Early in the morning, as sunlight poured through the window, it illuminated Rachel Weisz's face. The British actress, who had been gloomy around this time last year, now wore an ecstatic smile, her raised eyebrows practically reaching the sky. "Nothing will change now," she said, beaming at Matthew. "Benjamin Milpied delivered the final, fatal blow to Natalie Portman."
Matthew set down his teacup. "A wounded man is like a lion on a revenge spree."
Rachel sipped her own tea before saying, "Just another victim of Natalie Portman."
Matthew chuckled, thinking that there were some things no man could tolerate. If it had been him, he might have been even more ruthless than Milpied. Natalie had treated Benjamin like a fool, expecting him to play daddy to a child that wasn't his and using him as a stepping stone.
"There's no such thing as a free ride in this world."
"Natalie Portman's image is ruined," Rachel continued, her joy growing with each word. "Her career is over."
Matthew nodded slightly. Saying her career was "over" might be an exaggeration, but a steep decline was inevitable. Without some miracle, she would soon fade from the spotlight, relegated to TV or B-list films as a minor player. A comeback? Not everyone had the luck of Robert Downey Jr.
Rachel's voice took on a new tone. "This revenge is so sweet. It's almost intoxicating."
"Which is why," Matthew replied, indulging his knack for twisted reasoning, "grudges should always be settled; otherwise, only you'll suffer in silence."
"Exactly! You're absolutely right!" Rachel wholeheartedly agreed with him.
Matthew took another sip of tea, then asked curiously, "And Darren Aronofsky?"
"Forget him," Rachel replied, seemingly having vented all her anger on Natalie Portman. "No matter what, that jerk is still my son's father."
Matthew agreed. "Probably for the best. You can't let adult conflicts spill over to the kids."
His issue was with Natalie Portman, not Darren Aronofsky. They belonged to different circles, with no direct conflict between them.
Rachel checked her watch and said, "It's almost time. I'm heading to the nominees' luncheon. Care to join? I remember Inception, which you starred in, has been nominated in several Oscar categories."
Matthew shook his head slowly. "You go ahead."
Rachel smiled and nodded at him before walking to the door. He escorted her to the elevator, and just as it arrived, Helen Herman stepped out.
She acknowledged Rachel with a polite nod. "Good morning, Rachel."
"Hello, Helen." Rachel greeted her and stepped into the elevator.
Once the elevator doors closed, Helen turned to Matthew. "What did she want?"
Matthew led the way to his office, replying as he walked, "She's celebrating her victory and wanted to share it with the only other person who knew the details."
Helen Herman was aware of some of the issues with Natalie Portman and shook her head. "Your grudges are so petty."
She followed him into the office, taking a seat by the sofa, and added, "Yes, Natalie tried to scheme against you with Cloud Atlas and John Carter, but wasn't that part of your plan?"
Matthew poured her a glass of water, placing it on the coffee table. "So you're saying that using her and then throwing her under the bus is unethical?"
Helen replied bluntly, "I never gave you credit for being ethical."
Matthew sighed. "You don't understand, Helen."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
He hesitated for a moment, then picked his words carefully. "I was once obsessed with Mathilda. The fierce, stubborn, independent girl who had wisdom beyond her years…"
He suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
"Then you met the real-life version of Mathilda," Helen quickly pieced it together, "and realized Natalie Portman was nothing like you imagined."
Matthew chuckled. "Mathilda grew up twisted."
Is life always this painful, or only in childhood? Seeing Natalie Portman with his own eyes had convinced him that Leon's answer was correct.
Helen looked at him, amused. "Didn't expect you to still be looking for something pure."
Matthew ignored her mocking tone and struck a melodramatic pose. "I dwell in darkness, but my heart reaches for the light!"
"Wrong!" Helen retorted mercilessly. "You dwell in darkness, but you reach for even darker places."
"Look," he replied with a sigh, "we're the same kind of people, so don't judge."
Switching topics, he asked, "Do you think Natalie Portman has any shot at a Best Actress nomination?"
"None," Helen answered without hesitation. "Absolutely none."
Matthew feigned ignorance. "Why?"
"Deception is unforgivable," she replied bluntly.
"But isn't Hollywood filled with lies? Plenty of people have won awards through deceit, right?" he argued, raising an eyebrow.
Helen smirked. "Unexposed deceit isn't deceit—it's PR. The deceivers know they're deceiving, and the deceived know they're being deceived. As long as it stays under wraps, the Oscar 'old boys' club' turns a blind eye."
Her lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible sneer. "But when it's exposed, it's different. Those old men may have thick skins, but they still want to save face."
Matthew caught her meaning. It was as if Hollywood's elite were saying, "Lie to us if you must, but don't make it public. That's where we draw the line." Now, granting Natalie a nomination would call into question the Academy's integrity.
"By the way," Helen changed the subject, "I signed Mackenzie Foy. Tell James Wan or Bella Anderson to reach out to me for negotiations."
Matthew nodded. "No rush. James is still finalizing the script, and the project probably won't start prepping for a couple of months."
Trying to build a cinematic universe without the foundation of a popular comic series, like Marvel, was challenging. James Wan was meticulously reworking Tony DeRosa-Grund's script, connecting it to Insidious while allowing room for expansion.
Helen leaned forward, lowering her voice slightly. "There's more. I just came back from Amanda's office, and one of our contacts informed us that Bob Weinstein has started grumbling about Harvey more frequently. After over two decades of restraint, he seems unwilling to tolerate it any longer."
Matthew considered this and replied, "I need more evidence. The timing isn't right yet. Tell him to maintain his 'friendship' with Bob for now."
Helen nodded, then asked, "And how is your side progressing?"
"Ronan Farrow is still investigating," Matthew admitted. "We've gathered a lot of evidence, but most of the victims are still hesitant to come forward."
Helen's tone was calm. "No need to rush. The social climate is shifting in our favor."
The women's rights movement was gaining unprecedented momentum.
Meanwhile, the Oscars nominees' luncheon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills was nearing its end.
This luncheon was bittersweet for the attendees. For those who hadn't received nominations, it was a struggle to maintain smiles for the cameras. The nominees were certainly pleased, but they knew the Oscar race was far from over—the final push was yet to come.
Christopher Nolan had received nominations for Best Director and Best Picture for Inception, but without even a basic awards campaign for Best Actor, there was no chance Inception would snag that category.
In the banquet hall, Natalie Portman appeared subdued. Compared to Mila Kunis, who was practically glowing, she seemed almost invisible.
This was Hollywood. Despite her private hatred for Mila Kunis, Natalie had no choice but to sit beside her and endure it.
Mila leaned over and said, "Nat, Best Actress nominations are coming up next."
Natalie shot her a sideways glance but said nothing; no words could change her situation.
All she needed was a nomination! Attending today was her last shot at hope.
Jennifer Garner stepped forward to announce the Best Actress nominees. "The nominees are Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone, Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine, and Amy Adams for The Fighter."
All five names were announced.
As Garner finished, the names of the nominees appeared on the screen behind her.
Mila glanced at the list and remarked, "Too bad. Your name's not on it."
Natalie sat frozen, struggling to control her emotions in front of so many people. She had invested millions of dollars, only for everything to come crashing down. What now?
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