Swallowing hard, I watch as the red light appears.
For so long, I was ashamed of what happened between Jon and me. I wanted to hide behind the guise of privacy, but I know that the emotional abuse and manipulation I experienced didn’t make me weak.
Last night, I told Kenneth, Mallory, and my mom everything. No minced words or diminished feelings. I held nothing back as I explained what I had gone through with Jon, describing my crumbling mental and physical health. After speaking for what felt like hours, I didn’t make excuses. All I could do was apologize for keeping it from them for so long. I’m not sure why I expected anger or frustration, but when Kenneth rushed across the room and wrapped his arms around me, followed by Mallory and my mom, I felt whole and human.
I turn my head, spotting tufts of red hair in a booth not far away. Kenneth lifts his mug to his lips, but when he sees me, he gives me a small smile. “You’ve got this,” he mouths.
He’s not only my ride home. He’s my best friend.
Looking at Summer, I take a deep breath and begin. “Everyone was confused when I fired Jon soon after being traded to the Pilots. Staying quiet seemed easier, but it’s time for people to know about the real Jon Sweeney. Not the cool agent he shows the world, but the manipulative man he truly is.
“In two years, I forgot who I was. I forgot why I fell in love with baseball. I forgot how to just be. And I’m certain there are a few athletes on his roster who feel the same way. They’re probably wondering how they got to this point, wondering when things went wrong. I know how Jon gets into your head. How he makes you think he’s the only one who’ll fight for you. Makes you think he’s the only person who can make you successful. That without him, you’re nothing. And once he’s got you, he uses your name, your success, and your loyalty to drain you dry.” Outside the window, the sun creeps up higher, casting golden stripes across my arm that remind me something warm came out of the frigid hell I’m revisiting. “Then I had the opportunity to work with an agent who showed me what it truly meant to be cared for as a person. Not another athlete on her roster. I now know that I can’t stay quiet about the truth when he’s still putting athletes through what I dealt with. Making them hate their sport. Hate themselves.”
When I finally stop talking, Summer shifts forward. “Holy shit, Cade. I’m so sorry.” She loops her hair into her signature bun and winces. “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you coming forward after almost four months?”
For many reasons, but the main one blares loudly.
“Because if he emotionally abused and manipulated me, he’ll do it again. And he’s likely been doing it for years.”
I swallow hard at the thought of Garrett Blane. He, along with all of Jon’s other clients, shouldn’t have to work with a man who will break them while I sit idly by hiding the truth. My decision to not come forward earlier was selfish, and it’s time to rectify that.
“You want to make sure he doesn’t get away with it anymore.” She inhales slowly, then finally smiles. “I’d love to take him down with you. Are you ready for this? Because I’ll make sure every single person in the sports world knows the truth.”
There’s no need to think about my answer. Hightailing out of this restaurant wouldn’t do anything but continue giving him power. As if buoyed by this knowledge, my voice is strengthened by steel.
“I’m ready, Summer. It’s time to take down Jon Sweeney.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Being back at Permianfeels weird.
It’s a strange kind of disorientation to return to a place you thought you’d never see again. Especially when your departure was as heartbreaking as mine.
The ground still sparkles as if it’s been recently buffed, and the scent of champagne dances in the air. The familiarity almost makes me feel nostalgic, remembering the first time I entered Permian for my interview.
My puffy, pink winter coat stood out against the dark gray walls, but I was ready to wow the internship coordinator. Little did I know, the interviewer, with his booming voice and blinding smile, was also the CEO, Winston McAllen. When I left his office over an hour later, I wanted nothing more than to be on his team.
I loved this place, even if it never loved me back.
The sharp click of my heels echoes throughout the empty lobby until I reach the scanner. I brace for rejection as I press my badge to it, but when the light blinks green and the lock releases, a sigh of relief slips out.
Cade, the girls, and Kenneth offered to clean out my office for me, but I need to do this myself.
Quitting wasn’t a mistake, so I won’t treat it like one.
A bittersweet smile tugs at my lips as I push open my office door, knowing it’ll be the last time I ever walk through it.
The energy drink I sipped on the morning before the company BBQ has sweated out onto the wood, leaving behind a ring that I’ll think about for the next ten business days. The little room is more lifeless than I remember, and I’m struck by an odd sense of delight to be leaving. For so long, I wanted this to be my place, but it wasn’t meant to be.
I drop the large box onto my desk. “Better get started.”
I’m knee-deep in papers and pens, boxing up what seems like a decade of work, when a knock startles me. The light’s off and the door’s closed, so I hope they assume I’m not here and leave. This was supposed to be my quiet goodbye, but the hinges squeak, and I glance up as the door opens.
“Oh. Hi, Winston.”
When he flips the light switch, the easygoing smile I’m accustomed to is missing. This isn’t the CEO I enjoyed working under for the last year and a half.
“Turner.” He clears his throat. “I saw your car and wanted to see if you had a moment. I won’t take much of your time.”
