Stolen Glory The Champion’s Return

My girlfriend rigged the championship fight, handing the gold medal I had bled for to her golden boy. All because he already had bronze and silver—and only needed gold to complete his collection. At the victory party, she casually told me I could just wait for the next season. Oh, I waited. I packed my bags, walked out of her life, and blocked her on everything without looking back. Until five years later, when we met again in the arena. I fought my way to the top and crushed her golden boy beneath my boots. When she saw a stunning woman step into the ring to wipe the sweat from my brow, she completely forgot about her injured darling. Desperately clutching my shirt, her eyes welled with tears as she pleaded, "Are you... really done with me?" The roar of the crowd was deafening. Down by the podium, everyone was chanting the new champion's name, swooning over his dashing looks. Meanwhile, nobody had any idea who the real champion was. I overheard two girls beside me giggling. "He wore that mask the whole tournament! I thought he was hiding an ugly face, but damn, he's gorgeous!" "Right? Austin looks so gentle, but the way he fights is pure fire!" I stood frozen in place, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. Ten minutes ago, Claire had sent me outside to grab a bottle of wine, claiming she wanted to celebrate my victory. Yet when I returned, I watched with my own eyes as she hung my gold medal around Austin Vance's neck. Because I had fought under a mask throughout the entire competition, the public had never seen my face. Austin and I had almost identical builds. No one would ever suspect someone could steal a championship like this. Right then, Claire turned around with a bright smile and met my gaze. My fists clenched tight. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to storm the stage and confront her. The very next second, she looked away, clapping her hands to lead the applause. "Let's give it up for Austin Vance—the brightest rising star in the boxing world!" Hearing her thrilled voice made my chest ache with sharp, agonizing pain. I had trained five grueling years for this championship. During countless lonely nights, I had given everything—sweat, blood, and tears. In the final match, I fought tooth and nail, pushing myself so hard I nearly suffered permanent muscle tears. And Claire—my girlfriend, the official guest presenter of the night—had brazenly hijacked my victory behind closed doors. The anger burning inside me was ready to burst. Yet Claire was happily celebrating Austin's "win." She pulled a small brown box from her pocket, revealing a custom-engraved luxury watch. I remembered seeing a charge from a boutique watchmaker on my credit card a week ago. At the time, Claire told me it was a victory surprise for me. I had looked forward to it all week. It was indeed a victory surprise. Just not for me. I couldn't take it anymore. Amid the gasps of the crowd, I strode up to the podium. Claire's brow furrowed, shooting me a sharp, warning glare. "What are you doing up here? Whatever it is, we'll talk later." I dodged her hand as she reached for me, my voice dropping to ice. "Don't you have anything to explain?" "Why is the championship medal that belongs to me hanging around Austin Vance's neck?" The buzzing hall instantly fell dead silent. Every single pair of eyes shifted to me. Claire's face darkened, guilt flickering in her eyes as she stepped closer. "This is a live broadcast! Don't make a scene. I'll explain everything later!" Explain? The truth was staring me in the face. She had deceived me from start to finish. What was left to explain? I snatched the microphone right out of her hand and addressed the bewildered crowd below. "I'm here to report fraud. Austin Vance never even registered for this tournament. Claire Miller rigged the presentation so he could steal my championship!"The crowd erupted. Claire lunged forward to grab the mic, glaring at me with venom in her eyes as she hissed a low warning. "Do you have any idea where you are? Making a scene helps no one." "Logan, you're a smart guy. If you don't want to destroy your entire career right here, shut your mouth!" She looked nothing like the sweet, gentle girlfriend she had been before the fight. To protect Austin's stolen glory, she didn't hesitate to threaten my future. I stared into her eyes and slowly rolled up my sleeves. Facing the live broadcast cameras, I raised my arms, showing everyone the fresh, brutal bruises from the final match. "I may have worn a mask during the tournament, but anyone who watched the finals knows where these injuries came from. The committee can easily check the registration database and see if Austin Vance's name was ever on that roster!" Beside me, Austin