Chapter 139: The Process Was All Wrong, the Answers Were All Right

[Chapter 139: The Process Was All Wrong, the Answers Were All Right]

"I'm not worthy of this opportunity, Ryan specifically asked for you," Fizz said with a laugh, realizing it was time for her to leave. "We won't interrupt any longer; we can discuss the details when we come back tomorrow morning." She quickly exchanged glances with Mary-Kate.

"What's the rush? We have plenty of time tonight to talk about a lot of things," Ryan turned and looked at Irina.

"Lock the door; no one is allowed to leave tonight."

...

The next morning, Fizz opened her eyes, feeling sore all over, especially in her neck. She had fallen asleep with her head down. Looking up, she saw Ryan sprawled out on the bed, the blanket over him resembling a tent.

Irina had her arms wrapped around Ryan, lost in deep sleep.

Fizz nudged the Olsen sisters next to her, and one by one, they woke up. They sat in their chairs, both wearing clothes.

Last night, Ryan had kept the three of them around, and truly, it had just been a work meeting.

Yet, it was a mix of business and pleasure. With a brand to establish, there was a lot to manage, and Ryan was feeling a bit overwhelmed with two record labels, nightclub commitments, and filming schedules. He simply couldn't let go of anything. And now, with the addition of a clothing line, he had to pack his schedule tighter, juggling "work and life." At least it gave the three of them the chance to watch a popular "superhero movie" on the spot.

That wasn't Ryan's intention initially; it was all Irina's doing.

The discussions went on until around three or four in the morning, and Irina had to take two short breaks due to fatigue.

"What a monster," Fizz yawned, recalling the events of the night before. She figured that if she had switched places with Irina, she probably wouldn't even have been able to stand up today.

"When I was a kid watching the Discovery Channel, I learned about an African tribe called the Elephant People. Ryan can't possibly have genes from that tribe, right?" Mary-Kate chuckled.

"I've never met anyone so extreme. Is it painful?" Fizz lit up a small cigarette to wake herself up.

"Painful? her screams could probably be heard by everyone in New York," Ashley laughed lightly.

"What? Should we really try it? Ryan's not stingy, is he?" Fizz joked.

"Why do that? He's still asleep; he can't hear us," she noticed that the expressions of the Olsen sisters were not right.

Turning slowly, she caught sight of Ryan sitting up, although she hadn't seen when he woke.

"Ahem, it's getting late; I have to get to work. I have a bunch of things to do today. Irina, you need to get up; you're substituting for Karlie at the CK women's ready-to-wear runway show..." Fizz quickly said to ease the tension.

"We really need to go too. Today we're starting on designs for unisex high street fashion, plus sneaker design..." the Olsen sisters stood up as well.

"As for our sister, we're leaving her in Florida for now, but you have to promise to take care of her. Don't let her get bullied, especially not by Taylor," Mary-Kate specifically mentioned.

The two older sisters subtly expressed their stance. On the surface, they didn't interfere or oppose, but they were tacitly supportive of their sister and Ryan's relationship. First, it was about their own interests; second, Ryan's combination of soft and hard power truly intimidated them.

As for Ryan's surrounding women, the sisters were unfazed; the entertainment industry was far from clean. They had witnessed much worse scandals, and Ryan's situation didn't count as unacceptable considering their sister's willingness.

The only uncertainty was Taylor. They had heard about her beating up someone and believed her impulsiveness and jealousy could certainly become an issue for their sister.

"But Taylor is still young; it will take time. Maybe she'll come to terms with things in a few years," Ashley noted.

"Come to terms? I'm just worried she won't and ends up doing something foolish," Mary-Kate responded.

...

"Should it be this one?" Taylor stood nervously in front of the psychologist's office door.

"There's no name on the door," Erica said as she knocked.

Inside, a middle-aged female psychologist warmly invited Taylor in.

"You're... you're that star?" The psychologist realized something.

"I made the appointment under my real name. You'll protect client confidentiality, right?" Taylor hesitated.

"Of course, that's fundamental professional conduct. Your file won't contain any real information about you. If you're still worried, you can omit the names," the psychologist nodded.

