Before we can reach Robbie’s car in the school’s parking lot, we’re intercepted by a cameraman and the last person I ever wanted to meet—Nadine, Alistair’s ex.
She points at me. “There she is, the little Italian whore who thought she could steal my husband.”
What the hell!
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” Robbie shouts at the cameraman who’s practically in my face.
“Get out of my way!” I push him off.
“Not so fast.” Nadine blocks my path. “Do you think you can fuck my husband and not expect any type of retribution from me? I don’t think so.”
“Oh, but cheating on your husband with his friend is okay? If I’m a whore, what the hell are you?”
The slap to the face comes fast, and I’m unable to protect myself. My ears ring and my eyes water. Fuck, I had forgotten how much one of those hurt.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Robbie yells. “Chiara, are you okay?” He positions himself in front of me, protecting me from another assault.
“I’m fine,” I say.
No, I’m not fine. I’m far from it. But I won’t give Nadine the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
“You’d better get your ass out of here before I call the police,” Robbie tells Nadine.
“With pleasure. I’ve already delivered my message.”
I watch the viper walk away with cameraman in tow. Does that mean she got the contract for her reality TV show?
I touch my sore face, and once the anger recedes, it leaves me devastated and hollow. The confrontation with Nadine reminded me too much of my relationship with my mother.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Robbie says.
I nod, wanting nothing more than to hide away from the world.
41
Alistair
I’ve been listening to Enzo shout in my living room for the past hour since I got off the phone with Chiara. He called me as soon as he saw our picture on the front of the LA Times, but yelling at me over the phone wasn’t enough. He had to come knocking. Now he’s furious because I’ve been recognized already, and the story running in all celebrity gossip outlets is reporting that Alistair Walsh, former child TV star, is having an affair with a student. People seem pretty hung up on the fact that I’m still legally married. Nadine must be loving all this.
“I can’t believe you were that careless, Alistair. I just can’t believe it. You were so close to being free of that snake.” Enzo continues pacing back and forth in my kitchen.
“Do you think I was worried about being caught in that moment?”
“Fuck,” Enzo curses.
“You should call Forrester,” my father says.
He’s right; I should call him before he comes knocking at my door too.
I head to my office to make the call in privacy. I don’t need Enzo breathing down my neck while I talk to Forrester. Too fucking bad he doesn’t answer his cell phone, so I call his office, getting his assistant.
“He’s locked in a meeting at the moment,” she says, “but he wants you to come by his office as soon as possible.”
“Of course. I’ll be there in an hour.”
When I announce that I’m headed to DuBose, Enzo asks if that’s a wise idea. I tell him Forrester wants to see me in person.
“Maybe I should come with you as your lawyer.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I didn’t break any laws.”
I walk out before he can start another argument. There’s no sign of paparazzi outside my door, and for that I’m both relieved and surprised. I can’t believe Nadine didn’t send her vulture friends to harass me.
As I drive to DuBose, I can’t help but think that I’d been right all along. Chiara will be responsible for my downfall, but I don’t regret a single moment of it. If given the chance to do it all over again, I would.
I have to steel myself as I walk from my car to Forrester’s office. I get looks; I hear whispers. They all remind me of the time I lived in the limelight. I should be used to it by now, but scrutiny by strangers is not something anyone ever gets accustomed to.
When I arrive at his office, his assistant asks me to take a seat. Forrester isn’t done with his meeting yet. The reproachable glance she aims my way doesn’t escape my notice.
I have to wait for another half hour before she tells me I can come in. Since I didn’t see anyone come out of Forrester’s office, I can only assume he was on a call.
He doesn’t say a word as I walk in and sit across from him. Instead, he stares at me with his indecipherable gaze, the one he used on me when I was his patient. Only I’m no longer eighteen, and I have no time for this type of intimidation tactic.
“Stop staring at me like that. Let’s cut to the chase. Am I fired?”
“You’re not even going to apologize for this whole mess? I vouched for you when I brought you to DuBose despite your past record. And that’s how you repay me?”
“You make it sound like I did it on purpose.”
