"We all know that without Mondo, she wouldn't stand a chance."

~•~

The sun slowly rose over Paris, casting its light over the stadium where dozens of athletes were already training diligently. The training center was buzzing with energy, tension, and anticipation. The air was filled with the scent of freshly cut grass, and the warmth of the approaching day was palpable.

Willa arrived at the stadium with determination, as she did every morning. After breakfast, she was dressed in her usual training gear, lightly stretching as she prepared for another day of intense practice. In her mind, there was only one goal—to focus, train perfectly, and fine-tune every detail before the upcoming competition. The pressure was mounting, but she tried to remain calm. Training always helped her find inner balance, and every morning on the track felt like an escape from everything weighing her down.

The warm-up went smoothly. Her body was ready, muscles limber, and her mind sharp. When she put on her headphones and started her favorite workout playlist, the world around her quieted. It was just her, her breath, and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.

In the next few minutes, she launched into a series of intense sprints. Her strides were quick, precise, and confident. She felt herself improving with each lap, each stretch. And although she was exhausted, images of her goal—the Olympic race where she wanted to shine—flashed through her mind.

But as she finished one of the laps and gradually slowed to a jog, she heard something that froze her in place. The voices of several other female athletes, who were training nearby, reached her, even though her music was still playing in her ears. She stopped and instinctively pulled out her headphones to hear better.

"Did you see how she was hanging on Mondo again yesterday?" came a mocking voice from one of the girls training on the adjacent track.

"Yeah, it's pathetic. As if she can't do anything without him," another chimed in.

"If only she knew how ridiculous she looks," a third voice said, followed by a spiteful laugh. "She must think she can make it to the podium with that attitude."

Willa froze. She stood there, unable to move, as if she were rooted to the spot. Her heart raced, and her breath caught in her throat. Every word she heard felt like a dagger straight to her heart. It was as if someone had shattered the protective shield she had built around herself. She had thought she found support within the team, but now she realized that some were mocking her behind her back.

"We all know that without Mondo, she wouldn't stand a chance," the first girl continued. "It's only a matter of time before she falls apart."

Willa tried to look away and leave, but her legs wouldn't obey. Tears welled up in her eyes, though she desperately tried to hold them back. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want anyone to see that it had affected her. She tried to stay strong, but those words were cutting deep into her soul.

Barely able to breathe, she turned and slowly walked away. Her eyes were filling with tears, and even though she tried to remain invisible, she felt as if every eye on the stadium was watching her. She clenched her fists and quickened her pace, wanting to distance herself as fast as possible from the place where she had been silently judged.

She headed toward a secluded corner of the stadium, where she sat on a bench hidden behind a tall wall. The tears she had been holding back started to stream down her face. She was alone, no one could see her, but she had never felt so vulnerable. It felt like all her hard work, all the hours of training and sacrifices she had made, were pointless.

"Why do they see me like this?" she thought desperately. "I always thought I was strong, that I could focus on myself and the race..." But now she felt as if her whole world had collapsed, and she no longer knew how to move forward. What she had overheard had shaken her confidence in her own abilities to the core.

Willa sat there with her head bowed, her arms hanging limply by her sides. She was still in her workout clothes, a bit sweaty from the training, but now she couldn't focus on running anymore. Everything inside her screamed to flee, to hide. But where?

She replayed the words in her head. Did she really look like she was helpless without Mondo? Was it true? Was she just hiding behind his presence? Or was she truly strong, as Mondo and others had always told her?

Her mind was foggy. She had wiped away the tears long ago, but the traces remained on her face. She felt broken, confused, and for a moment, helpless. She didn't know what would come next, but one thing was certain—she needed space, she needed time to figure out who she really was and where she was headed.

Her deep thoughts were interrupted by a gentle tap on her shoulder.

Willa looked up with red, swollen eyes and blurred vision. In front of her stood Mondo, his face full of concern. He gently tapped her shoulder again, and when their eyes met, there was something in his gaze that made her feel like she might be able to calm down. But even so, the tears welled up again, despite her desperate attempts to hold back another flood.

"Willa, what's going on?" Mondo asked softly and worriedly, kneeling on one knee in front of the bench to look directly into her eyes.

