Drowning My Ex-Champion

I gave up the chance to take over my family's business and spent ten whole years acting as a sports agent for my swimmer boyfriend, Nate. I stayed by his side from his early days to his rise to fame. He promised he would propose to me the day he won the world championship gold. The night of his victory dinner, I eagerly put on a wedding dress. I even invited all our close friends and family to the venue so they could witness the moment together. But as he stood under the spotlight, he looked right past me and his gaze landed on his younger teammate, Lexi, who was smiling brightly and clapping for him nearby. A reporter pushed through the crowd with a microphone and asked on the spot if he and Lexi were dating. Nate just smiled at the cameras and didn't deny a thing. Hearing the crowd around us cheering and swooning over them, I ripped off my veil, turned around, and walked out. I sent a text to my father asking him to send a car to take me home. I suddenly remembered that before he left, Nate had hugged me tightly. He said he wasn't in top form and was afraid of losing. He begged me not to go to the competition because he didn't want me to see him fail. In the end, he kept me away just so he could bring someone else. Whoever wants a man like this can have him. I am done. Chapter 1 The moment I pushed open the apartment door, I took off that custom wedding dress, grabbed a pair of scissors, cut it to pieces, and stuffed it straight into the trash. The white satin ripped under the blades, much like our past ten years. It was already full of holes, but I just couldn't bear to face the truth. I immediately called my family's private lawyer and told him to list and sell the premium aquatic center downtown right away. That was the secret training facility I had custom-built for Nate years ago using my own trust fund. The lanes and water temperature matched Olympic standards perfectly. I even paid top dollar to hire a coaching staff that had trained gold medalists just to create a custom plan for him. From the very beginning, I paved the way for this unknown athlete. However, Nate was just entering the pro circuit at the time and had a massive ego. He refused to mention my existence to the public. To avoid suspicion, he also rarely showed up at the training center. He was afraid that if people knew I was the real owner, he would be called a leech who used a woman to get ahead. To protect his ridiculous pride, I moved into a run-down apartment near the team's public pool. During the day, I acted as his agent, securing sponsorships and accompanying him to practice. At night, I stayed up late writing business pitches to pay for his expenses. Thinking back on it now, I had never struggled so much in my entire life. But now that I was leaving, there was no longer any need for this aquatic center. I settled the severance packages for the venue staff, and the lawyer quickly started the property transfer. Looking at the transfer updates popping up on my phone, my heavy heart finally felt a sliver of relief. I could have lived a completely different life. But for a man who wasn't worth it, I gave up being a wealthy heiress and worked myself to the bone as his unpaid maid. I had just stuffed all of Nate's belongings into several large cardboard boxes and was about to throw them out into the hallway when the front door flew open. Nate stormed in. "Didn't we agree before I left that you would stay home like a good girl? Now all the fans online are talking about some crazy woman in a wedding dress!" "You know my marketability is at its peak right now. Did you really have to pull a stunt to force a proposal on a night like that? Will you only be happy when you completely ruin my career?" His tone made it sound like I had committed some unforgivable crime. But if I hadn't seen him flirting with Lexi under the spotlight just a few hours ago, and if he hadn't completely ignored the reporters' questions, I might have actually felt guilty. I might have thought that making our relationship public would hurt his bright future. "What? You tried so hard to stop me from going. Were you afraid I would catch you and Lexi playing up a fake romance in front of the cameras?" "Nate, I will just consider my ten years with you a total waste. From today on, we are done." "Take your things and get out of my apartment." I slapped an agency termination agreement against his chest and kicked the boxes out the door. My eyes held absolutely no affection. His face darkened. He grabbed me and pulled me back into the room, squeezing my wrist hard. "Haley, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now? I've explained it a million times. Lexi is just a new girl on the team. You have way too much free time. Can you stop