Golden [ #2 EFS ] ✓

Matchweek One: Liverpool vs. Leeds

Trent's pov

My life was pretty much great until that one incident.

My club, Liverpool, has just won the league and we won the Champions League the previous season. Everything was going good for me. I was a regular in the starting XI, playing almost every game. I had been playing well too. I had scored many goals, some were free-kicks and even had a hand in the development of other goals. I even managed to pick up a bonus.

But everything came crashing down just a few weeks ago, before the start of the brand new Premier League season. My girlfriend of two whole years left me after I bought a ring to propose. I'll admit that I am young, maybe too young to marry, but I was sure that she was the one. We could have even spent a year planning it. I guess I was too blinded by my love for her to see the obvious. She didn't love me, but she loved my fame. I came home that day with the ring in my back pocket, prepared to propose, but instead, I found her packing her bags. She claimed to have found someone else and an even better job in France.

And now she's gone.

I never knew how much her not being here would affect me. I haven't been able to score a single goal, nor even assist. My entire game has been thrown off. I spent the first few days after my break-up drowning myself in self-pity and alcohol, missing a few friendlies. When I headed into training before the season could start, I ended up being put on the bench. I couldn't pull through training since my body has been exhausted because of my lack of sleep and proper nutrition. I ended up missing the first game last weekend.

I only have myself to blame for all of this. It's my own fault. I know that I should pick up the broken pieces of my heart and move on with life, but for some reason, I can't. It's like my brain and body are paralysed because of my broken heart, and nothing makes sense anymore. I've come to terms with the break-up; there's nothing I can do about it. Michelle has made up her mind and she's already in France by now. Being excluded from the club's first game of the season is a real eye-opener for me.

"You need help," my older brother, who is also my manager, drops my iPad on the kitchen counter, beckoning for me to read what's on the screen.

As much as I like to stay away from gossip and fake news, this seems important. I pick up the iPad and read the article that's about me. EA has an inside source and now they know about my messy breakup and recent state of depression, deeming it the reason I missed the game. The last thing I wanted was for my personal life to be out in the open.

"Who's the inside source?" I ask through gritted teeth.

Tyler sighs. "I don't know, but that's the least of your problems. If you don't find a way to fix the state you're in, you could be on the bench for a long time."

"I'm fine, or at least I'm better than I was before."

"Really?" He shoots me a pointed look. "You haven't been outside in days and you look like probably haven't slept in a while too. You haven't been to training, and you have no idea how damaging this will be to your career."

"I was going to propose!" I exclaim, letting the tears silently fall down my face.

I can't help that I am in this state. Michelle was my life; my everything. I thought that I was going to spend the rest of my life with her, and even start a family with her. The news of her leaving me hit me like a ton of bricks. It was so unexpected. Liverpool was doing so well and I thought she was happy. How terribly wrong was I?

"I know, and I'm sorry she did this to you. But you can't stay cooped up in your apartment, wallowing in self-pity. You have to pick up your life and start performing again."