Everyone Called Him a Kept Man

The people who used to call me a simp started demanding extra footage halfway through the dating reality show. [Give us more of her and her golden retriever boyfriend's everyday romance!

Don't make me beg!] When the show first aired, they laughed at me for not knowing greatness when it was standing right in front of me.

My exboyfriend, the Oscarwinning Best Actor, was the most eligible bachelor in America as far as they were concerned, and my new boyfriend was just a kept man.

Until they saw me come home after a long day to a big bright house, a hot meal, a warm bed, and a young, strong golden retriever in it.

Chapter 1 Killian Mallory won Best Actor at the Oscars, and then he went public with a wildly highprofile relationship.

Either he was buying his young girlfriend a handbag or he was flying her off to some island. Eight days out of ten, they sat on the trending list.

None of which should have had anything to do with a Dlist actress like me. Except somebody online dug up the fact that Killian Mallory and I had a history.

There was one photo in particular. Me at seventeen, in a school hoodie, hair in a ponytail, sulking on the bleachers by the field.

The person taking it had been standing far away, and the picture was blurry.

But you could still make out the guy crouched in front of me, pulling face after face to get me to laugh: Killian Mallory, the new Best Actor, a man known for never cracking a smile.

The photo was peak teenage everything. People had barely started shipping us when the words EPIC BAD END in the corner slapped them awake.

Then they dug up our notverydignified breakup. Overnight, every flavor of obsessive fan came flooding into my comments. [Any regrets?

If you hadn't broken up, that ridiculous fortune would have been yours.] [Our boy Killian was so good to you back then.

He cried his eyes out when you left and you never once looked back. Now that he's doing well, does it sting?] [Haha, thank you, Miss Cassel, for not marrying him.

If you hadn't been cold enough to dump him, how would our boy Killian be walking this starlit road today?] I made a point of keeping my distance.

But three years after the breakup, Killian Mallory and I still ran into each other constantly. Don't ask.

If you ask: same company, sevenyear contract, and I can't afford to buy out my own deal.

On a bad day, there's the company's annual charity gala, where we have to rehearse a number together. Like right now.

Killian Mallory stood in the elevator without a word, his face cold. "Coming?" It was lunch hour and the building was mostly empty. The elevator went down.

In that small space, it was just the two of us. I was about to fake a scroll through my phone to take the edge off.

Killian Mallory spoke up. "You really don't have anything to say to me?" Was I… supposed to?

I thought about it. "Would you mind getting the talk online handled?" I'm a nobody, but he had Best Actor behind his name, and his word went a lot further at the company than mine.

I didn't expect Killian Mallory to let out a cold little laugh, his voice full of barbs. "Why would I? Isn't what they're saying true?" "…" So the man holds a grudge. Good to know.

I swallowed everything I'd been about to say. "Why'd you stop talking?" It had been over for years, and he turned to look at me exactly as pushy as he'd been the day we split.

I was tired of trading shots with him, so I went bland. "Congratulations on the career and the love life, big guy.

Good enough?" It came out so sarcastic that anyone would have heard the opposite of a compliment. Killian Mallory just smiled. "What, jealous?" Me: ???

What angle did he hear that from? "I've got a career, I've got a boyfriend.

What exactly would I be jealous of?" Killian Mallory folded his arms and looked at me, his whole face full of mockery. Chapter 2 "How come I've never heard about any boyfriend?

Nell Cassel, you can't even be bothered to work out a lie first?" I was about to fire back. Ding. The number in the elevator hit 1.

Knowing this conversation was finally over, I let out a quiet breath. I glanced at Killian Mallory. "Right, right, right. You know everything." "You're the voice in my head.

You're the dust under my bed." "From now on you should change your name to Mallory the Psychic (Nell Cassel Edition)." Maybe the summer I was seventeen, I would have been jealous over him.

But it was the winter of 2025 now. Even the fiercest feelings wear thin in the rings of passing years. And anyway, there was already someone more important in my life.

