MYLES POV

There's a loud systematic beeping in my head. I blinked, it was too bright. I shut back my eyes tightly, swallowing down to ease my dry throat.

"He had no right to be with her. He signed the Goddamn papers." I know that voice very well and it sounded irate as I've always known it to be.

"He can make his choices." Mom sounded defensive against what Nelson was implying.

"He shouldn't have breached the contract."

"When will you ever change? Why is there a contract in the first place?" Mom defended me.

"For business. I don't suppose you understand that language." Nelson was riled, his voice was getting louder with every word he sputtered.

"Do you have to manipulate him for the rest of his life because he has nobody?"

"Nobody? Seriously, for goodness sake?" There was a sudden scattering sound. Nelson must have flung something on the floor as he'd always do when he's angry. "What are we then, tell me?"

"Don't say we. You are not considered in this case," she argued.

"I am his manager. I turn up every time he needs me."

"Of course, manager. Shame that's all you made yourself to him."

"He also has Autumn, willing to create a wonderful family with him despite his ungratefulness towards her."

Of course, today is the day he would say I told you so to my face. He hated the idea of Cali. I couldn't tell her, knowing her ability to be weakened by people's negative impact on her. And that's why she will hate me forever, because now she knows everything that I tried so hard to resolve at the end of the day.

"They were over. Don't even bring that one here." Mom exasperatedly sighed.

"Oh please, you are always like that. You always think you're better than me." Nelson scoffed at his ex-wife.

Their argument persists. I needed to spare mom from the irritant.
"Mom?" I called. My voice was croaky and hoarse.

Their attention came back to me immediately. Mom rushes over from the couch.
"He's awake." her fingers sank into my hair, and she smiled relievedly. "Honey." Mom uttered and urged Nelson, "Can you just get the doctors?"

His jaw clenched as he lingers at the foot of my bed. I know him enough to know he has something on his mind that he must say. And he didn't let my condition prevent him from speaking out. He went on saying, "Now look what they did to you. I told you numerous times how that girl is bad news but you went on with her. You have no idea what's at stake. You do not think right when you act. Now you're risking your future and everything we've worked for, and for what? Some stupid girl you will get tired of?"

"Don't talk about her like that." It was instinct. I didn't care for his insults to me, he just shouldn't bring Cali into this.

"Nelson, Doctor, now! For goodness sake," Mom yelled at him and huffed before he slapped the wall and finally left.

"I am sorry you had to hear that." mom scoffed embarrassingly, blinking away the tears. She hated confronting him ever since in court through their divorce procedure. She wouldn't have to anymore, except they are both my parents, and in most cases when mom has to come by to see me, Nelson is always around, given his position in my career. I know it takes effort to pretend to be fine around him. She was doing all that for my sake. I am her only child, so she does care for me as though she was my birth mother.

"I love Calista. I wasn't going to ever leave. She is... She was it for me."

Mom sniffed and stroked my face, where it wasn't hurting.

"I know. I know."

Mom divorced Nelson when he became too difficult to live with. There's always something to fight and argue about in that house, be it at dinner, on Christmas mornings, or at the mall, displaying the toxicity of the family around different sets of eyes. There was no longer a space between those hard days when we had any more good family time. When today is traumatic, tomorrow's problem is even worse, and it all started because of my presence in their family.

If I could go back, I would have agreed to go to foster care, but it can't be replicated. I had ruined what they used to have.

~

"How are you feeling?" The nurse asked. I was alone in the hospital room.

It was in the morning. The next day after, I fully recovered consciousness. Nelson had just left. He had come by and thrown out a tantrum over things that mattered to me, uttering all sorts of words that left a scar inside me.

"Unhealthy," I answered the woman, as it was obvious from my broken and swollen face.

"You have broken places. The doctor gave the X-ray to your family. I can see here in your files that you will be fine in no time. Your ribs and heart will take a maximum of a month to heal before you can start the four months of physiotherapy to get back on your feet."

My heart thuds in my chest at the information.
Five months is too much to go to waste for the team. The new season is about to start. How can they hold up without me?

I was at a loss for words. I wanted to ask why I was cuffed against the bed. My lips were parted, but they couldn't form a word. It was at that moment Autumn walked in, holding one of the designer handbags we bought together from the forced outings she took me along.

The nurse's face immediately lightened up at the arrival of Autumn, given her fame from our ex-engagement.
"Welcome, Ms. Autumn." The nurse smiles.

She politely waves at her and comes over to me, while the nurse turns to leave.

"Hey, look at you roughed up by some dirty girl." She sounded distasteful, similar to her disgruntled demeanor. She dropped on the edge of the bed, putting a hand on my chest, where it hurts physically and emotionally.

Impulsively, I clasped her wrist and threw her hand away from me.
"Do not speak of her like that."

Autumn sneered, as though I revolted her. I wish I do.
"You are pathetic." She scoffed angrily.