with this pointless jealousy!" "By the way, the team gave Lexi and me some time off next month to relax and recover. I remember you have a yacht under your name. Tell the marina to get it ready." "I will let the wedding dress thing slide tonight." He kept talking, completely oblivious to the television screen behind him. It was scrolling the entertainment headline: 'Swimming Star Confirms Romance at Victory Party'. In the footage, just as cameras surrounded Lexi, Nate pushed through the crowd and shielded her in his arms. Watching him hold her like that felt like shattered glass in my chest. That yacht was the one I bought for our honeymoon. It had been sitting quietly at a private marina since it was built. I designed the interior myself. Now he wanted to bring another woman on board. Following my gaze, Nate finally noticed the footage on the TV. A look of undeniable panic flashed across his face. Chapter 2 He rushed forward and yanked the TV's power cord. He turned around and looked at me with a stiff smile. "Haley, don't misunderstand. The tabloids are just making things up. The media loves to stir up fake romance rumors for clicks." "You've been an agent for years. You know these tricks better than I do." "Haven't you always wanted a grand wedding? I promise, once I win gold at the next major tournament, I will get down on one knee and propose." "Be a good girl and stop causing a scene. Hurry up and arrange the yacht. I don't want any annoying issues when we set sail." Looking at his two-faced expression, I couldn't hold back and laughed out loud. I wondered why Nate, who had always acted like he was better than everyone, would suddenly swallow his pride to sweet-talk me and bring up marriage out of nowhere. I had brought it up many times before, and he always avoided it like the plague, telling me to just keep waiting. It turned out all he wanted was to keep Lexi happy and score a free yacht trip. Seeing through his act, I shoved him toward the door, pointing outside. "Haley, that's enough. I already said I'm going to marry you. What more do you want? I'm giving you an easy way out, and you want to push it?" He shoved my shoulders, his tone full of irritation. I had spoiled him too much over the past ten years, making him think he could order me around as he pleased. I dodged his hand and said softly, "Nate, I said we are done. We have nothing to do with each other from now on." As soon as the words left my mouth, I slammed the door shut and locked it. I ignored Nate pounding on the door like a madman. "Haley, you are going to regret this!" "Don't come crying to me later begging to get back together!" After he finally left, my phone rang again. "Miss Haley, we have a situation at the aquatic center. You need to come down here and handle it personally!" I gripped my phone, a bad feeling washing over me. When this training facility was built, Nate self-righteously refused to put his name on it. He absolutely refused to let people call him a mooch who lived off his girlfriend. But then he turned around and suggested that since it was built, it would be a waste to leave it empty. He had me put the management rights under a dummy sports management agency. Because of this, I had hardly set foot in there for years. Thinking of this, I grabbed my car keys and drove straight downtown. When I arrived, a whole row of sports cars was parked outside. My lawyer was being blocked at the door by several burly bodyguards. The welcome sign at the entrance announced a private pool party hosted by some girl I had never heard of. Confused, I pushed open the glass doors at the entrance. The facility manager immediately rushed over, waving his hands with a troubled look. "Miss Haley, you're finally here! Lexi claims the venue is hers and invited a bunch of friends over for a party. We couldn't stop them, and she even threatened to sue our staff." My mind buzzed, and I instantly understood what was going on. It turned out the dummy agency Nate set up was under none other than his precious new teammate's name. He acted all high and mighty to my face, but behind my back, he generously handed this professional training facility over to Lexi to use as a party club. I walked inside. The lights by the pool were dim, and the music was deafening. A group of scantily clad young people were chatting and laughing with champagne in hand. A few girls were holding up their phones to take selfies, the background clearly featuring my Olympic-standard swim lanes. Lexi was lounging on a chair by the pool, surrounded by a few friends, showing something off. Seeing me walking straight toward her, she frowned and spoke in a nasty tone. "Oh, isn't this Nate's fired ex-agent?" She took a sip of wine and mocked with a sweet smile. "What? Are you