Chapter 579 The Woman Who Wants to Get Rich Through Her Son
"Christopher!" The stranger waved, not giving a damn about being seen.
She didn't look like some shady trafficker.
Since his parents hadn't shown up yet, Christopher was stuck at school. She handed him a food package through the fence.
Pearl saw this and hustled over, calling out, "Christopher, what did Mom always tell you? Did you forget?"
"I didn't forget, Mom. She's Cheryl. My classmates said she used to teach dance here." Christopher was straight-up honest. He thought Cheryl had worked at the school before, so she wasn't a total stranger.
But he had just started this semester and didn't know Cheryl at all.
Pearl wanted to give Christopher a lesson, but Cheryl stepped in, extending her hand. "I'm Cheryl Region. Yeah, I used to teach dance here, but now I'm with a talent agency. Here's my card."
The card said she was an agent at Summit Entertainment Company, Cheryl Region.
Pearl wasn't buying it completely. She handed the card back and asked, "So you're an agent. I heard you were here yesterday too. What's your deal with Christopher?"
"Honestly, even if you hadn't shown up today, I would've come to find you. I think Christopher's got star potential, and I'd like to bring him into the entertainment biz. You cool with that?" Cheryl was straight-up, not looking like she was BS-ing.
When people lied, they usually had some tells, but Cheryl had none.
"It depends on what Christopher wants." Pearl didn't shut it down right away, but she wasn't jumping on board either.
Cheryl squatted down to Christopher's level and broke down the entertainment industry for him. Then she asked, "Christopher, you wanna do the cool stuff I just talked about?"
"Will my grandpa get to see me?" Christopher hadn't seen RavenWing in ages and missed him.
Cheryl smiled. "Absolutely, and once you're famous, loads of people will know you. You can do even more cool stuff."
"Mom, I wanna go into the entertainment industry." Christopher looked up, all excited.
Pearl smiled awkwardly. "Well, this is about Christopher's future. I need to talk it over with my husband. How about..."
"Of course, you need to discuss it. Here's my card. Keep it. Call me once you've decided. I'll whip up a child star plan tonight, and we can sign the contract tomorrow." Cheryl seemed a bit eager, which made Pearl even more suspicious, but seeing Christopher's excited face, she agreed for now.
When she got home, she told Oscar about it. Oscar immediately had someone dig into Cheryl's background and found out she was indeed an agent, not super famous but known.
"So, should we go for it?" Pearl whispered so Christopher wouldn't hear, watching him like a hawk, afraid he might catch on.
Oscar found her cautiousness cute, pinched her nose, and laughed. "If Christopher's into it, let's go for it. He might get bored soon. Tell Cheryl we'll sign a short-term contract first and see how it goes."
This was also to make sure that if Christopher was just in it for the moment, they had a way out.
Pearl thought the same. When she hit up Cheryl the next day to sign the contract, she made this clear.
Cheryl was surprised but agreed. She poured Pearl some coffee and went out to revise the contract.
When she came back, she accidentally bumped into Cadence Sand, another angenr, and the contract went flying.
Cadence picked it up, glanced at the content, and laughed mockingly. "Seriously? You're signing this? What if he bails after a month? You'll be out of cash and time. Cheryl, I know you're strapped for money, but come on. Don't just grab any gig that comes your way. You might end up worse off."
"Mind your own business." Cheryl snatched the contract and walked into the break room, smiling as she placed it in front of Pearl. "Sorry about that."
"It's cool. I thought the entertainment biz would be different, but it's just as cutthroat." Pearl glanced at the contract and decided to be upfront, saying, "You know Christopher's really young. He might just think this is fun, so don't get your hopes up too high."
"I've thought about that. By the way, how should I address you?" Cheryl said.
The contract only needed one parent's info, so Pearl hadn't included Oscar.
She didn't want everything tied to Oscar's identity, nor did she want too much attention on Christopher in the entertainment world. Without real talent, it would only attract jealousy and resentment.
She smiled and said, "You can call me Pearl."
"Pearl, now that the contract's signed, if you're free tomorrow, bring Christopher for a screen test. It's for a commercial, nothing too hard. I'll send you the script later." Cheryl seemed nervous, worried Pearl might back out.
Pearl patted her shoulder encouragingly. "No worries. Since we've signed the contract, we'll get to work."
"Thank you so much." Cheryl expressed.
As Cheryl walked her downstairs, Pearl couldn't help but notice the various looks they got along the way, making her think about Cheryl's situation.
The entertainment industry was no ordinary workplace. Without a tough mindset, one couldn't survive.
The commercial shoot was for a kids' shampoo. Christopher's naturally smooth hair was perfect for it.
Everything in the studio was new and exciting for a kid. As soon as Christopher walked in, he looked around curiously. He was eager to touch and explore everything.
Cheryl sat him down on the couch and explained what he needed to do, when to look at the camera, and when to change poses.
Pearl quietly observed the surroundings. Two people were shooting a commercial in the studio. Their setup was more modest, while the other side had a grander setup, suggesting the presence of a big star.
When the shoot began, the director called Christopher to the stage. Christopher was smart and got it with just a bit of guidance.
The shoot, originally planned for an hour, was wrapped up in half an hour, and the final product was top-notch.
The director kept praising him, which drew some side-eye from the other side.
A woman walked over, pretended to watch the final product, and shook her head repeatedly. "Mr. Martinsen, I know you always go easy on newbies, but being too lenient can mean no expectations at all, and that's doing them a disservice."
"Cadence, you're wrong. I think this commercial turned out great and will be a hit," said director Reidar Martinsen.
The woman was Cadence, the same one who had mocked Cheryl the day before.
Cadence's expression turned sour. She glanced at Pearl and sneered, "A mom trying to get rich off her kid. There are too many of these women nowadays, completely ignoring their child's well-being for their own gain."
"You are Cadence, right? You actually made sense. But with a son like mine, I'd be foolish not to." Pearl shot back with a disdainful look.
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