Undone by Time | LINGORM

The café was quiet, a heaven from the relentless pace of Bangkok. Ling adjusted her blazer as she walked inside, her eyes scanning the space until they landed on P'Dew. Seated by the window, the executive manager looked just as poised and polished as Ling remembered, her presence commanding even in casual surroundings.

"N'Lingling," P'Dew greeted warmly, standing to hug her. "It's been so long", her voice cracked by the emotions. Ling returned the embrace, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "It has." P'Dew smiled, gesturing for Ling to sit. "You disappeared so completely. You stayed in Hong Kong, wasn't it?"

Ling nodded, taking her seat. "Yeah. After the last job I did for the channel, I had to.. distance myself."

The weight behind her words lingered in the air. P'Dew studied her for a moment, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. She knew there was a lot more to her story, but she knew Ling enough to understand that when Ling was ready, she was going to tell her. "What did you do there?"

"Nothing glamorous," Ling replied with a shrug, deflecting. "Taught a few workshops, worked behind the scenes on some small productions. Eventually I joined forced with a friend over there and we launched a toy brand. It was quiet, and I liked that."

P'Dew's gaze lingered, as if searching for more, but she didn't press. "Well, I'm glad you're back. When I heard, I knew I had to see you." Ling smiled faintly, wrapping her hands around her glass of iced tea. "I appreciate it. Honestly, I wasn't sure anyone would care."

"Care?" P'Dew said, raising an eyebrow. "Ling, you and Orm were the faces of the industry for years. People still talk about you two, about how you defined an era."

Ling's chest tightened at the mention of Orm. She forced herself to hold P'Dew's gaze, even as the memories threatened to overwhelm her. The long days on set, the whirlwind promotions, the stolen moments when it was just the two of them. It had been beautiful, and unsustainable.

P'Dew leaned forward, her tone softening. "You know, I always knew the two of you had something special. Not just on screen, but..." She hesitated. "Even off, it felt real, from the very beginning."

"It was real," Ling said quietly, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest. "It always was. We never stopped loving each other, but... it got to be too much. The industry, the schedules, the pressure. We couldn't find a way to balance it all."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "We decided to take a break, to focus on our own lives and careers. The plan was to come back to each other once things were more manageable. But then I left, and everything fell.. through."

P'Dew nodded, her expression thoughtful. "It's hard to separate what you do from who you are in this business. And for the two of you, everything was so intertwined. I can only imagine how difficult that must have been."

Ling sighed, glancing out the window at the bustling street. "Difficult doesn't even begin to cover it."

They sat in silence for a moment before P'Dew cleared her throat. "Ling, I called you here for a reason. We're starting a new division at the channel, focused on managing and mentoring rising actors. I want you to come on board as a manager."

Ling blinked, caught off guard. "Me? I haven't been in the industry for years."

"That doesn't matter," P'Dew said firmly. "What matters is that you've been through it all. The auditions, the gruelling schedules, the spotlight. You know better than anyone how hard it is to navigate fame and still hold onto yourself."

Ling hesitated, running her fingers along the rim of her glass. The idea of returning to the industry felt overwhelming, but there was something compelling about the offer, something she couldn't quite ignore.