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Chapter One

Emmett

“Eod, Bailey just tapped out!” Marshawn Anderson yells through my TV speakers

Pressing rewind, I watch the saain

There, live and in living color, I watch as Jamey Silva tweaks my arm past the point of no return My shoulderfans I didn’t plan on tapping out while he was trying to rip aments tear and the shoulder pop out of socket, I tapped

I press rewind on the DVR and watch it again

“Eod, Bailey just tapped out!”

“I can’t believe it either, Marshawn I just can’t—” Jack Harper starts to say before Marshawn cuts him off

“Wait… That doesn’t look good, Jack Bailey isn’t getting up”

I watch as e Janature backflip and just about knocks over the doctor who rushed in behind Tommy with his antics

There’s a seriouscouldn’t fucking care less

I leave the recording playing as the co to ease the viewers into the unfolding drama that became my life

Right there on theuselessly at my side My face, bloody and sweaty, shows the ih I know I should be all ht I was about to fucking die

I’ve suffered losses before, after all an eighteen-to-three record isn’t bad by anythat ca at that moment It was both physical and mental

When I walked into the arena that night, it never even occurred toin an aht Champion

I know of loss and pain, I’ve dealt with itas Tommy helps me up, I’ve never felt so weak before Ever So weak and fucking useless

Setting the remote down on the couch beside rab the sweaty bottle of beer off the coaster Taking a long swig, I continue to watch the TV

It’s the look on my face that tells the world it’s all over That I’ve officially been beaten I’ve lost my belt, lost my sense of self-worth, and lost my job

It’s all fucking over

Ja around as the ref comes over to stand between us Then the ref lifts Jamey’s hand while mine stays down