Before he walked off, Killian Mallory was clearly angry, and it took him some effort to get his voice back under control. "There's a dating show that wants me and Priscilla to pair up again.

Since you have a boyfriend, bring him on so the two of you can be the comparison couple." We'll see which couple ends up making the other look bad. I didn't want to say yes.

But the number they offered looked like money laundering. My manager and I both stared at that contract with our eyes wide.

Forcing my mouth flat, I walked out of the building and sent a message to the chat pinned at the top of my phone. [Griffin. There's a reality show.

Any interest?] The first shoot was at the beach house Killian Mallory had just bought. Griffin had something to take care of and wouldn't get there for another two days.

At three in the morning, I dragged my suitcase onto set. I'd assumed I could coast, take the mockery, and collect my perepisode fee.

But on shoot day, before I was even awake, Priscilla came bursting cheerfully into my room. "Miss Cassel, Killian made breakfast.

Come on, get up." I sat there with my hair like a bird's nest, eyes barely open, a huge camera shoved right into my face. The live chat was busy. [That's Oscarwinner Mallory's ex?

The Dlist actress, Nell Cassel?] [She's not half as pretty as our Prim. Oscarwinner Mallory had questionable taste back then.] [Prim is too good.

Killian made that breakfast specially for her and she's sharing it with the ex who slept in.] [The man spoils Prim so much.] So there I was on camera, barefaced, after landing in the small hours the day before and sleeping three hours. "Miss Cassel, your eyes look a little swollen." "Do they?" I got up.

I went to the mirror and scrubbed my face with cold water. "I just had eyelid surgery.

It hasn't healed yet." I'd had trouble with ingrown lashes for years, and Griffin wore me down until I let him take me in for the procedure. The chat was floored. [Please.

She's had a knife in her face and she thinks she can compare to our Prim?] [Okay, but… that's pretty honest?] [First actress I've ever seen drop her own dirt.

Now I want to know how this goes.] Priscilla covered her lips, surprised too. "Miss Cassel, you're so brave. Not like me. I'm too scared of pain.

I still don't dare let anyone cut my face. No wonder Killian's always saying I'm delicate." The chat took the cue and started praising her as an allnatural beauty.

I wasn't reading closely. My whole brain was saying starving, starving. Where was Killian Mallory's breakfast? There was already a crowd downstairs.

Besides me and Killian Mallory, there were two other celebrity couples.

I sat down at the table and looked at a spread of Mickey D's dupes. "Killian Mallory made this?" Priscilla nodded. "He did.

He makes it for me every day." "These hotcakes are my favorite." And this isn't McDonald's, apparently. Back when we were together, Killian Mallory never once set foot in a kitchen.

Chapter 3 It was always me buying breakfast and then going in to wake him up. Whatever. Food is food.

I picked up my fork and was about to take the first bite. "Miss Cassel, don't tell me your boyfriend doesn't make you breakfast?" As she said it, Killian Mallory came out of the kitchen, pulled out a chair, and sat down with a small huff.

I glanced at him and answered without much interest. "He does.

Three months of breakfast and he hasn't repeated a dish yet." I've played a lot of catty otherwoman parts, so my reputation isn't great.

Which meant people doubted what Griffin could do, too. The chat lit up. [The CloutChaser can say whatever she wants.

Who makes breakfast for three months without repeating anything?] [Probably heating up meal kits and lying to you.] [I give up.

Miss Cassel, what have you been smoking?] Priscilla snorted out a laugh. Killian Mallory sat there next to her, smiling and saying nothing. I shook my head to myself.

When did telling the truth stop working? After the meal, everyone went to get ready for the compatibility game.

Killian Mallory drifted over to me at some point. "Your boyfriend still isn't here?" I clipped the lav mic to my collar. "He's out of the country for some cooking competition.

He'll be two days late." "You thought that one all the way through." He had that you'resofullofit look on his face, and it made me want to hit something.

I was about to get into it with him when the control room said we could start. So I set my personal grievances aside and walked into the room with him.

