Three months later, Clarissa and Matthew were doing great.
They had stopped puking. Instead, they ate well and slept well. Matthew’s couvade was also gone. Therefore, he had put on weight and recovered the shine on his face.
Both of them were happy and so was Damian.
After all, since his sister no longer tormented his parents, he finally dared to touch Clarissa’s stomach.
In fact, he would do so before and after school. Whenever he touched it, he could feel her growing gradually in Clarissa’s tummy.
Soon, Clarissa’s bump began to expand.
“Mommy, when will my sister be out? I have prepared a lot of presents for her.”
At school, Damian had made many handicrafts and drawings. He had wanted to present all of them to his sister.
Unfortunately, he had asked the question one too many times.
“You will have to wait for the new year. Your sister will be out then.”
“That’s still a long time away…”
After counting with his fingers, Damian went to strike off the dates on the calendar. He would repeat the gesture every day in anticipation of his sister’s arrival.
Meanwhile, Catherine had arrived in D City. Given that the weather was getting warmer, Clarissa wanted her to stay longer. In fact, she even hoped that Catherine could stay permanently.
After all, she was getting old and Clarissa was worried about her returning to her hometown alone. Furthermore, she was concerned that the reporters would hound her once in a while.
As some time had passed since Hilary’s murder, the controversy that ensued gradually died down.
Every day, the netizens turned their focus onto patriotic events and celebrity relationships.
Separately, Shermaine’s career in showbiz had taken flight. Not only did she reinvent herself as someone who had turned over a new leaf, but she had also ventured into the business industry. Other than acting, she was rumored to have taken over her father’s business. Moreover, she planned to expand into the entertainment industry by both investment and acting. By doing so, she would make another attempt at achieving greatness.
Just when Shermaine’s fortune was on the rise, she would undoubtedly be compared to Clarissa.
Many netizens were undecided on who was more successful given the myriad of opinions out there.
Although Clarissa didn’t care for it, Shermaine did.
Clarissa’s focus was now on the baby and the progress of her movie.
As Justin had taken complete control over the production of the movie, Clarissa sent a representative to sign a new contract with him. She wanted to act professional and be fair to him by at least ensuring he wouldn’t make a loss.
Nevertheless, they still got a good deal as having Justin direct a romantic movie was still considered overkill.
From the netizens’ perspective, it would lower Justin’s legendary status. At the same time, many others were looking forward to seeing what Justin could do with an innocent love story.
Compared to Clarissa, Justin’s popularity hyped the movie up even further. Many more were interested to see a romantic movie directed by Justin. Therefore, the change of directors garnered a lot of goodwill on behalf of the movie.
When Yael went to Zen Highlands to see Clarissa, she couldn’t help but praise the perfect timing of her pregnancy.
“Think about it, if not for the child, you would still be directing the movie and it wouldn’t have generated the buzz it currently enjoys. Even though Ryler is in it, it still wasn’t enough. But with Director Yates taking over, the movie’s stature has automatically been elevated. This is a pleasant surprise indeed!” Yael exclaimed bluntly.
Clarissa squirmed her lips. “Yael, are you saying that you weren’t confident in me directing the movie in the first place? Why did you agree then? Aren’t you worried that the studio would make a loss?”
Bursting into laughter, Yael responded candidly.
“To be honest, I wasn’t optimistic about your directorial skills. But, we wouldn’t end up making a loss as you are still highly popular. Given that this is your love story with Mr. Tyson, I’m sure we could make a decent profit still.”
“Haha…”
Clarissa responded with a sarcastic laugh so that Yael would reflect on her comments.
Coincidentally, Damian had finished school and Matthew was carrying him in. His face lit up the moment he saw Yael.
“Ms. Fleming, it’s been a long while. I have missed you.”
“Oh, what a sweet talker you are! You’re certainly better at it than your mom.”
Pretending not to get the joke, Damian walked up to Clarissa and stroked her stomach. “Hi there, it’s your brother here. Once I’m done with dinner, I’ll tell you a story. Today, I learned a new one.”
Yael’s eyes sparkled as she watched Damian.
After Matthew brought Damian upstairs to change, Yael suddenly remarked, “Given the qualities your son has and the resources at your disposal, we should get him into showbiz. Adorable kids are all the rage now. Give Damian a chance! I’m sure the entire nation will love him. When he grows older, he will become a hunk…”
“Stop! Yael, since when did you become a scout?”
