His Number Changed So I Changed My Life Chapter 22
Once he had given himself permission to cross the line, the second time became that much easier.
Parker’s face went white. He staggered back a step, struggling to stay on his feet.
At last, he understood. I was never going back to him.
He left.
This time, he didn’t try to grab me or plead. He only said, “I’m sorry.”
Later, I heard from a coworker that he was preparing to quit acting.
He had slept with a film investor’s girlfriend and been caught. The investor pulled all funding from his next project, and other studios quietly blacklisted him.
I froze for a second when I heard the news, then said the same thing my coworkers did.
“That’s a shame.”
I was thinking of the earnest young man from years ago, the one who had taken every audition so seriously.
Madison lost her agency contract over the restraining order, the online harassment, and the false rumors. It wasn’t long before the roles dried up completely.
One night after work, Austin invited me to dinner.
Halfway through the meal, he told me he was getting married.
“I hope you’ll both be very happy,” I said, and I meant it.
He looked a little disappointed by my placid reaction, but he accepted the blessing.
People can carry the weight of a what-if for years, but eventually, even that fixation fades.
When I got home, my mother was still awake.
She was at her computer, researching our next vacation.
“The airports will be a madhouse during the holidays,” she said. “What about Italy? I’ve never been out of the country.”
I smiled and agreed.
A steady income and good health insurance solved a lot of problems. With ongoing treatment, my mother’s heart condition had stabilized.
What was over didn’t need to be relived.
My life was moving forward.
A week before our trip, my editor dropped a thick stack of printed materials on my desk.
The top page was the message Victor had sent me.
“We’re planning a series on anonymous online accounts and celebrity PR,” she said. “Charlotte, I want you to write it.”