Should I
tell her?

I’m a washed-up actor. I also work as a male escort. My girlfriend has no idea. I need to decide what to do.

I booked my last real acting job in 1994. Three lines on a cop show that got cut in editing. Since then it’s been background work, voiceovers for industrial videos, and the occasional commercial for a local furniture chain.

The escorting started six months ago. A friend from the old days introduced me to a woman who runs a discreet service for women visiting the city. The money is better than any day rate I’ve seen in years. No one knows. Not my agent, not my friends, and certainly not my girlfriend of eleven months.

She thinks I’m still hustling auditions and taking the occasional catering gig. She’s kind. She deserves the truth. But I’m terrified of what happens when I say it out loud.

Tell her

She might understand. She might leave. Either way the lie stops rotting in my chest. I can stop living two lives and see what remains of the one we built together.

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Keep quiet

The work pays the rent. She’s happy. I’m functional. Some secrets are small enough to carry without damaging anyone. Why blow everything up for the sake of honesty?

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