“Not me. The studio has plans for expansion. I’m sure we’re able to groom a couple of celebrities. What do you think? Sign your son up, and he will definitely be a crowd favorite.”
“No. Why don’t you ask Matthew?”
Yael was stumped. “Forget it. Take it that I never asked.”
However, it’s still a waste of talent for him not to join showbiz. Once he is revealed to the public, his popularity will definitely soar.
Yael lamented the lost opportunity. Right before she left, she even shot Damian another reluctant glance.
When Matthew saw the look in Yael’s eyes, he realized something was amiss.
“What is she up to?”
Clarissa laughed. “Nothing much. She just wants Damian to be her first signing.”
“As a celebrity?”
“I’m not really sure, but that seems to be what she has in mind. The company seems to be expanding under her leadership. As the boss, I do feel bad over it. Given that I have a bigger stake in the company than her, should I give her some of my shares?”
“This is what you have agreed in the beginning and has nothing to do with the amount of effort she put in. You can take note of her contributions and reward her in the future, but she is just doing her job. If she is unhappy, she would broach the topic with you directly. Now that she didn’t, there’s no need for you to bring it up.”
“Alright… in that case, why don’t I drop by the set tomorrow to check on them?”
Despite Clarissa’s quick change of topic, Matthew didn’t fall for it.
Raising his eyebrows, he tried to hold back his smile.
Clarissa couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. Nevertheless, she still spoke her mind.
“As a director, I feel irresponsible for leaving halfway. Wouldn’t it be too much if I didn’t drop by until the movie is finished? If you’re worried about my body, the doctor has given me a clean bill of health. Besides, all I’m going to do there is look around and chat them up. Not like I’m doing anything dangerous.”
“But, the reporters may spot you.”
“No, they won’t. Now that the controversy has died down, the reporters are no longer that aggressive. Do you mean to say that I should never go out because I need to avoid them forever?”
Matthew pinched his nose. “You really have tons of excuses.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“Fine. You can go, but wait for a day when I’m free.”
“You’re interested in going?”
Matthew smiled. “Shouldn’t I check on the present you’ve given me? Besides, as one of the investors, it’s my prerogative to be there. Furthermore, it would demonstrate how much importance I place on the movie.”
Clarissa was speechless.
Finally, she mumbled, “You have just as many excuses as I do.”
Matthew laughed in response. “Those aren’t excuses. They are valid reasons. Don’t they make sense?”
“Yea, yea. The president is always right.”
“Mmm-hmm. As the president’s wife, listening to me is the best decision you can make.”
Just when Clarissa made a face at Matthew, he pulled her closer to kiss her. After all, she wasn’t going to submit.
Matthew was a man of his word. After taking some time off, he accompanied Clarissa to the set.
Since Justin was informed ahead of time, he briefed his crew to keep their visit a secret. By the time they arrived, there was not a reporter in sight.
The crew missed Clarissa a lot as they had not seen her for a long time.
Roxanne especially missed her. The moment she saw Clarissa, she looked as if she was about to cry. Given her righteous character, she was filled with indignance when Clarissa was unfairly ridiculed online. She felt so angry that she burst out into tears.
When he saw her crying, Ryler came to stop her.
“Roxanne, your idol is doing fine. What are you crying for?”
Smirking, Roxanne averted her gaze, ignoring him on purpose.
“Clarissa, I have missed you. Also, know that I will always support you. Even if the whole world doesn’t believe you, I will still do so. You shouldn’t feel sad. Those people will know they are wrong sooner or later. Everyone knows that you’re a kind person.”
Warmed by her words, Clarissa hugged Roxanne.
“Silly gal. I’m not sad. I won’t waste my emotions on people who are not important to me. You should do the same.”
“Mmm-hmm. Whatever you say, Clarissa.”
Ryler couldn’t help but add, “Why do you obey everything Clarissa says while refusing to listen to me?”
Roxanne continued to ignore her as she helped Clarissa along.
“Clarissa, Director Yates is busy filming other scenes. So, let me show you around. Also, there are a few places in the script where I’m not really sure what emotions I should portray. Hence, I would like you to explain them to me.”
“Sure…”
As Clarissa and Roxanne walked away, Ryler felt as if he was invisible.
Smiling helplessly, he figured he must have offended Roxanne somehow.
