Mr. Guez’s Scandal

"Grandpa can't be at the dinner this time," said Thomas, Damien's father to his son.

"I know." Some time ago, he had received news that the grandfather was forced to be absent due to work matters.

Damien Rodrigues and his parents set off together to Barrie Restaurant, where they met the Smith family, who would become their children.

It has been one year since the engagement of the youngest son and the successful businessman of the Guez band. Damien and Nora, his fiancé, will discuss their marriage.

"They've arrived," Damien said after reading the message from his cell phone. Nora called him.

"Oh?" Thomas, sitting in the front seat, glanced at his son. "Are we the ones late or who arrived too soon?" he continued with a small laugh.

Ten minutes later, they arrived. The specially reserved room on the third floor was their current destination.

"I'm going to the toilet first," Damien said before getting on the elevator.

He turned around to the left hallway, which was on the first floor.

A few meters when he was about to enter the toilet, he heard several women busy talking about something while looking at their cellphones. They were standing close to the wall, not far from the women's restroom.

"Nora is too tacky for Alice." A woman wearing a mint green coat spoke with an expression full of judgment. Another Alice movie, which is based on the famous work of a great writer, became the topic of their conversation. "She is terrible at acting. It's still good, Aileen, who is experienced," she added.

"I thought so."

"The director was horrible at choosing artists for this time. Her lack of acting is understandable. Still, for a film that holds so many expectations, Nora is terrible."

Damien slowed down when he heard the conversation.

"Do you know?" The owner of the red high heels answered his friend. "He is already engaged to CEO Guez." There was quite a loud laugh. "Was that one of Nora's ways to accelerate her career? Oh, everyone knows. CEO Guez is the most guaranteed investment in the celebrity world. Nora's marriage to him will make her even more visible, even though her abilities are terrible."

Damien's steps finally stopped. Right in front of the two women, he exhaled heavily. "Doesn't that mean he's fortunate?" There was a smile etched on his face, very thin until it was complicated for the two women there to realize.

"What are you—oh, dammit!" The woman in the green coat glanced at her friend. He just realized that the tall man with the intimidating gaze was Damien.

"Those of you who don't have the slightest talent than Nora has can only judge. Look at yourselves. How great are you guys?"

***

Aileen and his wife were having a serious conversation on the third floor in one of the unique rooms for VIP guests.

"How long have you two been married?" Mrs. Seed, Aileen's mother, did not put down the fork and wiped her mouth with a tissue.

Aileen didn't show any reaction. Questions like this don't need an answer. There will always be follow-up questions for her and Dylan, the husband.

"Are there no plans soon for you to have children?" Mrs. Seed asked again.

There is one rule for Aileen. He was given one freedom with more than one rule that would bind him for life. She can choose any career path, but not her married life.

The Seed family needed offspring and a good name for their offspring. Therefore, Aileen is required to marry the man of her family's choice. The same is true of what their descendants will be like.

"Mum, we've only been married a year—"

"It won't be long, Mum." Dylan interrupted his wife's words with a smile. "We're already planning it after the film project later this year."

Aileen, who was sitting beside her husband, just sighed heavily.

"One year is enough to give birth to one child, right?" The mother, Catelyn, ignored her daughter-in-law's words, and now her sharp gaze was still on Aileen. "You did it on purpose, didn't you? Career? Film? Did I allow you to marry just for the ceremony at the altar and make you look perfect for marrying the sole heir of the Joneses? Do you remember our agreement?"

Aileen pursed her lips inward. The food menu on the table no longer looks tempting, even though everything is the special menu of this luxury restaurant.

"Honey, can we finish our meal first—"

"Not. It is precisely because of this matter that we have dinner together." Catelyn denied her husband's words. The blonde woman continued, "Don't make me regret letting you become an artist while the company still needs a successor. Our family needs someone your grandfather will be proud of." His words were full of firmness.

In the middle of the debate, Dylan's cell phone vibrated. He looked at Aileen regretfully, then turned to his in-laws. As if asking permission to lift it. After getting a nod from Mrs. and Mr. Seed, Dylan got up.

"Mum, just this once. Please wait a little longer. For this film project, after that, we will focus on having children." Aileen tried to explain. There was sincerity there in the blue eyes he got from his father. "Dad, please. Please convince grandpa." He looked at Erick expectantly.

It will be difficult for Aileen to conceive soon. The film he will star in requires more energy and time. Body fatigue can not be avoided because the schedule at the end of this year will be hectic.

