Beverly Hills, Cooper Family.
Phew.
Eric and his father sat together, while the five women stood in different positions, some looking down at their phones, some staring at Eric, and others glancing at each other.
The five women seemed to form a pentagram, with Eric as the sacrifice about to be offered in the center.
More accurately, the Olsen Sisters stood together. They were already close twins and had been with Eric countless times.
Even when Eric was busy, they would comfort each other privately. To say they were close enough to share a pair of pants would be an insult to their relationship; sharing a pair of underwear would be more accurate.
For Ashley and Mary, sharing Eric was not difficult to accept, and they had no objections to a three-person marriage.
Even if Elizabeth were added, they would probably accept the three sisters sharing one husband.
Of course, if that slut Elena was also included, it might be too much.
Eric lowered his head and gently exhaled a breath. In June, white mist appeared, surely because the air conditioning in the house was too strong.
"It feels a bit cold; I'll go adjust the air conditioning."
The silent atmosphere lasted for a while. Eric stood up, preparing to make an excuse to escape. He couldn't stand the quiet and wanted to hide in the kitchen.
Next to him, his father held him down, somehow finding the remote control and placing it in Eric's hand.
"Use this. I'll go see how dinner preparations are coming along. You all have a good chat."
After speaking, he ignored Eric and quickly left the scene alone.
Eric really wanted to grab his father's hand and shout, "Dad, don't go!"
But his father only left him with a meaningful look to ponder, as if saying, "Son, this time, Dad truly can't help! May you seek your own blessings."
The two father and son were speechless, a few steps like an eternal separation, only a withered bone remaining when they met again.
His father's departure was indeed dashing, leaving only the six of them. The atmosphere immediately became even more awkward and subtle.
As the only officially announced girlfriend, Gadot felt no joy at this moment; instead, her heart was pounding.
For no other reason than Charlize Theron was just a few steps to her left, exerting too much pressure.
Even though they were equally matched in height and not much different in figure, perhaps her own breasts were a bit smaller, but Charlize Theron's weren't exactly colossal either.
What if you're one cup size smaller than me? Anyway, for Eric, one hand and one mouth could hold and suck steadily, so there wasn't much difference.
The key was that the other party had been famous for a long time, had just won an Oscar, was a true commercial and artistic success, praised by various media, and crowned with the title of goddess.
In countless magazine and media rankings of contemporary Hollywood actresses, Charlize Theron consistently ranked in the top three.
Although she herself had become popular with transformers, her foundation was still shallow, naturally making her weaker in comparison.
As for Nicole Kidman, also crowned with the title of goddess, Gadot was not worried at all, because the other party had a fatal weakness: age.
A woman nearly 40 years old, still wanting to contend with me?
She hasn't even asked Eric's parents if they agree.
How should they address each other when they meet?
Calling them Dad and Mom or Big Brother and Big Sister, these were all very awkward questions.
"Now I am Eric's officially recognized girlfriend. Needless to say, these women must be dying of jealousy!"
"Oh no, will they gang up on me? What if they all make things difficult for me?"
Thinking of this, Gadot subtly moved back a bit and gave Eric a look.
However, the other person was only focused on picking at his fingernails, silently chanting, "Don't see me, don't see me," all the sweet words he used to coax her a few days ago now treated as farts.
Nicole sat on a chair, also wearing a dress today. She crossed her legs, looking at Eric with a normal expression, even though he didn't dare to look at anyone.
But her posture had to be perfect, her attitude elegant, so that no one could see the slightest panic.
Because she was well aware of her weakness: her age.
If she had given birth earlier, she could have been Eric's mother.
So, the more it was a Shura field moment like this, the more composed she needed to be, to show her calm and unflappable demeanor.
The calmer she was, the more pressure she could exert on the others. This was a golden rule learned from decades of bickering.
The disadvantage of age had to be compensated for in other ways, such as by showing her generosity and tolerance.
Moreover, she had an advantage that no one else possessed: a good relationship with Eric's mother.
After their relationship was clarified a few days ago, she proactively contacted Emily Cooper, apologizing and flattering, expressing that she only approached her because she loved Eric too much, and finally gained her understanding.
