Chapter 2000 Explanation
Maya had no choice but to agree reluctantly, “Okay, but please make sure he has people caring for him round the clock.”
“Don’t worry. Wilbur is our son,” Mabel said. “We’ll make sure he gets all the care he needs.”
“Mrs. Seet, do let me know once you’ve contacted the experts. We’d be happy to arrange everything for them, from airport pickup to their food and accommodation. I can personally guarantee that they’d get the best treatment from us,” Rodney added.
“Sure. I’ll get in touch with them as soon as possible.”
After a short exchange of the usual pleasantries, the Simpsons finally left the hospital.
Maya, however, couldn’t help but feel uneasy as she watched them drive away. Despite Mabel’s promise, she was still worried that Wilbur might get bullied.
Nicole walked up to her daughter and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. Rodney will protect his son.”
“But Mabel is Wilbur’s stepmother, and their relationship has never been good. I’m afraid she might take this chance to harm him…”
A teasing smirk instantly flitted across Nina’s face. “Oh, Maya, will you relax? Wilbur’s only returning home with his family. Must you make it seem like he’s going into a lion’s den?”
“That’s exactly my thought! You’ve seen how naive and child-like he’s become. How do you expect him to protect himself if he gets mistreated?”
“Ha! You’re overthinking it, Maya. Before this, Wilbur always had to put on an act and play nice with Mabel. Now that he’s an idiot, do you think he’d care about decorum? If Mabel bullies or hits him, I’m sure he’ll scream his head off and fight back.”
When Maya didn’t reply, Nina continued, “If you’re still worried, I’ll accompany you to the Simpson residence tomorrow. But Maya, you have to think about Aunt Sheila’s script too. I doubt Wilbur can continue being the male lead, so what are your plans? Do you want to carry on as the female lead?”
Having just remembered the filming schedule, Maya gasped.
Initially, the plan had been to put off the filming for a few days before rushing it out for Sheila. Alas, that no longer seemed possible with the sudden turn of events.
“I’ll call Aunt Sheila and explain the situation to her. Hopefully, she can find a way around this.”
With that, Maya immediately rang Sheila up and related everything that had happened to Wilbur.
“W-What? Wilbur’s gone mad?” Sheila exclaimed. “How did that happen? By the way, Maya, have you seen the latest trending topic? It said you got pushed into the sea, and a man jumped after you. What’s going on?”
As it turned out, the incident had gone viral, and the production team was starting to worry that it might affect the public’s review of their show.
“Aunt Sheila, with regards to me jumping into the sea, I’ll make an official announcement to explain everything. The fact that I’m alive and well is the best way to refute the rumors!”
Sheila was silent for a few seconds as she fell into deep thought. “Maya, I have an idea you can consider.”
“Go ahead, Aunt Sheila.”
“Do you think you can also explain why Wilbur jumped into the sea for you? That’d make things a lot easier if we change the leads for the show. At least the public will be able to understand our decision.”
Of course, Maya understood why Sheila had to come up with that suggestion. After all, she’d also have to answer to the rest of the production team.
“Okay, Aunt Sheila. Do I also have to state that we can’t carry on with the filming because Wilbur’s lost his mind?”
“There’s no doubt that this incident is of utmost importance and requires an explanation, Maya. But if we go into the details, I don’t think it’d look good on Mr. Simpson. I’m sure his family wouldn’t want the news to spread either. Can you imagine the negative impact on their company’s reputation?”
“You’re absolutely right, Aunt Sheila. That’s what I thought too. But if that’s the case, what do you think I should write?” Maya asked.
“Let’s keep it simple,” Sheila replied firmly. “Just say Wilbur’s gotten injured in an accident and needs time to recuperate.”