"Why are you here Autumn?" She can't possibly come over just to tell me she didn't approve of my choices.

She leaned forward, grabbing my free hand this time. I glare at her from the corner of my eyes, knowing there's always something stupid she will come up with.
"I am constant no matter how much you oppose my existence. You only have me at the end of everything."

"I didn't ask you to come. You shouldn't have, I will still live. Better even."

"Poor Myles." She paused thoughtfully for a beat and then nodded. "I can see you're still dumb. Even wrecked and destroyed and left in a hospital bed with gauze all over you, you still believe you have a chance with her. But I will break it down for you. They're not your family. We are. I am."

My teeth were grinding in my tense closed mouth.

"You see that man out there?" She points over to someone, wearing a black suit and hygienic mask. "The moment you're discharged from this bed, he's going to arrest you in handcuffs. It's why you're cuffed like an animal. Brayden sued you for coming at his underage sister. Things aren't getting good in court for you. Those you mistake for your family are the ones trying to ruin your career. All the things you've built to be the person you've become today. They're all burning into flames, Myles. And all for what? The Donovan's?"

A lump formed in my throat, and no matter how many times I swallowed, it remained there like a giant rock, hindering my breathing.

"Let's get married." She cupped my face. The touch burns, and where she had her hands hurt so much. "I am still considering the best for you. Let's end all of this and deny their words."

She must think I am stupid. Whatever consequence I will pay, I still stand by my words. She and I will never happen.

I yank my hand from hers, grumbling, "Get out."

"What do you mean?" She was taken aback. Her eyes blinked. She should know by now, there is nothing that will change my mind. Even if I can't have Cali, I would never consider Autumn for a wife again. "You can't send me out." She fumed.

"Leave right now or I will press." I threatened with the nurse's calling button under my thumb.

"It's sad I have to watch Brayden ending you in court. And Dad too." She bragged given she knew I know everything now.

I knew hatred but it never tasted severe. What my ears have heard since morning, I wish I could drown myself in entire blankness.

The pain was vicious in my chest and the bile in my throat was worse than acid. I knew I was crying inwardly, I just didn't have tears left for that moment, given I had been drained of that in my past.

Jake came in. I was thankful. And seeing my expression, he quickly put two and two together. He knew I didn't want Autumn's company.

"I will escort you out." He sternly insisted and she frowned at him.

"Jake?" I called when he had successfully led Autumn to the door.

He turned over and watched me with concern or maybe disappointment in his eyes.

"I didn't take advantage of Cali."
She was into me. I liked her too. What we had was straightforward. She deserved her dreams to come true, and so I loved her as she truly was entitled to experience because she believed she was unworthy of it. But I didn't take advantage of her naivety or innocence. I couldn't, no matter how much I wanted to.

"You should rest," Jake said instead.

"Do you believe me?" I sounded desperate but I was just in denial that I was ruined. I needed someone, even one person, to believe that I wasn't the monster they named me.

He nodded, dragging a breath with a neutral expression. I can't tell what he was thinking, I just hope he will define me by my virtue and what he knew genuinely about me.

Swallowing down my parched throat, my eyes closed.

The funny thing is that I felt in me that loving Cali would hurt. I just couldn't revoke my feelings. I fell too deep, and now I'm left in a void, where I can't catch a glimpse of my way out.

~

Six weeks had gotten by since I was freed from my jail time. David and the team president had silently pushed for a trial and had tried to reason with Brayden on the case. He still wouldn't budge. However, with the team resources, I was only locked up for a couple of weeks and settled for a crucial home arrest, with social media restrictions.

In court, Holt, my lawyer, had dressed perfectly for the occasion, as every other involved in the case had done. On the other hand, I needed to stay undercover, so I didn't put on a brand-new tux and shiny shoes. My zipper hoodie was large enough for me to hide in it like the hat I have on.

The three prosecutors, including my teammate, had called their witnesses to introduce evidence. Brayden first brought in the photographer from New York, whom he bribed not to spread the news for some reasons, clearly for Cali's sake. And then David, our coach. He was with Brayden when they walked in on us that day. And his last witnesses were someone from the hotel in New York. I didn't even recognize the woman, just like all the witnesses from the rest of the prosecutors.

When there was another short break from the four hours of shocking presentations of fake witnesses against me, I met David in the occupied hall. He had asked Jake to get me.

"Hey look at me." He tapped both my cheeks. "You are going to deny any accusation. Including that Calista thing. We've made it look like she was only looking up to you as a big brother at the time because she and Brayden weren't in good times. I have the best lawyers for you. You will say nothing and do not agree on any bargain that isn't the termination of those accusations."

He expects me to deny my feelings about Cali?

"How? You stood up for Brayden. You were his witness."

"And I said, I saw her at your place. But I didn't give out the details, the lack of clothing, and the position you had her in." He angrily whispered and wandered his eyes around the people walking around the hall.

