protested softly, though the hands pushing against Eric carried very little strength.
The amusement in Eric’s eyes deepened. Holding Julia’s face in both hands, he lowered his head and fiercely kissed those sensual lips.
“Mmph…”
Julia let out a muffled sound and struggled a few times, but she was soon lost in Eric’s practiced, passionate kiss. Her body gradually softened until she finally leaned weakly against him.
“Ahem…”
Another voice suddenly rang out in the room. The two people clinging together jumped in fright and quickly separated.
Relishing the memory of the girl’s tender tongue, Eric turned dissatisfied toward the plump figure standing by the kitchen door.
“Hey, Vanessa, why haven’t you left yet?”
The chubby chef standing at the kitchen entrance with a box of utensils in her arms teased, “Sorry, Eric. Even though I really didn’t want to interrupt you two, I just wanted to ask whether Julia needs a ride home. It’s already pretty late.”
“I do—” Julia had barely spoken one word before Eric interrupted her.
“No need, Vanessa. You go ahead. I’ll drive Julia home myself.”
Vanessa pretended not to notice the dissatisfied look Julia shot toward Eric. Understandingly, she blinked and left while carrying the box of utensils, swaying her large hips.
“Now no one will interrupt us anymore. Let’s continue,” Eric said with a wicked grin toward Julia.
Vanessa’s interruption had completely snapped Julia out of the situation. Only now did she realize in shock that she had just shared a deep kiss with a boy she had only met for the first time today.
Moreover, throughout the entire exchange, her emotions had been firmly controlled by him. Julia had been living independently since she was seventeen or eighteen, and she was an extremely self-reliant woman deep down. Because of that, the strange feeling of dependence she had developed toward Eric during their intimacy made her very resistant. She did not want to become anyone’s accessory.
Straightening her chest slightly, Julia tightened her expression and tried to make her voice sound cold and firm.
“Mr. Eric, shouldn’t you apologize for your rude behavior just now? We only just met, yet you actually… actually…”
“If you want, I apologize, Miss Julia. And then let’s continue?”
Hearing those completely insincere words, Julia became furious. She slapped away Eric’s wandering hand that had reached toward her again.
“Don’t even think about it. It’s already late. I want to go home. Please… please drive me back.”
“Alright. Before I drive you home, I have a proposal.”
Eric withdrew his teasing smile and said seriously, “I’ve thought it over. I’m going to acquire a talent agency as soon as possible. After that, I’ll offer you an excellent contract and personally arrange your future. I’ll turn you into a woman all of Hollywood’s actresses look up to. Julia, what do you think?”
Wasn’t this the exact same speech every talent scout used to trick young dreamers entering Hollywood?
Listening to Eric’s self-important words, Julia crossed her arms over her chest and snorted coldly.
“And what if I refuse, Mr. Eric?”
Eric paid no attention to her chilly tone. Casually picking up the thick stack of girls’ photographs again, he flipped through them while speaking softly, almost as if to himself, though his voice carried an irresistible temptation.
“If you refuse, then that would simply be unfortunate. I’ll randomly pick one girl from this stack of photographs and give her the stage name ‘Julia Roberts.’ Then I’ll arrange a series of blockbuster films for her, personally make her famous, bring her into the twenty-million-dollar salary club, send her onto the Oscar stage as Best Actress, and turn her into the unrivaled queen of Hollywood for the next ten or even twenty years. Eventually, she’ll become a legendary Hollywood woman like Vivien Leigh or Audrey Hepburn.
“And you—the real Julia Roberts—might get a few decent roles after Mystic Pizza, become mildly famous for a while, then fade into obscurity. If you’re lucky, by the time your beauty begins to fade, you’ll catch some third-rate Hollywood director as a husband and occasionally land insignificant roles in low-budget films…”
Julia was not a reincarnator like Eric. She could not possibly know how dazzling her achievements would become in another life. Combined with nearly a year of frustration, the confidence she once had when entering the industry had already been worn away. She could not help imagining herself in the second fate Eric described.
Although her original resolve had already begun to waver, Julia still stubbornly mocked him.
“Mr. Eric, if it were really as easy as you say to turn a girl into another Audrey Hepburn, then Hollywood superstars would be worthless. What do you think you are? Steven Spielberg? George Lucas?”
“Of course not. I’m not anyone else. I’m simply myself—Eric Williams.”
As he spoke, Eric casually pulled one photograph from the stack. After glancing at the information written on the back, he said, “I think this ‘Julia Roberts’ would do nicely. What do you think?”
Julia instinctively took the photograph. The girl in the photo actually resembled her somewhat, though she was prettier. She was tall, with blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and lips that were equally sexy yet not overly exaggerated.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Julia flipped the photograph over to read the information. The girl was only nineteen years old, a graduate of the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Los Angeles, and had already played supporting roles in three films. In almost every aspect, she seemed slightly superior to Julia. A trace of inferiority quietly spread through her heart.
Eric, however, gave her no time to dwell on it and continued, “Now, Julia—one thought to heaven, one thought to the mortal world. Are you willing to gamble?”
Looking at Eric’s infuriating expression, there was a moment when Julia truly wanted to throw the photograph into his face and storm away.
But the desires deep within her quickly suppressed that impulse. Though the brilliant future Eric described for her “replacement” sounded absurd, when she thought of the boy from Home Alone who had already become one of the hottest child stars in America—and even the world—Julia hesitated again.
Among all the men and women trying to enter Hollywood’s vanity fair, who was not pursuing wealth, fame, and that intoxicating feeling of being worshipped by countless people?
“You… you promise?”
Julia gripped the photograph tightly in her hands. After remaining silent for a while, she looked up at Eric. Yet after less than a second of eye contact, her gaze quickly drifted away again.
A triumphant smile flashed across Eric’s lips before disappearing. He domineeringly pulled the girl into his arms again.
“I promise.”
Then he lowered his head and kissed Julia’s sexy lips once more.
Now that she had made her choice, Julia completely abandoned resistance and allowed the man before her to greedily enjoy her lips and tongue.
A minute later, Eric was no longer satisfied with mere kissing. Pulling the hem of Julia’s shirt from her jeans, his hands slipped inside through the opening.
The two finally separated. Eric placed his hands on Julia’s shoulders and pressed down lightly.
Julia understood what the man wanted her to do. A pleading look appeared on her flushed face, but that tiny bit of resistance was quickly crushed beneath the oppressive force of his gaze. In the end, she could only kneel down obediently.
The air drifting through the late night seemed hazy and intoxicating, while the dim lights themselves appeared dyed with an ambiguous shade of pink.