Yesterday, the two even went to church together for worship; she was almost ready to call her Mom on the spot.
Nicole subtly scanned the four women present: "Can you do it? Do the Cooper Family know you? You're still too green to fight with me!"
Ashley and Mary huddled together, whispering something, their conversation inaudible to others.
"Mary, so this bastard didn't just invite us for dinner. What do we do?"
"Three stinking bitches! I knew those rumors were true. They must have seduced Eric, especially Nicole Kidman. Look at her slutty demeanor, what kind of sitting posture is that? Does she think she's the mistress of the house? What a show-off!"
"You've already cursed enough at home. I'm asking what we should do?"
"Of course, we eat. We've come this far; you're not thinking of backing down, are you?"
"But look at them, they all seem very difficult to deal with!"
"What's there to be afraid of! We're not easy to deal with either. Don't forget there are two of us, and that scoundrel Eric loves sandwiches the most."
"Besides, Nicole Kidman is an old woman. Do men marry her to worship her like an ancestor? She probably can't even have children."
"Charlize Theron also has plenty of scandals. Look at that bitch's collarbone, so thin you can see the bones. It must hurt a lot when playing, and she's also several years older than Eric."
"What does Gal Gadot have? Isn't it just that her height is better than ours? What else does she have? Look at the muscles on her arms; she's practically a man. Are we going to fence with her?"
"Don't worry, Ashley, we have the advantage. The only thing we need to do is please Eric's parents, and we also have a trump card."
"What?"
"Elizabeth!"
"Ah?"
"Ah what? You haven't seen the way Elizabeth looks at that guy, have you? She's practically written 'I like him' on her face, and she already found out about us and Eric."
"How do you know?"
"One time, I noticed her peeking at us having sex. Don't let her age of 15 fool you; she knows everything."
"You're not thinking of offering Elizabeth to Eric, are you?"
"Ashley, do you think without us, those two wouldn't hook up? Do you believe in that bastard's character, or do you believe Elizabeth's feelings aren't deep enough?"
Hearing this, Ashley nodded helplessly.
"So this is our trump card. I don't believe there's a man in the world who can resist, let alone this big pervert."
"Alright then."
Watching the whispering Olsen Sisters, Theron always felt they were talking about her.
She leaned against the wine cabinet like a cold goddess, feigning indifference, studying the alcohol in her hand.
Her face was already chiseled and sharp, and even in a white dress, she exuded an unapproachable aura.
Of course, this scene was for the other four bitches; in reality, she was already going crazy! A little person inside her was constantly cursing.
For her, when she saw Nicole Kidman appear, she realized that she wasn't the only one invited tonight.
That bastard Eric, all his apologies were bullshit. All that talk about only loving her, about having broken off with the others, about growing old together, were just jokes to deceive her.
At that moment, Theron suddenly felt like the clown was herself.
With her somewhat resolute personality, if Harry Cooper hadn't been present, she would have wanted to beat up the dog-couple on the spot, not stopping until their faces were a bloody mess.
Never mind if she could win or not, just hit them first!
Those two bastards must have been sleeping together countless times behind her back during filming. Maybe they just finished, and she was already eating. The thought made her sick.
She just didn't know that Eric and Nicole's relationship was established earlier than hers. From a timing perspective, she was the mistress.
Of course, her being a mistress was passive; it was mainly because Eric wielded his hoe well and dug her up!
But with the arrival of Gadot and the Olsen Sisters, Theron's shock and anger turned into astonishment.
What the hell are you doing calling all five of us here? Don't tell me you have some unrealistic fantasy of a big group sleepover.
A battle raged in her mind, one moment wanting to leave, the next missing Eric's kindness to her.
Although he appeared white, Eric's soul was still Chinese; some thought processes couldn't be changed.
For example, he still maintained meticulous care for the women he loved. They would hold hands when going out, and he would help with housework.
He always showed concern, fearing they would get cold when it was chilly, or suffer heatstroke when it was hot, often telling the women not to work too hard, and that he would support them.
Never mind if the messages were mass-sent; loving many people and being considerate are two different things, and they can coexist! This is universal love!
Sometimes he would even cook himself, even if the taste wasn't great. He would remember each important woman's special time and send warm greetings and delicious soup.