He was right. But still, he shouldn't have been involved as a witness against me in a case where I could be thrown into prison for a major period of my lifetime.

I didn't have anything to say about what he had spat in my face. My eyes dropped to the floor.

"Myles, I don't know what to do with you. I just hope this works out or the team has to pay for your mistake." He added.

"It won't get to that. I don't know the other prosecutors. I will keep denying it, I promise."

"It better not." He frowned, shoving nervous hands into the pockets of his dressed pants. "Or you're out. I mean it this time. I can't protect you anymore. And that has to suck for your career, but I will have no option but to act on your irresponsibility."

He walked passed me, leaving me to stare at the wall for a while. When I finally gathered the strength to move, I turned to walk back to the hearing but I found Nelson, stationary, with a death stare gentler than the glare from everyone in the hall, which suddenly pinned me in my stance.

All the time I tolerated standing next to Nelson, I had to mentally recite that he was my family.

"I will find a way to get Brayden off of our backs. We will offer to pay two million for the damages," he said.

Of course, my money.

"I didn't damage anything."

"His naive underage sister," he sarcastically pointed out.

"We both know that's not true."

"You always have an option. You were supposed to be married to deny these accusations." He huffed, shaking his head as though he was stressed. It was all to put on a show for the people to believe he truly cares about me. "You must get married to Autumn immediately so we can forge the date. She will testify your loyalty to the marriage. It's the only chance to save you from the harsh sentence coming your way."

He has to be kidding me.

"Accusations put together by you? You wouldn't drop this shit. All this is ridiculous." I scoffed, rubbing my head, where it hurts from an excruciating headache. "I guess all this worked out in your favor. That's all you ever wanted, isn't it? To manipulate me as you wish. Now I am at my most vulnerable moment and it is then you're bringing up your self-interest. How can you be so self-centered? You are supposed to be my dad." But he turned out to be my biggest enemy.

"Don't be ungrateful." He scoffed too. Seething silently, I could see it in his deep raging eyes drilling into me. "You call me self-centered, don't tell me you've forgotten I gave you a life. Imagine what you could've become if you were at the foster homes?" He furiously smacks his chest with his fist. "I changed your destiny for you. I made you who you are. I have given you a name to be proud of. If you've forgotten that, then you're a fool."

Every part of me had slumped. I didn't know what else to say to him either. In his head, I am branded as his property. I live to serve him.

"Of course." He puffed out exasperatedly and squeezed my arm at my silence.

"The lawyer is coming over. Don't say anything stupid that will make things worse for you. He and I had made the arrangements to shut up Brayden Donovan and the other two prosecutors too."

"How much?"

"What?" his face contorted.

"How much for the others?" Or for himself, apparently.

"Five hundred thousand each. It's all a total of four million. Including hiring lawyers on our side and all. But it's nothing to worry about, we will bounce back. Besides, you're in partnership with excellent companies and you're one of the best-paid athletes. Four million is nothing. We didn't lose. Okay?" he slapped my arm and walked away like we just settled on having macaroni for lunch. He was ripping me off four million and he seemed so casual about it.

"It is time to go back in. Have you had something to eat?" Holt asked when he approached me, with a briefcase in his hand.

"What do I say? Do I need to speak now?" I asked him.

What is my defense when no one is ready to believe a single man with no evidence?

"You will say nothing." He sounded professional. But then again, he was one of the best lawyers in the country.

"Nelson-" My heart was thudding. I was having a mental and emotional breakdown inside. I was literally shaking. "Nelson, he's going to take me down." I adjusted the neckline of my t-shirt that was underneath my hoodie. It felt suffocating.

"I have people monitoring his moves." The lawyer promised, just like he had been doing in the past months.

It seems like they're both working together against me.

When we headed back towards the entrance for the hearing, Holt had a hand on my back. He kept telling me to loosen up and look confident, but I hated it here. It's like reliving those days when my biological parents died, and I had no one. Those days, we come to court often because of the case of their deaths that were later closed, because of the lack of evidence. And then we often came back with the child protection agency before I was finally adopted by Nelson and his wife.

"Can I have a minute before you go in?" Jake asked Holt for permission for alone time with me. It's been the same lately. People needed permission to communicate with me.

"I want you to trust me and take no bargain from all these people." He mumbled in the corner while Holt was impatiently waiting.

"Why? What is happening?" I asked as Brayden and his team appeared.

He looked as terrible as someone who served the most torturing punishment. He wouldn't even look in my direction the moment he discovered I was in the hall.

"Hey?" I called when they passed through the open door.

"Don't come near him." His lawyer instructed.

"Bray, please just listen to me."

He looked back then, his eyes flaring with intense anger that is too much for a man to possess.
"You shouldn't talk to me unless you want to lose more ribs." He threatened.

While I wondered how we were ruined because of my decision, Bray walked away like I was a stranger to him.

"Let's go in." Holt jerks his head in the direction of the settled room.