A New Chapter, A New Win

Jake, the celebrated captain of Phoenix Rising, had just led his team to an epic Grand Finals victory. His wife and team owner, Alexis, beaming on stage, announced a $200,000 performance bonus for his triumph. He thought things were finally looking up, perhaps even for their marriage. But the promised cash bonus quickly turned to ash in his mouth when it arrived not as money, but as worthless digital tokens. Simultaneously, Alexis lavished a $200,000 cash signing bonus and a luxury sports car on Ethan, a new recruit with average skills but a massive social media following. When Jake confronted her, Alexis waved him off, citing "brand optics" and Ethan's "engagement metrics" as more important than Jake's championship wins. Loyal young players who spoke up for Jake were swiftly punished, silencing dissent within the team. The callous disregard for their shared history escalated; he found himself locked out of his own home by Alexis, accused of being "irresponsible" after just wanting a night out. She even forgot their sacred shared day, his mother's death anniversary, only to plan a lavish launch party for Ethan on that exact date. He felt a deep, sickening knot of betrayal and injustice twisting in his gut. How could the woman he'd built everything with, the team they'd founded from scratch, treat him with such calculated cruelty and contempt? Was his value truly zero compared to a TikTok hype machine? The final blow came in front of the entire team: when Ethan faked an injury, Alexis slapped Jake across the face, screamed at him to apologize, and then handed him a promotional gaming mouse as his "severance," demanding he teach his replacement, Ethan, how to be captain. That burning sting on his cheek became the fire of his resolve.