Sitting in the audience, the director, Peter Hall, shouted, “Cut!” The final rehearsal came to an end, and everyone cheered before heading to the changing room. As they left, Peter called out to Penelope, “Penelope, wait a moment.”
Penelope stopped and asked, “Is there something else?”
Peter Hall was known for his influence at X University. He was from a wealthy family and had great talent in the arts. Some advertisers even approached him for business opportunities. This time, he wanted Penelope to star as the heroine in an advertisement.
Penelope reminded him, “Last time you asked me to act in a play, you said it would be the last time you bothered me. Why are you asking me again?”
Despite being an artist, Peter was not arrogant at all.
“I know you don’t need the money. Please help me for the sake of our friendship. The scripts and shots are all ready. I’m just waiting for you to start working,” Peter pleaded.
Penelope remained firm, saying, “I won’t do it. You can find someone else.” She turned to leave.
Peter knelt down on the ground and held onto Penelope’s feet. “Please, only you can be the heroine!”
Penelope was startled and jumped back. “What are you doing? This is shameless!”
“I won’t let you go unless you promise me,” Peter said resolutely, hugging her feet.
Passersby from the directing department, mostly girls, witnessed this scene and recognized that Peter was “pressuring” Penelope.
“Peter, we’re tired of this act!”
“Yeah, Peter, it’s getting old.”
They waved at Penelope as they left, saying, “Hang in there, Penelope, or he’ll have you act in an advertisement for hemorrhoids!”
Angrily, Peter turned back and shouted, “Just once, okay?”
The girls from the directing department had been deceived by him before. They had arrived at the studio only to discover that he was shooting ads for hemorrhoid products. They were genuinely frustrated with him.
Peter insisted, “This time, it’s not about medicine. It’s about food, and I promise to make you look charming!”
Penelope couldn’t escape Peter’s persistence and eventually agreed, saying, “Fine, just three days. I’ll give you three days.”
“Great!”
Peter continued to discuss the details for another hour. By the time Penelope arrived at the Duncan’s house, it was already dark outside.
“Mom!” Chris stood at the door, excitedly jumping up and down when he saw Penelope.
The three-year-old boy was handsome and adorable. Penelope often dressed him in the latest styles for boys. Even Daisy, who wasn’t particularly fond of children, video chatted with him once a week. Grace frequently took him out for outings.
Penelope took Chris into the house and asked, “Mom didn’t come back on time. Is Grandma upset?”
“No,” Chris shook his head.
“What about dad?”
“Dad is busy working,” he replied earnestly.
Chris often visited the study room, and if Warren told him, “Dad is busy working,” he wouldn’t disturb him. Instead, he’d quietly play with a small train set on the floor.
As expected, the old lady wasn’t upset. When Penelope returned, she immediately offered her dinner. During the meal, Chris struggled with using a fork and often ended up dropping food on the table instead of in his mouth.
Grandma Duncan patted her grandson’s head and praised him.
“Please don’t praise him when he hasn’t eaten yet,” Penelope said with a smile. Chris was frustrated with the fork and resorted to slurping up the fallen bread directly from the table.
“See how clever he is! He’ll probably achieve even more than his father in the future,” the old lady gushed. Warren raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment.
Penelope remained silent and simply smiled.
Noticing the silence, the old lady changed the topic and remarked, “Chris is so intelligent. It’s a shame you only have one child.”
Penelope shivered, and her fork clattered onto the plate.
Warren quickly interjected, “Chris is still young. We’ll discuss it when he’s older.”
“It’s never too early to plan. Penelope is still young and can recover quickly.” The old lady’s eyes sparkled as if she had already planted a baby in Penelope’s belly.
“She’s still a student. It’s not the right time,” Warren gently declined.
“What’s wrong with being a student? Is there a conflict between having a baby and going to school? If she works in the future, will you say you’re too busy?” The old lady was quite persistent.
Seeing that an argument was brewing, Penelope quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. “Let’s not argue about it. If I get pregnant, I’ll have the baby, but some things can’t be planned.”
“Why can’t they be planned? Now is the time to start preparing your body. As long as you both still love each other, isn’t it simple?” The old lady was clever and had shifted the conversation to another level.
In other words, did not having another baby mean they didn’t love each other anymore?
****
Warren took Chris to his room and then returned to the master bedroom. Penelope was lying on the bed, looking upset.
“My mother was trying to provoke you into it. Don’t tell me you believe her,” he said with a smile as he approached her.
Penelope scoffed and replied, “I’m not falling for it. I have the final say on whether we have another child. Her tactics won’t work!”
“You have the final say? Are you sure?” Warren laid on the bed and wrapped his strong arms around her.
Penelope sat up, opened the bedside table, and took out a bunch of condoms in front of Warren. “We’ll use up these. Let’s not let her wish come true!”
He smiled and commented, “There are about thirty here. Are you joking?”
Penelope leaned in closer to him and teased, “Honey, can you handle it?”
Warren replied, “… It seems the punishments weren’t harsh enough.”
Penelope reached to turn off the bedside lamp. “It’s time to sleep. I’m tired…”
Then she suddenly screamed and jumped. Warren’s eagerness was pressing urgently against her lower back.
“Baby… I take back what I said earlier. Provocation really does work,” he whispered as he held her, and they began to share an intimate moment.
Penelope parted her legs and took him into her. Their hot bodies begin to move as one. Penelope almost forgot to tear off a condom and hand it to him. She must not allow the old lady’s conspiracy to succeed.