Lisa’s son, Mike, wouldn’t stop talking about his new friend, Sophie. Every day after school, all she heard was Sophie this, Sophie that. Lisa was happy Mike had made a friend so quickly after they moved to the new town. But she was also curious. She wanted to meet Sophie’s mom and connect with other parents. So, when Mike asked if Sophie could come over one day, Lisa agreed.
The day finally came. Lisa drove slowly toward the school to pick up Mike. As she glanced in the rearview mirror, she saw Mike staring out of the window quietly. The silence between them felt heavy, filled with memories of their recent struggles. Moving to this town was supposed to be a fresh start, but everything still felt strange and unfamiliar. New streets, new people—it all made Lisa feel like an outsider.
Lisa hoped that moving to a new town would help her and her son, Mike, heal after his father’s death. But she worried about Mike. He had been so quiet and distant since the loss. She wondered if he would make new friends or feel comfortable in this unfamiliar place.
As Mike got out of the car for school, Lisa called out, “Have a good day, sweetie! Be brave!”
Later that day, when she picked him up, Mike’s eyes were shining, and he practically bounced to the car. “Mom! I made a new friend! Her name is Sophie!”
Lisa felt a wave of relief. Maybe this move would be good for both of them. From that day on, Sophie was all Mike talked about.
One afternoon, Lisa picked Mike up again. He ran to her with a big grin and hugged her tightly.
“Hey, buddy! You seem happy,” Lisa said as they walked to the car.
“Yeah! It was awesome!” Mike replied, beaming.
“Really? What happened?” Lisa asked.
“Sophie invited me to her house to play tomorrow!” Mike said, excitedly.
“Oh? When?” Lisa asked, glancing at him as she started the car.
“Tomorrow!” Mike replied, bouncing in his seat.
Lisa smiled. “I’ll need to talk to her mom first to make sure it’s okay,” she said.
Mike rummaged through his bag and handed her a crumpled piece of paper. “Here, Sophie gave me her mom’s number.”
Later, at home, Lisa texted the number. “Hi, I’m Lisa, Mike’s mom. He said Sophie invited him over tomorrow. Is that okay?”
A few minutes later, a reply came: “Yes, Sophie already told me. We’d love to have him over.”
Lisa felt relieved. She wanted everything to go smoothly. She texted back, “That’s great! Is there anything I should bring?”
The response came quickly: “Maybe some wine, so we moms don’t get bored!”
Lisa laughed. It seemed like Sophie’s mom had a sense of humor. She replied, “Sounds good! See you tomorrow.”
The next day, Lisa and Mike walked up to Sophie’s house. Lisa held a bottle of wine and smiled at Mike, who knocked on the door excitedly. Sophie opened it, and the two kids ran off laughing.
Lisa stood at the door, waiting. A moment later, Sophie’s mom appeared—and Lisa’s heart sank. Standing before her was Alice, her enemy from high school.
Alice’s smile was cold. “Lisa,” she said.
“Alice,” Lisa replied, her stomach dropping.
Alice crossed her arms. “You haven’t changed,” she sneered.
Lisa shot back, “And you’re still showing off in short skirts.”
The tension between them was thick as Lisa stepped inside, clutching the bottle of wine. They sat down, but barely exchanged any words. The memories of high school rushed back—Alice had always been the popular girl who humiliated Lisa. The worst memory was prom night when Alice had stolen Lisa’s date.
The bitterness lingered, and Lisa avoided Alice after that, even though Mike and Sophie stayed friends. But one day, Lisa got a call from the school. Mike had been accused of bullying Sophie. Lisa couldn’t believe it. When she arrived at the school, she saw Alice sitting there.
“What’s going on?” Lisa asked.
“Mike has been bullying Sophie,” the teacher said.
“That’s impossible!” Lisa replied, shocked.
Alice sighed dramatically. “Sophie’s told me about it several times. I had to involve the teacher.”
Lisa was furious. “Why am I only hearing this now?”
Alice’s sneer returned. “Maybe you’re not paying enough attention to your son.”
Lisa’s anger flared. “How dare you? Don’t speak about my child like that!”
The teacher tried to calm things down, but the tension was high. By the end of the meeting, Lisa stormed out, furious. She couldn’t believe Alice was causing problems again, just like in high school.
A few days later, Lisa was surprised by a knock at her door. Alice stood there, looking different.
“What do you want now?” Lisa asked, crossing her arms.
“I came to apologize,” Alice said quietly.
Lisa was shocked. “Really?”
Alice nodded. “Sophie misses Mike. I hate seeing her so upset. I lied, Lisa. Mike wasn’t bullying her.”
Lisa was stunned. “Why would you lie?”
Alice sighed. “I was jealous of you. I always have been. Even in high school.”
Lisa couldn’t believe it. “Jealous of me?”
Alice explained, “At least you had a husband who loved you. I married Scott, the guy I took from you, but he wasn’t a good man. Sophie and I left him two years ago.”
Lisa raised an eyebrow. “So, I should thank you for stealing him?”
Alice laughed sadly. “You were always better than me, Lisa. I couldn’t handle it.”
