A memory surfaced—an online post I had seen while trying to clean up some negative press.
It was about Kate and Vincent's ten-year promise.
The post claimed that Vincent and Kate were childhood sweethearts who had been forced apart—one going abroad, the other pursuing a career in entertainment. They had set a ten-year deadline to meet again at the top of their respective fields.
I felt a knot in my chest.
I thought, "If that's the case, where do I fit into this? Have all my efforts over the past decade been just to set her up with Vincent?"
I recalled the early days—when Kate, struggling, danced in a sweltering studio while I sat on the floor, making calls to find her work.
We had shared a bottle of water and an ice cream.
At the end, she had shyly said, "Clark, you're so great. Let's be together. I'll make sure to win all the awards for you and prove you're the best manager. We'll announce it then."
But as her career soared, she became increasingly entangled in complexities, and the rifts between us grew wider.
I finally realized that I could no longer keep up with her.
The buzz from the trending topic only grew louder, with more and more rumors spreading.