Chapter 2
Alex wasn't lying.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered.
He gave a bitter laugh and shook his head.
"It's fine. No matter how much I want to turn away, the truth remains the same."
A wave of guilt washed over me.
I said, "What you said about the condition... I'll think about it."
He just replied, "I'm tired, Emma. I'm going to go get some rest."
He didn't say anything else, but I saw a flicker of triumph in his eyes before he turned away.
My gut was screaming at me. This wasn't over.
That night, I went to the park where he always went for his evening run. I knew his habits inside and out.
Sure enough, I saw him, decked out in designer sportswear, finish his run and climb into a luxury van. His assistant was there waiting with a towel and a bottle of water.
The van drove off, heading straight for the city's most exclusive celebrity neighborhood.
At the same time, a text from Alex lit up my phone.
[I just got back to the dorm from my run. After a shower, I'm heading to bed. You should get some sleep too. Goodnight.]
I followed him to a highly private cafe.
From the next booth, I caught the faint sound of voices drifting from the next booth. It was Alex, talking to a girl.
I snuck a peek. It was Sophie Harper, a new, up-and-coming actress.
She was sitting close to him, her hand resting on his thigh, her touch lingering.
"So, Alex," she purred, "did your little civilian girlfriend agree to go and 'chat' with Mike for you?"
He blew out a lazy ring of smoke.
He said casually, "Don't worry. She said she'd 'think about it,' but it's only a matter of time.
"Emma has sacrificed so much for me. There were times she'd get a callback for a part she really wanted, only to drop everything just to help me run my lines.
"She's not going to let me lose this."
He sounded so sure of himself.
Sophie echoed, "Well, it's the least she can do, after you went to all the trouble of faking Mike's profile and email just to send yourself a rejection.
"She has no idea you already signed the contract for the part, does she?"
He flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone condescending.
"Once she's proven she's willing to sacrifice herself for me, I'll swoop in like a hero and save her from the fire.
"I'll tell her it was all just a test. She'll be so moved that she'll probably cry."
Sophie smirked.
"What if she finds out it's all a lie? That you've been playing her this whole time?"
His smile faltered, his expression hardening.
Before he could answer, Sophie answered for him.
"Even if she did, what could she do? You're a superstar, and she's a nobody. She should be grateful to have a boyfriend like you."
Her words had Alex beaming with pride, and his ego was practically soaring.
He exclaimed, "Exactly. With me, she'll get to skip all the hard parts.
"I'll sign her to my studio. She can have her pick of any supporting role she wants."
I went completely numb, my body turning ice-cold as the shock set in. I didn't even try to stop the tears. They just fell against my frozen skin.
Each drop that hit the table felt like a stone being dropped on my heart, and it was getting hard to breathe.
All my sacrifices those years felt like a joke.
My efforts to anchor his success were merely his way of measuring my loyalty.
Seeing his selfishness shattered the last shred of hope I had been clinging to.
I shut my eyes and clicked on the voice recorder I usually used for character notes.
I made sure to get every word of their incriminating conversation."