For a while, you escaped the eye of the storm, where everyone was immersed in conflicts and gossip orchestrated by Maddy and Cassie, without noticing your absence. You saw this interval as an opportune moment to distance yourself from the forgotten city, aspiring to a growth that would transcend the fleeting pleasures and seductive dances in Nate Jacobs' lap during lonely nights.

However, the expectations proved illusory. The metropolis rose like an insurmountable wall before your dreams and aspirations. On the brink of twenty-six, struggling to find purpose in a job devoid of meaning, single, without family ties, you felt lamentably displaced. Your younger self, upon glimpsing this desolate future, would have emitted a cynical laugh or perhaps recoiled in horror at such a prospect. Warnings echoed in your mind; he, in particular, had foreseen that life would not reserve a place for souls like yours in the stellar sphere.

Thus, it was you who left Nate, not the other way around.

Now, you return humbly, summoned by an invitation to the class of 2014 alumni reunion. There you were, traversing the rural hinterlands of Los Angeles County.

It's ironic how the world unfolds.

The effervescent lights tinged the antiquated gymnasium of East Highland High School with hues of pink and purple. Some familiar faces engaged in lively conversations, while others exuded old animosities. And then, him.

Nathaniel Jacobs.

It wasn't difficult to find him, still towering and imposing as ever. Time had been generous to him, perhaps overly so. How can a man divorce twice, behave so nefariously, and still exude such magnetism?

A sight to behold.

"Has the glamour of Hollywood faded for the little star?" The velvety, raspy voice echoed, jolting you from your reverie. Nate had noticed your presence, and unlike you, he had the audacity to approach with a sardonic smile on his lips. He was irritated, but still, something inside him clamored for you.