The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 282: Pregnancy]

Beverly Hills, in a mansion on the hillside.

The director of BWR Public Relations, Rooney Chasen, sat in the living room listening to the heated arguments erupting in a nearby study. She glanced at the two men across from her.

One was Simon Fuller, the former agent of the Spice Girls, who was now Beckham's manager. The other was Florentino Pérez, from Real Madrid, accompanying Beckham to Los Angeles to resolve the current PR disaster.

Both men represented Beckham's interests. Rooney Chasen was the PR manager hired by Victoria. Inside the study, the dispute between Beckham and Victoria showed no sign of resolution. If they parted ways unsatisfactorily, culminating in divorce, all three would end up as adversaries rather than collaborators.

At that moment, with loyalties unclear, it was not the right time for Rooney to speak. Simon, with intimate knowledge of both parties, said softly, "They won't get divorced."

Beckham's current commercial standing was due, not just to Victoria's support, but to his own decisions. Their partnership was a true case of one plus one being greater than three.

Exaggeratedly, the Beckhams resembled business partners with a personal connection. Sure enough, as the argument in the study subsided, the two main figures emerged, their emotions starting to stabilize after days of discord.

It had been a few days since the scandal broke; they argued on the phone, continued their quarrel on the plane, and finally confronted each other in Los Angeles. They had likely ironed out their plans by now.

David and Victoria emerged from the study. David looked at Simon and Pérez, stating, "We're not getting divorced; we're working to quell this media storm as quickly as possible."

Pérez said, "I will pressure Twitter on behalf of Real Madrid. If they don't downplay this incident, they'll find themselves on our blacklist. Real Madrid will refuse any form of collaboration."

Rooney, as an American, scoffed internally at that but noted that Victoria remained silent, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

Simon added, "Pressure is one aspect; we may also resort to legal measures..."

"This isn't the U.K., and it's not Madrid," Victoria interjected, more competent in handling media affairs than Beckham. "Real Madrid doesn't hold enough power here; Twitter won't care about your club."

Pérez looked a bit disgruntled.

Victoria had never liked Spain or Madrid and had her reservations about Beckham's transfer.

Most significantly, the club didn't fit into her business landscape.

Victoria bluntly said, "This is Los Angeles, not Europe. Put away your aristocratic club airs; that'll just worsen our situation."

She pointed to Beckham: "He's already admitted to it; there's no defamation case worth pursuing."

Simon nodded, asking, "What about Tom Cruise?"

Victoria quickly interjected, "The founder of Twitter is Hawke Osment; Tom Cruise himself stated he wouldn't want to provoke him."

Rooney suggested, "I say we should solve this issue within the rules; we shouldn't resort to underhanded tactics."

Simon had generally been cruising smoothly in his career and didn't take her word to heart. "Is he special?"

Rooney replied, "Once we break the rules, the other side won't play fair either. We can't risk Hawke Osment's out-of-bounds methods; we can't take that risk."

She thought of the two people who had taken their own lives. "People could die over this."

The living room fell into a momentary silence.

Victoria broke the silence: "You're the media PR expert out here; share your advice."

From day one of accepting the task, Rooney had been contemplating this moment, and given her understanding of Hawke, she never considered crooked alternatives.

Rooney understood that taking shortcuts would only exacerbate the problem or potentially lead to a complete breakdown.

"Resolving this issue isn't difficult; it hinges on you," Rooney looked at Victoria, "You don't want a divorce, so publicly forgiving David will quell half of the storm."

Victoria's expression soured; no woman likes wearing their partner's infidelity like a crown.

Rooney glanced at David: "He is willing to publicly apologize and ask for your forgiveness..."

"That's not right," David interrupted. "If all the blame lands on me, it'll tarnish my reputation."

He considered, "I'll remain silent."

Victoria shot him a glance but remained quiet.

Rooney analyzed, "In the current situation, you have been nailed to the cross by public opinion. It is easier to save your reputation by taking responsibility than to deny or remain silent. If you try to evade, not only will you be a cheater, but you will also be regarded as a coward by countless people."

Victoria countered, "Rebecca mentioned you have more than one mistress."

David denied it: "She's lying; I don't have any, don't believe her."

"Forget those details; if you apologize publicly and Victoria forgives you, everything else will fall into place," Rooney proposed her common PR strategy. "As for public opinion, it's not that hard either; we can create a new explosive story to generate buzz."