Willa quickly averted her gaze and wiped her eyes with her palms, as if she could hide it, but they both knew there was nowhere left to hide. She swallowed hard, trying to find the words to express what she was going through, but it was harder than she thought.

"I..." she started, but her voice broke. She felt her heart race again. Everything she had heard still echoed in her mind, as if she couldn't let it go. "I can't handle it anymore, Mondo," she finally added in a whisper, almost inaudible.

Mondo sat down beside her, leaned back against the bench, and waited silently. That was his way—he didn't ask when he saw that someone needed space. But at the same time, he let her know that he was there, ready to listen whenever she was prepared to talk.

For a while, there was silence between them. Willa stared at the ground while Mondo patiently waited for her to speak. Eventually, she took a deep breath and began to speak quietly.

"I heard them talking about me, Mondo," she said slowly. "Some of the girls... they were laughing at me. They said that without you, I wouldn't stand a chance. That I cling to you because I can't do it on my own."

Her words were full of pain, and Mondo immediately understood what had hurt her so much. He lowered his gaze and took a moment to think of what to say. He felt a tightness in his chest. "I would never let that happen," he thought. But right now, what mattered wasn't how he felt. He was here for Willa.

"They don't see what I see," he began quietly. "They don't know how hard you've worked, what you've overcome. But more importantly, it's about what you think. It only matters what you feel inside. And I know you're not weak."

Willa shook her head. "But when they say it... maybe they're right," she whispered. "Maybe I am weak, Mondo. Maybe I'm not good enough."

Mondo watched her for a moment, his gaze full of understanding and calm. He knew her well enough to realize that this doubt had been haunting her for some time, but she had never shown it. She knew that strength was expected of her, that she was supposed to be ready, always determined to fight. But now everything was falling apart.

"That's not true," Mondo said firmly. "I know it feels like everything is turning against you right now, but they don't know you like I do. They don't see what kind of athlete you are. They only see what they want to see. It doesn't matter what others say about you. What matters is what you feel. You are the one who decides how strong you are. No one else."

Willa's chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, but something in Mondo's words struck a chord with her. She turned to him and looked him straight in the eyes. She saw in him a steadiness and certainty that she herself was missing.

"But how do I do it?" she asked quietly. "How do I get through this when everyone doubts me?"

Mondo shrugged. "It won't be easy. Sometimes it'll hit you, and sometimes it'll hurt. But that doesn't mean you're not strong. You're strong because you're handling it all, even when you feel broken. Trust me, Willa. I know you. You're more than you think."

Willa looked at him with something resembling gratitude, but there was still a trace of doubt in her expression. But Mondo stood up from the bench, as if urging her to face it all head-on. "You want them to talk about you differently? Then show them who you really are. Not for them. For yourself."

"But I..." Willa started, but Mondo interrupted her.

"You don't have to be strong all the time," he said softly. "It's okay to have weak moments. That never means you're weak overall."

Willa didn't respond, but something inside her was beginning to shift. Her breathing slowly calmed, and as she stood there next to him, she felt the pain start to ease. It hadn't disappeared completely, but now she had someone beside her to help carry the weight.

"Thank you," she finally breathed and looked at Mondo. His presence now felt like a solid anchor in the storm that had been consuming her.

"You're welcome," he replied with a gentle smile. "And now... what do you say we go for a walk? Just switch off for a bit. Tomorrow is a new day, and believe me, it's going to be better."

Willa nodded. The thought of escaping the training and the pressures of the Olympics, even just for a little while, felt like a relief. "That would be nice."

Together, they walked out of the stadium, leaving behind the place that had just moments before felt full of bitterness and mockery. As they stepped onto a quieter path lined with trees, Willa took a deep breath of fresh air and felt a sense of calm return to her body. Mondo walked beside her in silence, but his presence spoke volumes.

After a moment of quiet, Willa carefully asked, "Do you think that feeling, of not being good enough, will ever go away?"

Mondo thought for a brief moment. "Maybe not completely," he replied. "But one day, you'll learn how to overcome it. And that's much more important."

Her smile was a bit stronger this time. "I'm looking forward to that day."

They continued walking, and although the sun was slowly setting behind the horizon, something new was beginning to dawn in their minds.

~•~