Chapter 5
848words
Daniel grew increasingly "busy," and our time together dwindled to almost nothing. Sometimes we'd only cross paths once a week when he'd swing by to grab something, exchange a few meaningless words, and disappear again.
I tried to be understanding, telling myself he was building his career.
But some things were impossible to rationalize away.
Like how he began belittling me in public.
At a major brand event we attended together, a reporter asked him, "How important has Ms. Alice's support been to your success?"
He flashed his camera-ready smile. "She's been supportive, sure, but you know how it is with women—limited perspective. My success comes from my own hard work. She's trying to figure out her own path now."
The reporter pressed on: "There are rumors that Ms. Alice leveraged the Walton family's considerable resources to boost your career. Any truth to that?"
He shrugged dismissively. "This industry runs on rumors. Real success comes from talent, not who you know."
I stood beside him, my smile plastered on like a mask.
Did he really just say that?
Success comes from talent, not connections?
I understood we were in public, but our relationship wasn't exactly a secret. How could he dismiss me so casually? What about everything I'd sacrificed for him?
The 30 million investment in his show, burying his scandals, securing endorsements and opportunities—did none of that matter?
After the event, I confronted him. "Why would you say those things?"
"Say what?"
"You basically said I did nothing for your career."
He shrugged. "Just telling it like it is. My acting is solid—that's why people watch me."
"What about everything I've done for you?"
He stared at me, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"Christ, Alice, don't be so damn petty. I can't have people thinking I rode some woman's coattails to success. You should understand that."
I said nothing. I simply turned and walked away.
He wanted my understanding, but who was trying to understand me?
What twisted the knife deeper was his growing "friendship" with a new actress.
Her name was Susan—a fresh-faced starlet who'd recently transitioned from social media fame. With her doe eyes, baby-doll voice, and practiced innocence, she was everything I wasn't.
I first spotted her on Daniel's Twitter feed.
He'd posted a photo from set—him standing next to a petite girl with a saccharine smile. The caption read: "Great day on set with my new friend @SusanOfficial."
Fans in the comments went wild with speculation.
"OMG you two look PERFECT together!"
"Daniel and Susan giving off major couple vibes!"
"Just date already!"
My stomach knotted, but I said nothing. They were just colleagues, I told myself. Don't be paranoid.
Within weeks, Susan was appearing constantly in Daniel's social media. I checked her profile and each post felt like a dagger to my heart.
"Bumped into @DanielOfficial on set today! Lucky me! 😍"
"Acting masterclass with @DanielOfficial today! Learning from the best! 🙏"
"Dinner with @DanielOfficial! He's such a gentleman! #Spoiled"
Each post featured photos of them together—Susan with her perfect smile, Daniel gazing at her with an affection he no longer showed me.
The fan comments grew increasingly suggestive.
I finally broke down and asked him, "Are you really spending that much time with Susan?"
He didn't even look up from his phone.
"She's new to the industry. I'm mentoring her. Don't tell me you're jealous of that too?"
"I'm not jealous, I just feel like—"
"Feel like what?" he cut me off. "You're being paranoid again. We're just colleagues. What exactly are you imagining?"
I fell silent.
He called me sensitive. He called me paranoid.
But my gut told me there was more to the story.
One night, Daniel said he was attending an "industry mixer" that was "too boring" for me to bother with.
The next morning, gossip sites published photos of Daniel getting cozy with a "mystery woman" at the event.
In the grainy images, Daniel and Susan stood intimately close, her hand possessively gripping his arm.
I called him immediately.
"Who was that woman with you last night?"
"Oh, some fan, I guess. Don't really remember," he replied casually.
"It was Susan, wasn't it?"
A telling pause.
"...Maybe? There were tons of people there. Didn't really notice."
"Daniel, you're lying to my face."
"What lie?" His tone sharpened. "Jesus, Alice, can you stop being so damn neurotic? There's nothing going on between us."
"Then why are you two—"
"Enough!" he shouted. "I said it's nothing, so it's fucking nothing! Why can't you ever trust me?"
His outburst left me speechless.
He had never raised his voice at me before.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
He sighed dramatically. "Whatever. I've got stuff to do. Gotta go."
The line went dead.
I sat clutching my phone, staring at his framed photo on the coffee table.
In the picture, he smiled with genuine warmth—a man who no longer existed.
Once again, I found myself wondering if I was the problem.
Was I too sensitive?
Was I too distrustful?
Was I suffocating him?
