Even though the temperature was hot, Emma wrapped herself up tightly in a jacket as the car continued on its way. Now that she was so famous, Eric knew he could no longer be seen entering the airport with her. He gently patted her on the head and said, “There are a lot of fans waiting for you at the airport. If they see us together, it’ll cause you trouble. I’ll wait for you in the first-class cabin. Your career is on the rise now, we don’t want to cause a scandal.”
Emma lifted her head and looked at him with sadness in her eyes. In truth, she was his wife, but they could never be seen in public together. Sometimes they even had to act like complete strangers. But she knew he was right. Her hard-earned achievement couldn’t go to waste. She gave him a reassuring smile and grabbed onto his hand. “Wait for me and tell him on the same level as you. Then I’ll personally announce to the world that we are husband and wife, an invincible married couple,” she said.
He wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. His eyes twinkled like a vast sea of stars. “You should get going,” he said secretly. Eric wished he could keep Emma hidden away in his home so that only he could admire her beauty. But he knew she was born for the runway. Her superstar aura could not be denied. So helping her reach the top was his avid life. Now, watching her leave made him feel helpless but also happy.
Emma stepped out of the limo but into another luxury car and headed to the airport with Lisa and Ashley. Because the magazine had been such a big hit, there was no way the airport would be as peaceful as when Emma first arrived. Eric had hired four bodyguards to follow her in. “Ah, it’s Emma!” The screams of the people at the airport could already be heard from the sidewalk outside. As Emma got out of the car, she unconsciously started walking faster. She wrapped herself up so tightly, and she was still recognized right away. “How could these people have such good eyesight?” she thought.
“Emma, thanks! Things have really changed,” Lisa said beside her.
“You have the option of taking the VIP entry to avoid the fans. Do you want to do that?” Lisa asked.
“Of course not,” Emma replied. “If I do that, everyone in there will be so disappointed. My fans are here supporting my career. There’s no reason for me to avoid them.”
Emma decided to hold her head high as she headed into the airport. As soon as she entered, fans and reporters began flocking toward her. Eric’s bodyguards quickly formed a human barrier around her and escorted her past the security check and into the waiting area. Members of the crowd were calling out to her. “Emma, can we get your autograph? We really like you!” “Emma, keep it up!” “Emma, you’re always welcome to come back to Mexico!”
Emma maintained her smile as she passed them, but when she came across smaller groups of people, she would generously give them an autograph. After entering the terminal, she took multiple photos with fans. Eventually, Ashley had to intervene and start turning people away. “Miss Miller is quite tired after all the work she’s done here,” she told the crowd. “I’m sure you’ll understand that she needs some rest.”
When she reached the departure gate, Emma glanced around looking for Eric. Finally, in the middle of the seating area, she spotted him sitting calmly with his sunglasses on as he flipped through the latest issue of Secret. An old woman next to him noticed the magazine in his hands and asked, “Young man, after you’re finished with that, may I take a look? This magazine has been so popular lately, and I haven’t been able to buy it anywhere.”
Eric gently nodded. “Of course.”
Emma sat down two rows behind Eric and stared at his handsome back. She really wanted to ask him how he felt reading his wife’s magazine. Of course, Eric had the choice to sit in the VIP lounge while he waited, but he had stayed at the gate so he could be closer to her. Emma’s eyes welled up as she pulled out her phone and typed him a message. “Your back looks good.”
Eric handed the magazine to the old woman and took out his phone. A smile appeared on his face as he replied, “When we get home, let’s get Luke to edit the cover photo so that I’m holding your hand, not Amber. People will have to pay attention to that, right?”
“You can’t do that, Mr. Roberts,” she replied. “If you do that, then no one will notice me anymore.”
Eric’s smile grew bigger as the thought crossed his mind. He wanted to enlarge a solo shot for the magazine and hang it all over their bedroom. “I really want to turn around and look at you,” he typed. Emma’s heart ached. Then, the airport staff announced that the flight was ready for boarding.
Emma stood up and walked toward the counter. Eric also got up and walked behind her, following her closely. This way, he would need to turn around to look at her. During the boarding process, many people started recognizing Emma. Some of them wanted to move up the line to talk to her, but Eric kept blocking their path, though they couldn’t tell if he was doing it on purpose or not.
Once Emma finally headed into the first-class cabin, Eric relaxed. “She’s my wife,” he thought. “I have to do whatever I can to take care of her and protect her. This is the least I can do.”
At the same time, a very entertaining photo started spreading around online. The B-list model, Amber Lee, had been expected to overcome all obstacles and rise to a new level in her career when she flew to Mexico for the photoshoot. After all, she compared herself to many famous supermodels and had even secured a few endorsements. But as soon as the magazine was released, Emma became a legend, and Amber became a joke. “Zero Attention” became her nickname. But even that wasn’t enough ridicule from the public.
Early that morning, an extremely long meme was posted online. The meme had two columns. On the left were ten photos of models Amber had previously been compared to, and on the right were ten photos of Amber. The other models’ photos were all from different shows, whereas Amber’s photos were all the same – the one of her kneeling on the ground. When the meme went viral, it grabbed the attention of many internet personalities who started to mock her for it. In addition, all her previous scandals began resurfacing, humiliating her even more. This devastating blow could never have been foreseen by Global Pictures, but this is what the entertainment industry looks like – the winner takes all.
“Amber, how about you stay in Mexico for a while?” Nathan said as they were packing up to leave. He was worried she wouldn’t be able to handle the criticism waiting for her back home. Andy didn’t want her to get too stressed during her pregnancy.
“No need,” Amber replied. “I want to see how Emma plans to step on me next. More importantly, the final selection for the Top 10 Model Awards is in four days. I need to make a gamble. Said I didn’t do well at the photoshoot. All I can do now is speak to the judges myself.”
“By then, we’ll go straight home,” Nathan said. He had no idea what Amber was planning. But before they could get home, they still had to make it to the airport. The paparazzi had been lurking around for hours, waiting for them to leave. Cars filled with reporters and onlookers began chasing Amber and Nathan’s car as soon as it left for the airport. After the humiliation she’d received online and now this, Amber finally started crying. “I failed too miserably and fallen too painfully,” she thought.
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