For a week, I couldn’t get ahold of Kieran. My calls went unanswered, my texts ignored. He’d mentioned going out of town to shoot a film and said he’d be out of contact for a while. At first, I believed him. But as the days passed, worry began to creep in. There had been news of an actor recently being scammed overseas and barely making it back.
Just as I was about to use my family connections to track him down, Kieran returned.
The first words he said to me upon returning felt like being doused with ice-cold water, freezing me in place, making my entire body stiff and numb.
“What did you say?” I asked, trying to make sure I’d heard him correctly.
He sighed impatiently. “I’m breaking up with you.”
“I’ll give you money to compensate the time you’ve spent on me. From now on, let’s never see each other again. My career is taking off and I can’t risk the paparazzi catching the picture of us together. That could ruin my reputation.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a $1,000 check and tossed it onto the table before heading into the bedroom to pack his things.