Chapter 2

Emma was a reporter; I met her during a climbing interview.

There weren't many girls interested in climbing, so I paid extra attention to her.

After we got together, she mentioned that she became interested in climbing because of someone she cared about.

At the time, I thought it was a confession of her feelings for me, but I later learned...

The perpetual runner-up on our team, always overshadowed by me, was Emma's childhood friend.

Every competition she attended wasn't to support me, but to capture glimpses of someone else!

Seeing Jake frequently appear in her camera, I swallowed all my bitterness.

In our five years together, surely she had some genuine feelings for me?

During the holidays, she agreed for the first time to accompany me home to meet my parents.

I was overjoyed, thinking our relationship had finally seen a glimmer of hope, and planned to propose to her after winning the World Championships.

But I never expected that what I would receive was betrayal.

Now, under the gaze of numerous cameras, Emma was interviewing Jake with her microphone.

"How do you feel about winning the World Championship this time, Jake?"

Jake gripped the trophy tightly, his gaze lingering on her face, his tone intimate.

"I'm most grateful to the person who has always been by my side. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to win this championship."

Under his gaze, Emma's face reddened slightly.

People nearby noticed something, and teased,

"I heard that reporter Emma and Jake have known each other since childhood. They seem to have a pretty good relationship."

With these words, Emma's face turned even redder.

Someone quickly interjected,

"Don't be ridiculous, Emma has a boyfriend, it's Alex."

At this moment, people finally remembered my absence.

"Where's Alex? He said he wasn't feeling well before the competition, why haven't we seen him?"

"I heard he was sent to the medical room. They're testing him now, seems like he used performance-enhancing drugs before the competition."

At the mention of performance-enhancing drugs, everyone in the front row exploded.

"Performance-enhancing drugs? Is that true?"

"He's always been so skilled, why would he use such methods? It's impossible, right?"

Camera shutters clicked incessantly. Jake's expression changed slightly, and he sighed in front of the cameras.

"Actually, I can understand Alex sometimes. For top athletes like us, even the slightest change in condition can affect our performance. Alex cares most about winning and losing, so a momentary lapse of judgment is understandable."

With his words, the tide turned.

He seemed to be speaking up for me, but in reality, he was indirectly confirming the rumors.

However, among the reporters present, there were many of my fans who didn't believe Jake's words.

They turned to Emma and asked,

"Emma, you're Alex's girlfriend. Tell us, what's really wrong with Alex? Is he just feeling unwell, or did an old injury flare up?"

"Yeah, we can't casually accuse someone of using performance-enhancing drugs. It could ruin an athlete's career!"

Emma bit her lip, her expression flashing with difficulty.

Just as she was about to speak, Jake grabbed her hand and said gently,

"Emma, I know you're conflicted and in pain, but they need to know the truth."

I saw Emma's eyes tremble. She took a deep breath, which was her small gesture when she had made up her mind to do something.

"Yes, Alex was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd below erupted.

Many people didn't believe I would do such a thing, but some were more convinced by Emma's identity.

"Emma is a climbing columnist. As a reporter, she wouldn't lie!"

"Yeah, and she's been with Alex for five years. I heard they were about to get married. Who would slander their own boyfriend!"

"I was really blind before, how could I have liked such a cheater with no sportsmanship!"

Amidst the commotion, a group of people carrying flowers and ribbons rushed into the venue.

Seeing the hot air balloon rising in the air and the flowers falling everywhere, the arena fell silent.

A man in formal attire hurriedly walked over and stood in front of Emma.

"Are you Miss Emma? Mr. Alex said you love lilies of the valley, so we specially air-freighted the freshest ones from Finland. We hope you like this proposal."

"Proposal? You're saying Alex wanted to propose to me?" Emma was stunned, her face tightening slightly.

The man nodded, looking around curiously.

"Is Mr. Alex here? We called him before we came, but he didn't answer."

I smiled bitterly. He didn't know.

That call, I would never be able to answer again.

This proposal would never be completed.

Just as Emma was hesitating whether to reveal the truth, I saw the coach push through the crowd and throw the flowers on the ground.

"You don't need to hesitate! Alex is already dead, there's no need for this proposal anymore!"