Semua Bab The Coach's Forbidden Play: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Sage's POV The air around the table seemed to chill. The expressions on their faces morphed from curious to openly hostile. Their eyes, now narrowed slits, burned into me.“No wonder she looked familiar,” Teresa interjected, a smug smirk spreading across her face. “She’s the falling star.” A ripple of laughter, cruel and cutting, swept through the group.“She can’t even serve in a restaurant,” Teresa continued, her voice dripping with disdain. “No wonder she was so bad at basketball.” More laughter, louder this time, a cacophony of mockery that threatened to overwhelm me.My cheeks flushed crimson, the heat of shame and indignation rising within me. Breathe, Sage. Just breathe. I forced my eyes to focus on the plate, a desperate anchor in the stormy sea of their taunts. Instead of replying, instead of giving them the reaction they craved, I offered another strained apology. “I am truly sorry. I’ll just… I’ll take this back.”I reached for the plate again, my hand still shaking. But T

Sage's POV The dim lights of "The Daily Grind" café cast long, dancing shadows across the wall as I leaned closer to Andrew, the rhythmic clinking of glasses and hushed conversations providing a strange backdrop to the turmoil brewing within me. "Do you know why your wife is here?" I whispered, my voice barely audible above the jazz music filtering through the speakers. My eyes darted between him and the woman across the room who who was currently engaged in an animated conversation with a man I didn't recognize.Andrew remained silent, his gaze fixed on Anastasia. A knot of frustration tightened in my stomach. "Why aren't you saying anything?" I pressed, a frown creasing my brow. "Does Pauline know her mother is out?" The questions tumbled out, each one laced with a mix of curiosity and an unsettling sense of unease. My mind raced, trying to find a logical explanation. "Is that man probably a business partner for the company she works for? Or is he her colleague, and they're out on

Sage Pov“A date?” she finally whispered, the word barely audible. Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion, which was far more terrifying than any outburst could have been.I nodded, my gaze fixed on her. “I’m so sorry, Pauline. I didn’t know how to tell you. I just… I saw them, and I thought you should know.”A long silence stretched between us, punctuated only by the distant hum of traffic outside. Pauline’s eyes, usually so bright and full of life were now wide and unseeing as if she were looking through me, at something far away. Her hands, which had been resting loosely in her lap, slowly clenched into fists.“My mom…” she began, her voice barely a whisper, “My mom is seeing someone?”I nodded again, my heart aching for her. “It looked that way, yes.”Suddenly, her composure shattered. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, tracing a path down her cheek. Then another, and another until silent tears were streaming down her face. She didn’t make a sound, no sobs, no wails but j

Sage's POV The words hung in the air, a grotesque echo of Rina's cruel pronouncements. When I opened my eyes, Pauline's face was a mask of disbelief then slowly, terrifyingly, it morphed into something I had never seen before: a mixture of confusion, shock and a dawning, terrible suspicion."Sleeping with him?" she repeated, her voice rising with each word, a brittle edge of hysteria creeping in. "My dad? Sage, what are you talking about? That's insane! That's a disgusting lie!"I flinched at the sharpness of her tone, the raw hurt in her eyes. "I know, Pauline, I know it sounds... but she said she saw us. Together. And she threatened to tell everyone." My voice was pleading, desperate for her to understand, to believe me.She pushed herself away from me, a sudden, violent movement that broke our physical connection. She scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "Saw you? Saw us? Sage, what are you not telling me?" Her voice was trembling now, a raw tremor that cut throu

Sage's POV I swallowed hard, forcing my expression into one of calm indifference. “Pauline,” I said, my voice steady despite the frantic pounding of my heart, “I need to head to the library for work. Are you coming or do you have somewhere else to be?”Pauline, still fuming but momentarily distracted, nodded. “No, I’ll come with you.”Rina, overhearing, let out another sneering laugh. “Look at her, Pauline! Running away already! She’s just scared, isn’t she?”This time, Pauline’s response was swift and sharp. She spun around, her eyes blazing. “You know what, Rina? You're shameless. Stop acting like a bitch.” Before Rina could retort, Pauline grabbed my hand and her grip surprisingly firmly and tugged me away. “Come on, Sage. Let’s go.”We walked out of the school, leaving Rina and her coven of gossips in our wake. The fresh air outside was a welcome relief even if the tension in my shoulders remained. I drove to the local library, my mind a whirl of Rina’s threat and Anastasia’s chi