The first segment was the compatibility test. As one half of the comparison couple, naturally I got paired with Killian Mallory. Except Griffin wasn't there.

So production had me answer first, and they'd match his answers against mine later for the score.

First question. "Cats or dogs?" Me: "Dogs." Second question. "Older or younger?" Now it was my turn to be covered in question marks. "A… dog?" The chat lost its mind. [Dying.

Nell's industrialgrade reading comprehension.] [Every time I think this show is boring, this woman hands me a brandnew bit.] [Nell: Excuse me, do none of you use context clues?] The director gently reminded me that he meant men.

This time I didn't hesitate. "Younger." Only people who've had one know how good it feels to play with a daddy who still looks like a boy.

The words had barely left my mouth when Priscilla cried out. "Killian, you're hurting me." The cameras pushed in for a closeup on the two of them.

Killian Mallory's face had gone dark. He let go of Priscilla's hand and said, low: "I think that's enough questions.

I'm going back to rest." I rolled my eyes where nobody could see it. Pfft. Spare me the Best Actor routine. The chat started rolling fast. [Poor Prim.

It's all Nell, that innocentact snake, being funny on purpose so the man can't even focus on Prim.] [Or… Killian Mallory had his ears straining for his ex's answer the whole time, and when she said she likes them younger, he broke. (Fun fact: Killian Mallory is five months older than Nell.)] [Same.

He got upset the second she said dogs.

Apparently it came out a while back that when they were together they talked about getting a cat together.] [AAAH so Nell did it on purpose to get the man's attention.

Snake, begone!] [Speechless. She answered a normal question normally. If anybody's a problem here it's Killian Mallory eyeing the next pot while he's eating out of this one.

Can you all stop worshipping men?] Once the questions were over, Priscilla was visibly unhappy.

That evening there was a barbecue on the beach, and I sat by the fire enjoying the soft ocean wind.

Chapter 4 She went back to dragging me over to look at necklaces. "Miss Cassel, Killian wants to buy me a present and he's letting me pick.

Will you help me choose?" I had nothing better to do, so I took her phone and compared the few she'd picked out.

I pointed at a small starburst pendant. "This one suits you better." "But Killian says the blue one looks better. I think I'll get the blue one." …Then why ask me? I didn't follow.

But her point turned up soon enough. Eyeing my bare collarbones, Priscilla gave a light little smile. "Miss Cassel, I hear your boyfriend graduated recently.

He probably can't afford a necklace this expensive for you.

Want me to have Killian buy you one too?" Very generous of her. "No need." I held up the bracelet on my wrist. "I get sensory overload. I can't stand necklaces.

But my boyfriend buys me other jewelry all the time." The gemstone bracelet on my wrist threw off small points of light. Like stars at night.

Bright, but not gaudy. "I've never seen that one on the market. It isn't some offbrand thing, is it? Miss Cassel, I'd take it off if I were you.

It could affect your endorsement deals." Priscilla looked deeply concerned. She even called Killian Mallory over and sweettalked him into offering me one.

The other two couples came over at the noise.

Killian Mallory looked at the picture of the necklace, walked up to me, and suddenly bent down. "You want one?" "No." He was too close, and I stepped back on instinct. "All right.

I'll get you one." What is it with these two, like neither of them understands plain English. Unlike me, the chat was going wild. [Oscarwinner Mallory is so good to her!

Prim says one word and he says yes.] [Prim is so nice.

If it were me I wouldn't give that snake the time of day.] [God, if I had a boyfriend like that I'd let him put me in a mansion and a nice car too.] "Hold on.

That bracelet on Nell's wrist. I feel like I've seen it somewhere." Isolde Junot, the new it girl, spoke up out of nowhere and pulled my hand over for a closer look.

Word is she's an actual rich girl who has to go home and take over the family business if she doesn't work hard, so of course she's seen things. "I remember now!

I saw this bracelet at Sotheby's. There's only one in the world, the opening bid was eight million dollars, and then some mystery buyer took it home." "What mystery buyer?

How have I never heard of him