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Volleying the ball over the net, she saw her. There she was among the crowd. Tashi Duncan. Victoria froze and the ball whirled past her. Lowering her sunglasses, Tashi pulled a sly smile. A look of disbelief spawned on Victoria's face. It all came back to her. The scheming. The lies. The heartbreak.
"What the fuck?" She muttered.
"Wilkes to serve." The umpire called.
Victoria was snapped out of her trance. She shook her head and quickly made her way to the baseline. Ball raised above her head, she let it go, firing it towards the other side of the court. It was the first round of the New Rochelle 2024 Challenger. Victoria was in the lead, 1 set to none, playing against Katie Multrow. Things were going smoothly until now. She felt Tashi's eyes watching her every movement and brain fog set in. Victoria began to feel intimidated. It was match point. She needed this. Come on, it's fucking Katie Multrow. Easy. Tashi's probably here for her kid or something. Keep your head in the game!
"Shake it off. Shake it off, come on." She spoke under her breath. "You got this, you're winning."
She served. The ball bounced over the net. Katie, racket outstretched, lunged for the ball. She missed. It flew past her. Ace. Victoria let out a cry of relief and the crowd cheered.
"Game." The umpire called. ____
Victoria was in the locker room packing up her belongings, when she heard a familiar voice.
"I have to give it to you, you played well. Have you been practicing your serves?"
She turned around and came face to face with the Wicked Witch of the West. Tashi Duncan.
"Yeah, I noticed you admiring me from the stands."
Tashi let out a dry laugh before sternly asking, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm doing the same as everyone else. I'm here to play tennis." Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"
Tashi pulled her sunglasses off and stared Victoria dead in the eyes.
"Look whatever game you're plotting isn't going to work. Art doesn't need anymore distractions, he needs to focus on winning and if he finds out you're here, it won't help. I've already stuck my neck out on the line for him, and I don't want to read another news article telling me my husband is having an affair with an ex college fling." Her tone was harsh.
Victoria's mouth dropped in shock. Art's here? I must've missed his name on the sign-in sheet.
"Listen Tashi," she spoke up. "I had no idea Art was playing here, but if he can't focus on the game, that's his problem. Don't come at me telling me I'm a "distraction" when I haven't seen Art in, what, 10 years. You have your own life and I have mine and I haven't had anything to do with him since we left college. If you can't trust your husband enough to believe him when he says he isn't cheating, then get a divorce."
Victoria took a deep breath in. Tashi scoffed and moved closer to her. Looking her dead in the eyes, the two girls were inches apart.
"You don't get to speak to me like that. You were nothing before Stanford. I practically made you, pointing you out to our coach."
Victoria nodded.
"You're right, and I thank you dearly for that, but I'm everything now."
"He made his choice, move on." Tashi spoke before storming out, aggressively barging into Victoria.
"Bitch." Victoria muttered, throwing her towel down.
What does she mean I'm a distraction? And I never slept with Art, well there was that time, ugh but that doesn't matter. Just forget about it, you have a game tomorrow. Let them get on with it. ____
