Alaric had outstanding talent and worked hard. He originally had a bright future ahead of him, but his dreams were destroyed suddenly. It was a cruel blow. Avery had no such experience but felt suffocated just thinking about it. After a mont of silence, she looked up at Alaric and asked, "Do you regret it?"
Alaric shook his head and looked out of the window in a daze. "I don’t regret it. I’m just... devastated. I feel as though I can’t breathe."
It was ten o’clock in the morning. The sun was shining brightly, and the temperature was just right. The world seed full of promise, just like him. However, there was no light in Alaric’s eyes. Avery lowered her head and continued to treat the wounds on his arm.
"Are you willing to accept this? Do you want to turn them in?"
"I can’t," Alaric shook his head. "When the coach asked to throw the match, we were the only ones in the lounge. There were no witnesses and no recordings. Moreover, I’m insignificant. If I report them without sufficient evidence, I’ll be forced to apologize or be sued. My reputation will be ruined."
Avery still found it strange. "It’s just a warm-up match. Why did Faraway Club have to lose to Hataland?"
Alaric explained, "The coach said the club is sponsored by a company from Hataland. They can’t accept Hataland’s National Basketball Team losing to the club. If the club wins, they will cancel the sponsorship. Besides, this is also a test for by the club."
"A test?" Avery was bewildered. "What can they test you by asking you to throw the match?"
"Obedience," Alaric said, his eyes filled with anger. He gritted his teeth and continued, "To put it bluntly, this is to test my obedience. They require players to obey the club, be it right or wrong."
"How shaless and despicable!" Avery snapped. She cursed a bit more before asking, "When the coach wanted to replace you, how did you convince him not to?"
"I threatened him," Alaric said coldly. "I said if he switched out, I’d go all out and tell everyone right there and then that he is forcing to throw the match. That way, we’ll both lose. He got scared."
Avery nodded and began to treat the wound on his face. "What about the national team? Why didn’t they choose you?"
Alaric closed his eyes to hide his disappointnt. "There’s suddenly a competitor from Aeloria. He’s taller and stronger than . He also won the championship in Aeloria’s college basketball league and has just turned 18. The national team can only choose one of us. They couldn’t decide for a long ti. If I had the support and guarantee of the best local club, the probability of being selected would be very high."
Avery was silent for a mont. "What do you plan to do next? Do you still want to continue playing basketball?"
Alaric shook his head. "I don’t want to anymore. When I go back to school, I will quit the basketball team and focus on my studies. When I have ti, I’ll help Mom at the restaurant. Then, I’ll think about what I want to do in the future."
Avery pressed, "Are you willing to give up on your dream just like that?"
Alaric sounded like he wanted to cry as he said, "I’m not happy about it, but I won’t complain. Jaden gave up his life in the city and went back to the countryside to grow vegetables and care for Grandpa. Brandon always says he’s doing well in Aeloria, but we know he must be having a harder ti than anyone in this family. Zayn says the sa thing, but we know he’s at the front lines. He’s in one of the most dangerous military units and probably risks his life constantly. Even Arthur and Maria gave up their studies to help the family."
Alaric opened his eyes and said seriously, "I’m the only one who enjoys the love and care of the family but hasn’t contributed anything. This ti, I might be able to help out."
Avery fell silent. It was not until she finished treating the wounds on Alaric’s face that she placed her hand on his shoulder and said seriously, "Alaric, trust , God rewards hard work. He will not let down those who are talented and hardworking. If this path is closed to you, there will be another path."
Avery had already thought of how to help Alaric. However, if Alaric wanted to beco a top athlete, he had to be strong ntally and optimistic. She needed ti to observe Alaric and see if he was worth it.
"Thanks, Avery," Alaric grinned. His anger seed to have dissipated a lot. "The world is big, and I’m young. I’ll always find a new dream and a new future."
At this point, he stood up and walked to the window. He raised his arms and shouted, "From today onward, I will find a new goal and start a new journey. My life is still wonderful!"
Avery looked at his back and smiled. Without saying anything else, she picked up the first aid kit and walked out of the room.
The next day, when Alaric went to school, under everyone’s admiring and then horrified gazes, he applied to leave the school team. The reason was that he had been injured in the ga the day before and had developed a phobia of basketball. He could not play basketball anymore.
The coach tried his best to persuade him to stay. "If you quit the team, you won’t be a sports student anymore. You’ll lose its privileges. Have you thought it through?"
"Yes, I know," Alaric said firmly. "I want to focus on my studies from now on. I don’t want to play basketball anymore."
The entire school was filled with regret, but the matter was already set in stone. It was also on this day that the National Basketball Team announced their new recruit. The Faraway Club also announced the newcor they had just signed on. Neither of them was Alaric.
The entire school was in an uproar. They looked at Alaric with sympathy and pity. As for Alaric, he held his chin high and wore a smile on his face.
After reading the two sports news articles, Avery smiled and made a call. "Are you guys open for the National Day holiday? If you are, I want to reserve your venue for that day. In addition, I’d like your club’s professional players to play against the guy I am bringing. I’ll pay you 20 thousand dollars for each ga. For each match you win, you’ll earn another 20 thousand dollars."
Reviews
All reviews (0)