Chapter 1

At the Rock Climbing World Championships, when I was caught using stimulants, my girlfriend was by her childhood sweetheart's side, personally placing the gold medal around his neck.

"Levi, don't blame me. Winning the World Championship was Nash's only wish. With you out of the picture, he finally had a chance."

"But don't worry, even if you're banned from competing, I won't break up with you!"

Vivienne let go of my hand that she had been holding tightly, watching as I was wheeled into the emergency room.

Little did she know, I had a severe allergy to the components in the stimulants, and ultimately died despite resuscitation attempts.

What she knew even less was that our conversation had been faithfully preserved by recording devices.

The moment the recording was made public was also the moment her hypocritical facade was exposed!

————

When I breathed my last in the emergency room, thunderous cheers erupted outside.

The doctor looked at the flatline on the heart monitor and removed his mask.

"Resuscitation failed."

I gazed at my own cold corpse, my vision passing through the walls to the awards podium.

Nash still had his climbing gear on as he stood before Vivienne, basking in the crowd's applause as he donned the gold medal he'd longed for.

"Nash, you've finally achieved your dream."

My girlfriend, who had coldly watched me enter the operating room just half an hour ago, now stood beside Nash, arm in arm, her expression tender.

The World Climbing Championship winner and the interviewing reporter stood shoulder to shoulder as cameras flashed below, capturing the moment.

Seeing the unbridled joy in Vivienne's eyes, I felt a sudden pang in my heart.

Was this the same look she had when she slipped the stimulant into my energy drink?

Throughout our five-year relationship, she had always mixed my nutritional shakes and energy drinks for every climbing event.

So when I drank that fatal nutrition mixture, I didn't hesitate for a moment.

Looking back now, it was all premeditated.

"Levi, couldn't you just let Nash win once? You, champion of the Grand Slam, don't need this World Championship gold!"

Before the match, Vivienne gripped my arm tightly, demanding an answer from me.

Even though I'd experienced Vivienne's favoritism towards Nash countless times, hearing those words still sent a pang through my heart.

Keeping my cool, I explained to her earnestly.

"Vivienne, the spirit of competitive sports doesn't allow for cheating. I know you two are close, and I'm willing to give up commercial opportunities, but I absolutely won't throw a match!"

Hearing this, Vivienne's expression flickered. She seemed to steel herself before handing me a sports drink she'd prepared.

"Well then, good luck."

I didn't think much of it and downed it in one go.

But as the match began, I collapsed due to adverse physical reactions.

The moment I was lifted onto the stretcher, I immediately understood why.

"Vivienne, do you want Nash to win that badly? For him, you'd go this far?"

Faced with my accusing glare, Vivienne's composure cracked for a moment.

"Levi, don't blame me. Winning the World Championship is Nash's only dream. With you out of the picture, he finally has a chance."

I felt a chill run through my heart as everything from the past suddenly connected in my mind.

So her attentiveness before this competition was all out of guilt.

I struggled to sit up, wanting to question her, but Vivienne coldly brushed my hand away.

"It's just the most common stimulant. What are you playing at? Trying to scare someone by acting like you're dying?"

Stimulant?

I suddenly froze. If an athlete is found using stimulants during competition, they face a ban from competing, even the end of their career in an instant.

Vivienne was a rock climbing columnist, she clearly knew the consequences of doing this!

To let Nash win the championship, she's even willing to ruin me!

Seeing my pale face, Vivienne's expression shifted slightly as she says in a low voice.

"But don't worry, even if you get banned, I won't break up with you!"

I looked up at her and gave a bitter smile.

Yes, I wanted to marry her.

In fact, I had already planned to propose to her on global live broadcast after winning the final.

After five years together, I wanted to use my gold medal, my dream, to make a lifelong commitment to the woman I love.

But what I never expected was...

She would go this far for Nash...

The emergency room door closed, and I felt the suffocation in my airways. In that hazy moment, I realized I might never get the chance to say those words to her again.

On the podium, the crowd cheered, while in the cold operating room, doctors were making small talk with nurses.

"I can't believe Nash won. I thought it would be Levi, considering he's been the world champion three times in a row."

"Skill-wise, Levi is definitely stronger."

"What skill? The kind that comes from doping? I used to like Levi, but it turns out it was all because of drugs. How disgusting!"

"Yeah, I bet his previous records were fake too! It's a shame for Nash though, being overshadowed all these years by a cheater."

"I guess karma's a bitch. Who would've thought Levi was using banned substances and ended up dying from an allergic reaction..."

Hearing these words, I desperately wanted to explain to them.

No, it's not like that! It's not true!

Every single one of my achievements was genuine. My passion for rock climbing was never once fake.

But my voice... they could no longer hear it...

Finally, the doctor waved his hand, putting an end to the slander against me.

"Notify the family. The patient has died due to a severe allergic reaction to a component in the stimulant."

My heart suddenly leapt into my throat.

If Vivienne found out I had passed away, would she feel even a twinge of regret...