getting desperate and came to my private party to apply for a job as a waitress? Too bad we don't hire aging, broke assistants here." I slapped away her hand and said coldly, "I own this aquatic center, and the transfer was completed an hour ago. Please leave immediately with your friends." Lexi acted like she had heard the biggest joke in the world. She covered her mouth and laughed out loud, deliberately drawing everyone's attention. "Everyone, listen to this! This pathetic ex-agent is actually deluding herself into thinking she's the owner!" "Did getting fired make her lose her mind?" The people around us gathered, whispering and gossiping. "Isn't this the private pool Nate gave Lexi? Everyone knows that. They train here together every day, they're so in love." "Exactly. Lexi even posted a photo of them here in the group chat a few days ago, saying it was to commemorate the hard times they spent together." "That's right! The whole internet saw how Nate protected Lexi at the victory party last night. She's probably just jealous after getting fired, so she came here to cause a scene." Someone had already held up their phone and started recording me. Suppressing my anger, I pulled the stamped property deed from my bag. "Open your eyes and look closely! I am the sole owner here! I'm giving you five minutes to clear out, or I will call the cops." Lexi glanced at the document. With a face full of arrogance, she stepped forward, snatched a cocktail from a nearby waiter, and splashed it onto the paper without losing her smile. The ink instantly blurred into a smudged mess. "Oops, my hand slipped." She shrugged and turned to wink at her friends. Chapter 3 Lexi's friend got the hint and immediately held up her phone, going live on social media and shoving the camera right in my face. Riding on the massive popularity of last night's party, the live feed was instantly flooded with fans obsessed with them as a couple. Lexi, who was arrogant just a second ago, instantly teared up the moment she faced the camera. She looked so delicate, as if a gust of wind could blow her over. "Haley, I know Nate just fired you and you're feeling bitter. If anyone here can help you, we definitely will." "But bringing a fake deed covered in alcohol to steal my venue is just too much. Who in our circle doesn't know Nate bought this place for me?" Her eyelashes fluttered, and she squeezed out two fake tears, acting like she was the victim. I reached out to grab the phone, but just as my fingers touched the edge, someone shoved my shoulder hard from behind. My back crashed into the armrest of a lounge chair, and a sharp pain shot up my spine. The comments on the live feed instantly flooded the screen. Someone even posted a blurry photo of me wearing a wedding dress outside the victory party last night. [Wow, this is the fired agent? She looks scary.] [That's the crazy woman who waited outside the party in a wedding dress last night, right? She failed to force a proposal so she came to crash the party.] [Let's go, guys! Let's head to the pool and stop this woman from bullying our Lexi!] The screen full of insults pierced my eyes. I clutched the hem of my skirt, my chest tightening. Seeing me clutching my back in silence, Lexi deliberately pushed the camera closer to me. I stared at this arrogant idiot. The pain in my back made me wince, and for a moment, I didn't have the strength to speak. I didn't know what it was about me that triggered yet another round of cyberbullying. At this moment, my lawyer finally broke free from the bodyguards, squeezed through the crowd, pulled tax records from his briefcase, and held them high toward the cameras. "Everyone, I have tax records here that prove this venue belongs to my client, Haley..." Before he could finish, a commotion came from the entrance. Someone yelled, "Nate is here!" A sliver of hope rose in my heart, thinking the truth would finally come to light. But Lexi acted like she was crazy. She suddenly grabbed my wrist. She used her momentum to drag me down with her, straight into the deep end of the pool. I had no time to react. We both crashed into the water. The splash soaked the lens of her phone. Freezing cold pool water instantly flooded my mouth and nose. I struggled desperately in the water, looking up and reaching out toward Nate on the edge. The moment I saw him jump in and swim over, a part of my heart actually softened. But the next second, he reached out and grabbed Lexi beside me. He supported her to the surface, carefully carried her out, and wrapped her in a large towel. It wasn't until that moment that the last bit of warmth in my heart completely died. When security finally pulled me out, what awaited me wasn't concern. Instead, Lexi's friends surrounded me, holding up