"So, Lindsay's phone was confiscated by her mother, and you're having a hard time getting in touch with her?"
"Yes, Martin. And Lindsay hasn't been going to school lately, so we don't know what state she's in."
"I see."
After hanging up the phone with Mark Zuckerberg, Martin frowned, deep in thought.
A moment later, he picked up the phone and called Reed McCas. "Reed, I need a small favor..."
———
At Lindsay's house, a Motorola phone suddenly rang with its distinctive ringtone.
This phone had been given to Lindsay by Martin for easy communication, but now it was in the hands of Lindsay's mother, Dina Lohan.
When Dina saw the call, her excitement flared up, and her half-drunken haze began to clear.
She answered the phone, her voice sweet and flattering. "Hello, Mr. Reed McCas, I'm Lindsay's mother, Dina Lohan. Thank you for calling me personally. Has Lindsay passed the audition?"
"What? You want Lindsay to speak with me directly?"
"Of course! Please hold on for a moment, I'll get her to answer."
Dina quickly put down the phone and rushed to Lindsay's bedroom. She banged on the door and shouted, "Lindsay, Lindsay, honey, come down and answer the phone—Mr. McCas from The Princess Diaries called!"
"Mom, can I have some peace and quiet?" Lindsay's irritated voice came from behind the door.
"No, you have to answer this call. This is important for your future!"
"I think it's more about your drink money, Mom. I've told you before—Martin will handle everything."
"Shut up with your Martin talk! If Martin really cared about you, why didn't he give you the leading role in Charlie's Angels?"
"Because of my age, I've already explained that I'm too young for the lead role. Martin will arrange a leading role for me in the future."
"Stop mentioning him! Martin doesn't care about you—he favors Jessica and Scarlett."
"No, Mom, don't talk about them like that. They're my friends. Take back what you said."
"Fine, I'll take it back, but you need to listen to me this time. There's a party at Mr. Kevin Johnson's next Tuesday. I've already arranged for you to go. It's important that you please him."
"I'm not going. I don't want to be some socialite!"
"You idiot! You'll go, and you'll look stunning for it."
Lindsay, still young and easily influenced, finally opened the locked door after much pressure from her mother.
"Where's the phone?" Lindsay asked flatly.
"It's downstairs on the table. Hurry!"
Lindsay reluctantly followed her mother down the stairs.
Dina rushed to the phone. "Hello, Mr. McCas, Lindsay's here. Let me put her on."
"Hello, Mr. McCas, it's Lindsay Lohan."
"Hello, Miss Lohan, I'm sorry to inform you that you didn't pass the audition."
Upon hearing this, Lindsay wasn't disappointed—she was actually relieved.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you for letting me know. Is there anything else?"
She expected the call to end, but then Mr. McCas added, "Actually, there's one more thing. Someone wants to speak with you. You should probably keep your expression neutral."
Lindsay's heart raced as she recognized the voice on the other end. It was the one person she had been thinking about constantly.
"Hi, Lindsay."
Lindsay glanced at her mother, who was already drinking again, and used her acting skills to mask her emotions. In a calm voice, she said, "Mr. McCas, please go ahead."
"Lindsay, is your mother controlling you?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to escape from her and your father's control?"
"Yes, I do."
"I've arranged something for you. There's a new phone buried under the tree in the southeast corner of your yard. You can get it when you get the chance. We'll be in touch. Don't worry—I'll help you."
"Thank you, Mr. McCas."
"Alright, that's all. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Mr. McCas."
After hanging up, Lindsay couldn't help but show a hint of joy, despite trying to hide it.
Dina, noticing the change in her daughter's expression, immediately assumed the worst and rushed over.
"So, did you get the role?" she asked eagerly.
"No, I didn't get it," Lindsay said flatly.
Dina was stunned for a moment before her anger flared.
"Then why are you smiling? Did you sabotage your own audition just to get that worthless supporting role Martin gave you?"
"I just want to play the role Martin gives me—even if it's a supporting one. What's wrong with that?"
"You fool! What's the point of playing a supporting role? You're going to Mr. Kevin Johnson's birthday party next Tuesday, and you'll do whatever it takes to please him."
"No, I'm not going. I'm not going to be a social butterfly!"
"You idiot!" Dina screamed.
"I won't go!" Lindsay cried, running out of the house.
As she rushed away, Dina looked after her with a fierce expression. "Without my consent, you'll never see that bastard Martin again. And you'll go to that birthday party, and you'll dress up beautifully."
As Dina grabbed a bottle of wine and took another swig, Lindsay quickly wiped her tears away. She ran to the tree that Martin had mentioned and, sure enough, found a spot where the ground had been disturbed.
She grabbed a nearby stick and started digging quickly. After a few moments, she unearthed a black plastic bag.
Inside, she found a brand-new black phone.
Lindsay carefully hid it on her person, then went outside for a while before returning home.
Her mother was already drunk, as usual. Her parents were no longer together—her father had moved out, and her younger siblings had been sent to live with her grandfather.
Lindsay was alone, the cash cow of her mother, who would never let her go.
Sighing, Lindsay went upstairs to her room, took out the new phone, and dialed Martin's number.
"Martin, what should I do if my mother forces me to go to Mr. Kevin Johnson's birthday party?"
"Kevin Johnson? The Universal production manager?"
"Yes, he's the one who recommended me for The Princess Diaries. I don't like him—I always feel like the way he looks at me isn't right."
"Where's the party?"
"In Santa Monica, he rented a villa for it."
"Got it. I'll be there too. Don't let your mother notice anything unusual for now."
"I won't," Lindsay replied, nodding. "Martin, can you help me leave this family? I just can't take it anymore."
Martin paused for a moment, then said, "I'll help you. But you're not yet sixteen. Even if you leave your parents, you'll need a guardian. Do you have someone in mind?"
Lindsay thought for a moment and then said, "Aunt Monica—she's the only one who's ever been good to me."
"Okay. I'll take care of everything. When you turn sixteen, you can sever ties with your parents completely, just like Drew Barrymore did."
Martin's words reminded Lindsay of her own situation, which mirrored that of Drew Barrymore's troubled past. Both were child stars with unreliable parents, both were pushed into a pit by their mothers... The only difference was Drew's more decisive personality, which allowed her to break free.
Lindsay, however, was sinking deeper into despair, relying on drugs and alcohol to numb herself. She'd even been caught stealing just so she could stay clean in prison.
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