Chapter 2

2

I had believed him back then, which is why I used my connections to get Jasmine a spot as an alternate on the team.

She might have been sick, but that didn't give her the right to use morality as a weapon.

The truth was, her skills weren't even close to the national standard.

Her scores weren't even good enough for a state-level backup, let alone the Olympics.

That was why I had firmly told Gavin no.

For fourteen years, every jump on the balance beam and every release on the uneven bars was a testament to my love for the sport.

I would never break the rules or betray my beliefs for anyone.

I wasn't just carrying my own dreams; I was carrying the honor of my country.

But seeing the disappointment in Gavin's eyes back then, I felt a twinge of guilt.

I had reached out to touch his arm to comfort him.

"Life isn't always fair, Gavin. We can't control everything. Don't carry that weight on your shoulders."

"Once I win the gold, I have a massive surprise for you."

I had already bought the ring, ready to start our future together.

I never imagined he would use my trust to poison me.

On the other end of the line, Gavin's mocking voice continued.

"Jasmine is a high-society heiress. If she wasn't sick, a poor nobody like you wouldn't even be fit to breathe the same air, let alone compete with her."

"Don't even dream about returning to the floor. This is your destiny. Accept it."

I felt a wave of profound sadness.

I had defied my family to be with him, giving up my life as a billionaire heiress just for a future with him.

And he had drugged me for a girl he barely knew.

Before I could even scream at him, he hung up.

Suddenly, the screen showed Gavin walking onto the center of the arena with a massive bouquet of red roses.

He dropped to one knee, looking at Jasmine with eyes full of love, and held up a diamond ring.

"Jasmine, I love you. Will you marry me?"

The crowd went wild, their cheers shaking the entire Olympic complex.

My heart was bleeding.

My own boyfriend was proposing to another woman on international television.

It was a poison-tipped arrow straight through my chest.

I wiped my eyes, my gaze turning cold.

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to a number I hadn't messaged in years.

"Grandpa, I miss you."

The reply came almost instantly.

"If you're tired of playing, come home. I'm getting old, and it's time you took over the Sterling family empire."