didn't say a single word. He just glared at me with a sullen, shadowed expression. I didn't even bother looking at him. A pathetic fake like him wasn't worthy of being my rival. Just then, a spectator pointed toward the massive screen behind us and gasped. "Look at the registration list! It clearly says Austin Vance!" "I knew it! There's always some clout-chaser trying to steal the spotlight. What a shameless loser—he even painted on fake bruises!" I spun around in disbelief. Austin's name was boldly displayed on the official database on screen. A split second later, I turned back to Claire. She had planned this all along. The mastermind walked up to me casually, taking my hand and whispering softly: "Logan, do you really have to make a complete fool of yourself before you let this go?" I stared at her pretty face, my heart crumbling. This was the woman I had loved for eight years. The woman I had planned to propose to right after winning the title! My throat tightened. I couldn't get a single word out. Claire brushed past my shoulder, stepping toward the cameras to calm the audience. "Apologies for that little interruption, everyone. Please don't let it ruin our ceremony." "My boyfriend is a huge boxing fan. It's always been his dream to stand on this stage and hold a gold medal. He just got a little carried away by his obsession. Please don't hold it against him." The drama blew over in seconds. Security dragged me off the stage. Watching the two of them being hailed as the arena's golden couple, I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. A golden couple? Then what was I? Just a delusional fan obsessed with a fantasy? With a few careless words, she had completely erased years of my relentless sacrifice. Resentment and agony tore through my chest until I could taste copper on my tongue. But I refused to back down. I was going to take back everything that belonged to me!I followed Claire and her entourage to a private dining lounge. When I pushed the door open, her friends were loudly cheering, egging the two of them on to kiss. Austin didn't pull away. He slid his arm around Claire's waist, gazing at her with intense longing. Claire rested her hands against his chest, blushing with coy hesitation. The charged atmosphere broke the moment the door swung open. Everyone turned to look at me. Claire froze, quickly pulling herself out of Austin's embrace. "Logan? What are you doing here?" I stayed silent, my eyes locked on her face. Ridiculously enough, there was neither shame nor guilt in her expression. She casually walked over and looped her arm through mine. "Since you're here, why don't you join us? We're celebrating Austin's win." She knew the truth. She knew damn well that medal was earned with my blood! Then again, how could I forget? Austin had always been the one who got away—the golden boy she secretly pined for. Even on the day of my finals, she had abandoned me on the roadside just because Austin called her, speeding off to meet him without a second thought. I had almost missed my weigh-in because of her. And afterward, she hadn't even offered a simple apology. Austin was always the exception to every rule. A cold smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. The bitterness in my heart was nothing compared to the sharp sting of seeing this reality with my own eyes. Austin stepped forward, lowering his gaze in mock contrition. "Logan, I'm sorry. I know Claire is your girlfriend. We were just playing a party game earlier. Please don't be mad." He deflected the real issue entirely. Did he really think that was what I cared about? The gold medal was still hanging proudly against his chest. He was pretending to apologize, but his eyes were dripping with smug condescension. With so many friends watching, the tension was suffocating. Claire gave me a firm shove. Frowning, she whispered harshly, "Austin already has silver and bronze. If he hadn't missed his chance earlier, you wouldn't have won in the first place!" "You've already got plenty of medals at home. What's one less to you? If it bothers you that much, just go win another one next year!" Watching their synchronized routine, I scoffed in utter disgust. I even started wondering if Claire had ever loved me for who I was. Or if she had only ever loved the prestige and trophies attached to my name. I nodded calmly. "We're done. Let's break up." With that, I turned on my heel and walked away. Claire clearly hadn't expected the usually compliant boyfriend to dump her on the spot. She chased me out into the hallway, shouting with growing irritation. "Logan! What is your problem?!" "Winning a medal is easy for you! But Austin missed the finals because of an old injury—this was his last chance to have no regrets. Can't you show a little basic