"Alright then." Taylor took a deep breath, "I have a friend... she loves her boyfriend very much, but they often go through separations. Her boyfriend is always around other beautiful women because of work, and when my friend sees them, she can't help but overthink it to the point of losing sleep..."

"You know, that's actually a sign of insecurity. But let's be real, how long can any woman maintain her confidence? A lifetime is long enough for even the most beautiful woman to turn into a toothless, balding, old lady. Are you thinking about the day when you grow old and lose your looks?

If your confidence relies solely on your appearance and body, it will eventually crumble. That's the natural order of things; nobody can escape it."

At that point, Taylor couldn't help but envision her appearance twenty years down the line. Would she end up looking like her mother? From a genetic standpoint, it seemed likely!

In an instant, she was overwhelmed with a deep sense of helplessness; yes, no one could escape the natural laws of life.

"Is there no solution?"

"Of course there is; I'm a specialist in this area. Many couples from Utah come specifically for psychological counseling. I often tell these wives that what matters isn't external beauty, but inner strength. Men have two brains: one upstairs and one downstairs. Let's talk about the one downstairs first: your friend doesn't have to be so conservative at home. She should be proactive and make her boyfriend feel uniquely happy. You understand what I mean, right?"

"Uh..." Taylor felt a bit embarrassed as she chuckled.

"That's just the basics. The important brain is the one upstairs. You need to fully understand male nature. Women generally have about five hundred menstrual cycles in their lifetime, but for men, one encounter represents countless possibilities. The difference in physiology results in different thought processes. Rather than trying desperately to hold onto a man, it is better to embrace acceptance!"

"Acceptance?" Taylor exclaimed.

"Exactly," the psychologist nodded. "This is something you must come to terms with. Your friend seems to lose something but actually gains something else -- status, respect, and recognition. These are crucial for keeping a man interested."

"Why do you say that?" Taylor was puzzled.

"It's simple: how your friend's boyfriend treats her is apparent to other women. She has made significant sacrifices; if she's completely neglected, how would other women perceive that? It's a straightforward logic. Your friend's boyfriend understands this as well, so to maintain the relationship, he will treat her better than anyone else. Even when she grows old and unattractive, his attitude won't change."

"Because at that point, she'll be the key to holding it all together!" The psychologist spoke slowly.

At that moment, Taylor began to recognize something peculiar about the psychologist's approach, but what was being said didn't offer much room for rebuttal.

Behind Taylor, Erica was examining the photos hanging on the wall -- snapshots of the psychologist with patients -- some astonishingly featured a man with multiple women.

Suddenly, Erica realized something and hurried back to Taylor, whispering, "Taylor, we've got the wrong office! This isn't the psychologist we booked. She specializes in counseling those families from Utah..."

No wonder she would say such things. Taylor chuckled.

In some Utah families, there was more than one woman. Regular couples counseling wouldn't apply, so they had specialists tailored for those specific families.

"Is there a problem?" the psychologist asked.

"Um... you can continue," Taylor didn't leave and prepared to hear more.

"Where did we leave off?"

"Communication."

"Right, communication! Your friend needs to communicate more -- with her boyfriend, with her friends, with everyone. Don't feel embarrassed. Of course, due to her identity, she should be a bit indirect while expressing herself."

Taylor had an extensive conversation with this uniquely specialized psychologist for three and a half hours.

...

"Should we still see a regular psychologist?" Erica asked as they left.

Taylor shook her head, "What these psychologists say is pretty much the same."

Unless someone was seeking psychological comfort, there wasn't much need for repetition.

"Did you feel any relief?" Erica inquired again.

Taylor scratched her head, "Even though we found the wrong psychologist, I think the answers she gave somehow were even more applicable to me."

Everyone would face the day when they would feel unattractive...

"If Ryan ever betrays me, he wouldn't be the person I loved," Taylor whispered.

"Right, you're right. So when will you call Ryan?" Erica asked.

"Why would I call him?"

"Didn't you want to break up?"

"Who said anything about breaking up?!" Taylor exclaimed, "I just put too much pressure on him. Besides, I've already apologized; I just shouldn't do it again."

"What if he's around someone like that Daddario?"

"Then... I don't know... you're so annoying. We'll see when it happens! I have to work now; I'm flying to New York tomorrow for a talk show."

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.