I sat in my assigned seat, my hands resting over the speech I had prepared.
Pages filled with words. Ideas. Acknowledgments. Everything I had worked for. Everything I wanted to say.
The MC stepped onto the stage, smiling brightly.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us for this monumental launch!”
Applause filled the room. My heart began to beat faster. This was it.
“At this time, we would like to invite the visionary behind the success of this new developed platform…”
I straightened slightly.
“…Alpha Cain!”
The applause grew louder. My chest tightened.
And then—
“And of course, the face of our platform…”
A pause. A smile.
“Faye!”
The world seemed to go silent. I didn’t move. As they walked onto the stage together. As if it had always been meant to be them.
Faye took the microphone first, her smile radiant.
“Thank you so much for this opportunity,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “I’m truly honored to be the face of such an incredible social media platform.”
She looked at Alpha Cain.
“And I want to thank Alpha Cain for believing in me.”
More applause. Alpha Cain stepped forward, taking the microphone.