She glanced at Victoria's belly: "Have David take you to a reputable clinic for a check-up, and then announce that you're pregnant."

Victoria quickly caught on: "Because of the baby, I choose to forgive David; everything I've done now holds a solid reason and explanation that protects my personal reputation."

Rooney, whose priority was to safeguard Victoria's reputation, declared, "The natural privileges attached to pregnancy will offset most of the negative remarks."

However, David sat nearby, his face darkening: "Let's not forget our news is being heavily scrutinized; Twitter is going after us!"

"Targeting? That's a stretch," Rooney, having worked with Hawke multiple times, had some insight into Twitter's release strategy. "Twitter seeks buzz; your story brings in a massive flow of users, and they'll hold on tightly. But once other stories promise even more traffic, Twitter will switch its focus."

David opened his mouth to respond, but Victoria silenced him with a stern look.

She asked, "Can you reach the Twitter management team?"

"To do PR in Los Angeles, having connections is crucial," Rooney realized that knowing Hawke Osment significantly elevated her standing.

She momentarily lost focus, before stating, "I know the Twitter founder, Hawke Osment and COO Caroline Jones; I've worked with them previously."

Victoria made her decision: "Let's proceed as you suggested."

Pérez had something to say but was cut short when Victoria told Beckham, "You take care of this."

Since he wasn't getting a divorce, he could only make concessions in this moment of weakness.

...

Rooney reflected for a moment and then called Caroline.

Caroline then alerted Hawke.

An hour and a half later, Rooney quickly arrived at Ocean Park Avenue and entered Twitter's meeting room.

Familiar faces greeted her; Hawke met her in person.

Rooney shared the details at lightning speed.

What Hawke sought was buzzworthy content and the potential to convert viewers into Twitter users; he wouldn't pass up a story like this.

He stated, "A few things to clarify: whether Victoria is truly pregnant or not, you need to provide the most authentic proof, especially medical reports -- Twitter doesn't report fake news."

Rooney replied, "That's not an issue; I've already scheduled the clinic for today. Victoria and Beckham will kick off their baby-making plan today; according to the doctors, Victoria has a hyper-fertile condition."

Hawke had rich experience here and said, "Keep it discreet while you get the medical examination; avoid the media's eye. Then you can have someone secretly film it and send the footage to Twitter. This way, it'll be easier to earn public trust."

Rooney hadn't considered this but was enlightened: "The public distrusts what you disclose but trusts something caught on camera?"

She remembered one thing: "Wasn't Steve Nutt caught using a sneaked video?"

Hawke dismissed her comment: "Once Twitter breaks the news, then have the Beckham couple hold a press conference."

Rooney confirmed, "That's doable."

Hawke continued, "Photos of Victoria with the newborn must be published on Twitter."

Rooney responded, "Absolutely."

Hawke said, "Connect with your clients quickly, so we can formally sign the agreement."

Rooney rushed off.

...

The next morning, Sports Illustrated ran a story about Beckham's new scandal.

Australian model Sarah Marbeck claimed to have had a three-year secret affair with David Beckham and showed evidence such as the plane tickets and game tickets purchased by him.

Online, more mistresses of David Beckham surfaced, including claims from men and transgender individuals through Twitter asserting one-night stands with Beckham.

The Internet, especially Twitter, has given ordinary people a platform to speak freely.

...

Under pressure from public outcry, David Beckham, who had initially hesitated, ultimately made concessions to Victoria and signed a confidential agreement with Twitter.

...

That afternoon, they managed to evade the paparazzi and journalists by visiting a clinic in Beverly Hills, where they easily obtained a pregnancy test report through financial leverage.

The report was swiftly leaked after being clandestinely captured.

That night, the leaked video and photos appeared in Twitter's news feed with the headline: "Victoria Beckham Suspected to be Pregnant!"

This was akin to throwing gasoline on a blazing fire, fueling even greater media attention while simultaneously redirecting the public gaze.

Pregnant women typically received a compassionate response.

All blame and insults fell squarely on David Beckham's shoulders.

...

As a new day dawned, the Beckham couple held a press conference at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, formally announcing Victoria's pregnancy.

Beckham faced the media cameras, acknowledged his infidelity, accepted full responsibility, and publicly apologized to Victoria.

Victoria graciously accepted his apology.

The couple reconciled.

*****

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