empathy?" "Throwing out break-up threats every time you don't get your way... I am sick of it!" An old injury? Before the tournament, Austin had been speeding on his motorcycle to impress some girl. If he hadn't crashed while trying to show off, would he have been hurt at all? Besides, even if he had stood in that ring, he wouldn't have lasted three rounds against me! I didn't care to listen to another word. I picked up my pace. Claire tried to run after me, but Austin's pained voice echoed from behind. "Claire... my leg... the old injury is flaring up. It hurts so bad. Can you take me to the hospital?" Without a second's hesitation, Claire turned back to support Austin, her voice drenched in frantic worry. "Are you okay?! Hang on, I'm taking you to the ER right now!"In that single heartbeat, every last lingering shred of hope I had for Claire vanished into ash. I vividly remembered the grueling training before the tournament, when I would come home covered in cuts and bruises. Whenever there were scrapes on my elbow I couldn't reach, I'd ask Claire to help apply the ointment. And what had she said back then? She would grab the bottle grudgingly, slapping the medicine onto my skin with an irritated scowl. "You have hands, don't you? Why do you need me to do this? Don't you know how busy I am?" "You must have some sick masochistic fetish to beat yourself up like this. It looks hideous!" Back then, I had chalked it up to playful petulance. I would always smile and pull her into a hug. Only now did I realize that the disgust in her eyes had been real. She simply never loved me. I had just slid into the backseat of a taxi when Claire yanked the door open, dragging Austin in with her. "Driver, City Central Hospital, step on it!" Ignoring my presence entirely, she barked orders at the driver. I stared blankly as I saw their fingers tightly intertwined in the rearview mirror. Even the driver looked back at me with awkward discomfort. "Do you not understand the concept of waiting your turn?" I had hailed the cab first. And she felt entitled to hijack it? "Logan, take the next one! You're completely fine, but Austin's injury flared up—he can't wait. If something fatal happens to him, can you take responsibility?" Her tone was heavy with accusation and thinly veiled threats. Before I could answer, the driver slammed on the gas and sped toward the hospital. The entire ride, the two of them huddled close, looking like the picture of an inseparable, loving couple. As we pulled up, the driver even offered a well-meaning comment: "Man, your girlfriend really cares about you. Hope you two stay together forever!" I stepped out behind them, deciding I might as well get my own dressings changed at the clinic. Right outside the consultation wing, I spotted Claire again, pacing the corridor with anxious fret. The moment she saw me turn around to leave, she lunged forward, grabbing my arm tight. "Apologize." What? I almost thought I had misheard, staring at her in sheer disbelief. "If you hadn't provoked Austin, his condition wouldn't have flared up! If anything happens to his leg, I will never forgive you!" Before the words had fully left her mouth, a group of men in sharp suits came marching down the hall with urgent strides. They clearly weren't ordinary visitors. The man leading the pack walked straight up to Claire and presented his credentials. "Are you the girlfriend of Austin Vance, the new tournament champion? We're representatives from the International Boxing Federation. We heard he was injured during the finals and came to pay our respects." "Furthermore, we'd like to extend an official invitation for Mr. Vance to compete in the upcoming World Boxing Grand Prix." Hearing that, my heart skipped a beat. Stepping onto the world stage had been my lifelong dream. The Grand Prix brought together champions from across the globe. Just getting into that ring and sharing gloves with the best was an unmatched honor. In recent years, the screening process had grown brutally strict. Most fighters couldn't even qualify to register. I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Right at that moment, the clinic door swung open, and Austin stepped out. Claire rushed to support him, her voice trembling with ecstatic excitement. "Austin! These gentlemen are from the International Federation! They came specifically to invite you to the World Grand Prix!" Austin blinked, stunned for a second, before flashing his signature charming grin. Seeing them reach out to shake hands, my vision turned red. I had waited years for this chance. There was no way in hell I would let Austin steal it out from under me! I lunged forward, snatching the medical chart straight out of Austin's hands. "I'm reporting a fraud. Austin Vance never set foot in the finals!"