their phones and hurling insults. I slumped on the cold tiles, my tears falling uncontrollably. I had told myself I didn't love him anymore, but right now, my heart still ached. He knew his precious teammate was a strong swimmer since childhood, and he definitely knew I was terrified of water. "Why don't you look in the mirror? You think you can steal Lexi's man looking like that? Keep dreaming!" "Exactly. A washed-up agent trying to ruin someone else's relationship. Disgusting." Someone reached out and tried to shove me back into the pool. Hearing the commotion, Lexi lifted her head from Nate's chest, tears streaming down her face. "Nate, it was her. She crashed my party and pushed me in. If you had come any later, I don't even know what would have happened..." Chapter 4 Nate dried her hair, pulling the towel tighter around her. "You're such a baby. There are cameras everywhere. Look at you, soaking wet in front of everyone." Wrapped in a towel someone had handed me, I gripped it so tight my knuckles turned white. Watching the gentle way he looked at Lexi through the crowd, my throat grew tight. Lexi tugged his sleeve affectionately and muttered, "Stop it. It's your fault for spoiling me on the team." The two of them flirted right there in public. She was being playful, and he was laughing. Watching this unfold, I felt so suffocated I could barely breathe. In the past, I probably would have rushed up, grabbed Lexi, and demanded an explanation. But now, every extra second here felt like torture. I didn't want to ask anything anymore. "Nate, you have to stand up for me. She keeps saying the training center you gave me is hers. How can I let her get away with that?" Following Lexi's gaze, Nate finally got a clear look at me, drenched and pale. The moment our eyes met, panic flickered in his eyes, but he quickly forced a self-righteous look on his face. "What? Did you finally figure it out? Do you regret it? Is that why you came?" Seeing Nate's attitude, Lexi's friends immediately chimed in to suck up to him. "Nate, isn't this your ex-agent? She really went crazy after you fired her." His lips parted, but he didn't say anything. The onlookers caught on, and their laughter grew even louder. "I told you! Just a washed-up agent trying to get some attention!" "Lexi even sent out invitations in the group chat, saying Nate is throwing her a massive birthday party on a private yacht next month! This crazy woman is definitely just jealous, so she came to crash it!" Hearing this, I stared dead at Nate, tears welling in my eyes. No wonder he wouldn't let me go to the victory party. No wonder he had the nerve to ask to borrow my private yacht. It turned out he wanted to bring Lexi along and use my boat to play the generous host, throwing a massive birthday party. Nate had calculated it so perfectly. Mooching off my money to pay his bills, and using my boat for free to win her over. A chill shot up my spine. I had never felt so ridiculous. Noticing my expression, Nate quickly leaned in and lowered his voice. "Haley, it's not what it looks like. Go home. I'll explain everything later." Seeing me just stare coldly at him without moving a muscle, Nate took a deep breath and added quickly, "I went and bought you that necklace you liked. Go home. Don't make a scene. Just go home, and we'll talk." "Don't forget your place. Are you really going to ignore me?" His threat only added fuel to the crowd's mockery, and their jeers grew louder. I clenched my fists, letting the pain wash over me. I laughed coldly. "My place? Nate, why don't you say it out loud in front of everyone? What exactly have I been to you for the past ten years?" The room instantly fell silent. All eyes turned to Nate. Under their gossiping gazes, Nate's face turned pale. He avoided my eyes, rubbing the back of his neck and stammering. Just as he was about to speak, Lexi suddenly stepped forward and shielded him. With a crisp slap, a burning pain spread across my cheek. I stared with bloodshot eyes at Nate, who was hiding behind Lexi, not daring to make a sound. My heart went completely cold. I raised my hand, ready to slap her back. A man in a sharp suit with a commanding presence strode over, pushed through the crowd, and stood protectively beside me. "Miss Haley, since you have officially sold this facility to my company, the job of taking out the trash belongs to me. Please, don't dirty your hands." The man turned around, shielding me behind him. His cold gaze swept the room. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried immense weight. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Julian, CEO of Cross Group." He paused. "And Haley's fiancé, chosen by the Astor family." "Today, I'm here to bring the sole heiress of the Astor family home."