POV: Vivian
The three weeks of distance don't help the way I hoped they would, don't make seeing Chase at the Sterling Foundation gala easier, don't diminish the craving that's been building since he left my apartment with promises of temporary separation that feels increasingly permanent.
If anything, distance makes it worse. Makes every day without him feel longer. Makes every night alone in my apartment feel colder. Makes every moment of not knowing what he's doing or how he's managing the hybrid state feel like abandonment disguised as pragmatism.
I bury myself in scripts I'm not booking, auditions that don't lead anywhere, meetings with agents who offer sympathy instead of opportunities. The blacklist is real and effective and destroying my career exactly as Dominic threatened, proving that telling truth at weddings has professional consequences beyond trending as villain.
Philippe calls three days before the gala with news that should be good but feels bittersweet.