Meanwhile, Dylan, near the window, glanced at Aileen. The latter looked desperate, with a look in her eyes that was difficult to interpret.

"Today. Do as I say," Dylan said to the person on the other end of the phone.

***

Damien was already in the room, opposite Nora and the woman's parents. While beside him were his father and mother.

"We should have invited you to your house instead of a restaurant like this." Mrs. Smith was modest. Barrie Restaurant is the most luxurious in this city.

"It doesn't get any better than this, although we would be thrilled if the next meeting were held at our house." Mr. Redrigues replied and invited their laughter.

On the other hand, Damien didn't seem interested in his parents' jokes, nor his future in-laws. After what he heard in the downstairs toilet, his mood went terribly. Nora's cheerful face, which was always pleasant in her eyes, didn't necessarily make her feel any better. He hated the bad words of the two foreign women.

"I heard you'll be starring in a movie soon, right? Nora, you're going to look amazing!" Damien's mother looked excited when she said that. "You are a very talented young artist, Nora. I will be waiting for your amazing performance!"

Damien knew his mother couldn't stop praising her future daughter-in-law.

"No, Mrs. Rodrigues. Just a stroke of luck. Please don't set your expectations too high."

Damien refrained from interrupting their conversation. Luck? That one word seems so annoying right now. He knew that Nora said it to be modest in front of the future in-laws, but for Damien himself, it reminded him of the two trash-mouthed women earlier.

"Damien, are you all right?"

The man blinked as his mother rebuked him. "Oh, yes."

"You seem to have been quite a lot earlier," Nora commented. "You are sick?" His gaze conveyed concern.

"No, really, I'm fine."

Nora opened her mouth to say something, but the cell phone on the table blinked twice, indicating that a message had come in. He glanced at Damien, whose attention was no longer on him. Nora's parents took over the conversation, and the atmosphere looked severe because it had already entered the main discussion, namely the wedding date.

The woman with short wavy hair interrupted in the middle of the chat after reading the message. He said he needed to go to the toilet, and after getting agreed, he left from there.

Damien watched his fiancé leave until Nora's tiny back was no longer visible.

***

"How long has he been gone?"

Damien glanced at his watch when he got a question from his mother. "Almost half an hour, Mum."

"During the? Are you sure?"

The conversation continued for so long that it didn't feel like time had passed without Nora's presence for almost an hour.

"I'll check it out," Damien asked permission to leave the table. Nora's parents looked worried and glanced at the door as if waiting for their daughter to arrive. Damien smiled at them as if to say that everything would be fine.

Aileen finished her meal in a different room but still on the same floor.

"I'm going to the toilet first," he said after wiping his lips with a tissue.

He left the table with a tired sigh. This is not the first meeting after her marriage to Dylan one year ago. With the same discussion, almost every ten meetings were held.

It's not that Aileen doesn't want a baby soon; it's just that, for now, her career is what she prioritizes. It takes work to get a role in this film. In particular, the director chose him, and it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. Moreover, he will truly become a Hollywood artist known to the world.

During her two-year career as a model for magazines and well-known brands and three years in supporting roles in every film she starred in, this year was the peak she had to go through with her great stories.

A little late indeed. That's because there was a time when she married the heir of a high-ranking company in London, and she had to let go of the golden moments in her career life.

Almost at the toilet, he frowned at seeing a man walking back and forth in front of the women's toilet door.

"Sorry, Mister. What are you doing-"

Someone suddenly hit Aileen's back until her leg slipped. Hard enough that the balance of his body collapsed. Just when the woman thought she was going to fall to the cold floor, her body landed on the sturdy body of the man she thought was a pervert.

Damien didn't expect such a shameful thing to happen in his life. The atmosphere was very unsettling and brought about baseless speculation.

Like this time, he must have looked like an asshole who peeked into the ladies' toilet, then, without knowing himself, was now hugging a woman.

His body suddenly stiffened when he realized that his hand was currently holding the woman's buttocks which he didn't recognize.

Let's emphasize their current position.

The woman almost fell with her upper body leaning forward. If only there weren't someone or something holding him back, not only would the floor be the target, but before that, his face would kiss the wall first.

However, thanks to Damien's muscular body, Aileen was saved from physical pain. No, or maybe it wasn't until a few women came out of the toilet and looked at them in bewilderment.

"Oh, damn it!" Aileen cursed, barely making a sound.

That