...stringer! A stringer is someone to whom you're still emotionally attached, as if by a string (or, in some cases, a 100-pound ball 'n chain). Many times, the Stringer enjoys your attachment, even if s/he's not willing or able to return your emotional involvement.

It's not easy to become unattached to a Stringer, as many a Stringee can attest, but it's possible.

Many thanks to everyone who commented.