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‘It’s outside London.’

‘Send me an address and tell security I’m coming.’

***

An hour and a half later, Alex was watching Isabelle perform in a scene from an upcoming whistleblower thriller. It was quite a privilege to see her go. When the director called cut and told everyone to go to lunch, Isabelle immediately took her to a trailer and locked the door.

‘Thanks for coming.’

‘You were great in that scene.’

‘I don’t think this is going to be any good, but I appreciate it.’

‘You don’t?’

‘I’m in the wrong role, for a start. I should have been the lead.’ She paused. ‘I know that sounds…’

‘No, no, I’m sure you’re right,’ Alex said.

‘It’s… I’m ageing out of certain kinds of lead roles, you see. This is what worries me.’

‘How the hell are you ageing out of anything? You look the same as you did ten years ago.’

Isabelle sat down in a chair and rubbed her temples. ‘Thank you. It’s water and rest.’

Sure, Alex thought. But she wouldn’t have dreamt of calling her out. She knew the pressures on actresses were preposterous.

‘But it doesn’t matter how I look. Peopleknowmy age,’ Isabelle said. ‘There’s nothing I can do about that. That’s what worries me about all this. A divorce?Now? My career already feels like it’s winding down.’ She sighed. ‘Look, I know what you’re thinking. She’s rich, what does it matter?’

‘Iwasn’tthinking that, but go on,’ Alex said.

‘I love what I do. I need to keep doing it.’

‘And you will. It’s just a divorce, Isabelle. It happens to a lot of people.’

‘But it wasn’t supposed to happen to me.’

Alex ran into this a lot. Success was a strange thing. It didn’t just apply to careers. It was everything. Marriage, kids, the lot. Everything had to lookright. Alex was glad at times like this that she didn’t have any of that to lose. She didn’t have relationships, not proper ones, anyway. She was strictly in the casual section of dating apps. It was what worked for her.

Still, she empathised with Isabelle’s plight. She was getting divorced in front of the whole world. It had to suck.

‘Look, I know you don’t want people to see this and think you failed at something,’ Alex said carefully. ‘Which is why the next stage is to get you seen, out and about.’

Isabelle looked very unsure. ‘How will that help me?’

‘Because if you’re seen having fun, it will look like Erin’s been holding you back,’ Alex told her.

‘Where, exactly?’ Isabelle asked warily.

‘Movie premiers, parties, the stuff you haven’t gone to in a long time,’ Alex explained.

Isabelle’s face fell. ‘I hate that shit.’

‘I’m sorry about that,’ Alex said apologetically. ‘But I promise you, it’ll help. We put you next to some other famous faces, looking like you’re having a whale of a time, and you know what people will say? “She’s living her best life.”

Isabelle raised an eyebrow. ‘They will?’

‘They will.’