This meticulous thoughtfulness was something Western men lacked. Some Western men would even split the weight when carrying things, claiming to respect gender equality.
Among Theron's ex-boyfriends, none had ever been as warm as him, none had ever made her feel the beauty of love so deeply.
No man had ever rekindled her vibrant hope for marriage, enabled her to emerge from the shadow of her parents' failed marriage, and made her yearn to build a loving home with him.
Moreover, Eric wasn't just talk; he genuinely supported the women he championed, always giving her good roles first.
If that wasn't enough, there were also the MGM shares that were practically given away.
1% seemed small, but it was actually terrifyingly large.
Even though MGM's stock price had been significantly affected and dropped a lot recently, 1% of the shares were still worth over 100 million.
Shout from the top of Mount Everest and ask: how many billionaires in the world would directly give their wives 100 million dollars to spend?
Are there any?
Perhaps, but there are definitely none who would directly give their girlfriend 100 million dollars!
Looking at the four women around her, a competitive spirit unexpectedly surged within her.
"I am an Oscar Winner, the recognized most beautiful and sexiest actress in Hollywood. If I just walk away like this, wouldn't it be like admitting defeat?"
"Will I lose? Of course not, I will only keep winning!"
"I want to be Eric's wife, I want to be his spouse, I want everyone to respectfully call me Mrs. Cooper!"
Suddenly, the others seemed to sense something, and the atmosphere in the living room changed dramatically.
Before, it was just frighteningly quiet, but now it felt as if lightning was flashing.
It's well known that martial arts masters will stare at each other for a considerable amount of time before a duel.
They might even add a few boastful lines in between.
One might say, "This sword of mine is forged from deep-sea cold iron, weighs three taels and seven qian, and has drunk the blood of fifty-one swordsmen."
The other might say, "This sword of mine is refined from Western gold essence, four feet three inches long, and has claimed a hundred souls."
After boasting, they continue to glare at each other, the atmosphere becoming increasingly menacing, until a fallen leaf or a drop of water, or even a drop of urine, falls.
Then it's like a collision of Mars and Earth, and an earth-shattering battle is about to unfold.
This was precisely the situation in the Cooper Family's living room. As Theron made her move, striding her long legs towards Eric.
Nicole, Gadot, Ashley, and Mary also watched her warily, following her towards Eric.
At that instant, Eric felt several powerful pressures rushing towards him. He hastily stood up and said, "Um, how about we play mahjong?"
"You all wait a moment; I'll go get the mahjong table."
With that, Eric tried to slip away.
But just as he took half a step, he heard Theron say in an undeniable tone, "Sit down, don't move!"
If it were before, Eric would surely have retorted with "Then you move yourself," but now was clearly not the time to be cute.
He chickened out, his raised butt falling back onto the seat.
"Why are you yelling at him!"
No sooner had his butt touched the sofa than Mary's shout rang out from behind him, startling Eric and making him stand up again.
Theron looked at Mary displeasedly: "I told Eric to sit down, what's it to you?"
"Eric is my boyfriend, what right do you have to order him around!" Mary retorted, unwilling to show weakness.
But her words clearly stirred up a hornet's nest. Gadot and Nicole both frowned.
"Who said Eric is your boyfriend? Did he admit it?"
"A self-proclaimed girlfriend, how shameless!"
"That's still better than an old woman. How old are you, still trying to eat tender grass like an old cow? You're old enough to be Eric's mother."
Stung by the jab, Nicole's expression remained unchanged: "Uneducated women are indeed vulgar. The Cooper Family has no place for women with loose tongues."
Gadot, hearing this, felt it was a dig at herself, because although Eric had arranged for her university enrollment, she had hardly attended a single day.
She immediately rolled her eyes: "Some people still speak with that rustic accent. The Cooper Family indeed has no place for impolite women, but they also wouldn't like a woman who is older than Eric and can't get rid of her accent."
Nicole narrowed her eyes, the anger in her chest almost impossible to suppress. When she first came to Hollywood, her Australian accent was always a target of ridicule.
Theron was also uncomfortable, because those words applied to her as well.
In the blink of an eye, the living room became like a bustling market, with the five women erupting into a fierce, chaotic battle.