There was a long pause. Then Alice asked, “Can you forgive me?”
Lisa looked at her for a moment, then said, “Come inside. Let’s have some wine and talk.”
As Alice stepped in, she hugged Lisa, and for the first time, Lisa felt the years of anger begin to fade. They both had their struggles, but maybe now they could finally understand each other.
What Happened to Zac Efron: He Changed His Lifestyle and Now Calls a Different Country “Home”
Zac Efron has been traveling around the world frequently since he shot to fame, both for work and leisure. Still, he kept living in California, where he was born and raised. However, it all suddenly changed after he chose to spend some time abroad and he realized he needed to change the way he lived in order to find true happiness.
He lived most of his life in the United States.
Originally from San Luis Obispo, in California, Zac Efron spent the majority of his life in the United States, having grown up close to the heart of Hollywood. Despite this, his parents were never involved in the entertainment business. Still, he took his first steps into that world early on in his life. His journey in acting and singing began during his time at Arroyo Grande High School in the early 2000s, with a drama teacher playing a pivotal role in connecting him to an agent.
After he achieved success with teen flicks like the High School Musical trilogy and 17 Again(2009), he shifted into more dramatic roles in films such as The Greatest Showman(2017) and, more recently, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile(2019). It was this ever-growing filmography that allowed him to amass a net worth of around $25 million and gave him the opportunity to purchase a mansion in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, in 2013. He lived there for seven years until he no longer felt like it was the right place for him.
So, what happened to Zac Efron to make him change his mind? Keep reading to find out.
His L.A. house had everything to offer, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
The 36-year-old actor put his Los Feliz home up for sale in December, 2020, and the listing made public the house’s astounding features. The property, which is nestled against the Hollywood Hills and located in a prestigious neighborhood filled with plenty of celebrity residents, offers breathtaking views, accentuated by walls of glass, terraces, and numerous outdoor spaces that offer panoramic vistas of the city below.
With five bedrooms and five bathrooms within its 5.455-square-foot layout, the main level includes a living area, dining room, chef’s kitchen adjoining a family room, and a master suite with a spa-like bathroom. But that’s not all!
Additionally, it has three bedrooms with bathrooms downstairs, along with a separate one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse. It also features amenities such as a gym, media room, game room and security cameras, and the outdoor space includes view decks suitable for outdoor dining and lounging.
So, with all its potential, it wasn’t shocking that it sold in only a few months, in spite of the hefty price tag. In May 2021, the house sold for $5.3 million. Albeit below the initial asking price of $5.9 million, it still marks a profitable venture for Efron, as he paid around $4 million when he first purchased the property.
He fell in love with a different country.
In 2020, Efron made a move that had a deep impact on him — he relocated to Byron Bay, Australia. Back then, he still owned the Los Feliz mansion, so many thought it was just a temporary home. The fact that he lived out of a van, before buying a property in the Australian beachside town also led many to believe nothing much could come of the move.
However, he shot the second season of his Netflix documentary series Down to Earththere, which allowed him to spend over a year with the Aussies. Eventually, he did return to the US to enjoy quality time with his family, but it wasn’t long before he was once again on Australian ground. This time, it was to shoot Ricky Stanicky, a movie in which he co-stars with John Cena and that has yet to have a set date for its debut.
But a special situation might have sealed the deal for his ever-growing bond with the country. Shortly after he moved to Australia, Efron found love. He met Vanessa Valladares, a waitress at the Byron Bay General Store & Cafe, in June 2020. They began dating and eventually spent Christmas and New Year’s together in Australia. Although the couple has since called it quits, the relationship might have been the final trigger of Efron’s decision to move permanently from the US, as he then put his L.A. home on the market.
Finally, a source close to the actor revealed in January 2021, that Efron already considered Australia “home.”
The actor doesn’t think Hollywood is a healthy place to live in.
The actor had previously expressed his intention to move out of Hollywood, though, and it was precisely in a scene from Down to Earth. In the fourth episode, he candidly shared his desire to move away from the Hollywood scene and the lifestyle associated with it, and emphasized that it didn’t contribute in any way to a “long, happy, mentally-sound life.”
Curiously, what happened to Zac Efron also happened to Chris Hemsworth, in which both actors made the decision to move to Australia so they could distance themselves from the hecticness of Hollywood. Although Hemsworth himself is Australian, his mindset was similar to that of Efron.
In 2016, Hemsworth, known for his role as Thor in several Marvel movies, relocated his family from Los Angeles to Byron Bay. The 40-year-old similarly expressed a wish to escape the suffocating nature of being constantly surrounded by the entertainment industry. Opting for a more tranquil lifestyle, as of 2023, he and his family reside in a $20 million mega-mansion in Byron Bay’s hinterland, which they view as a healthier environment for their children to grow up in.
People often also wonder what happened to Zac Efron when it comes to his new appearance. His face changed considerably throughout the years but the drastic change isn’t down to plastic surgery. According to him, it’s because of an accident where he almost died.
Preview photo credit zacefron / Instagram, zacefron / Instagram
Leave a Reply