Chlorine and Karma: A Swimmer's Revenge Chapter 1

Ten minutes before the International Swimming Championship finals, my childhood sweetheart destroyed the entire team’s gear.

She slashed every swimsuit, snapped every pair of goggles.

Why? Because her "male bestie" had just tested positive for doping and was disqualified.

If we lost this race, it would be a national disgrace.

In my past life, to save her from the committee’s wrath, I called in every favor my wealthy family had to air-freight new gear at the last second. I even forced myself to swim in her bestie’s spot for the singles race just to buy time.

We won. She accepted the awards as the "resilient captain."

Her bestie, Skyler, eventually moved to the provincial team, got caught doping again, and was banned for life. Distraught, he ran into traffic and was crushed by a truck.

She blamed me.

Two months later, right before the World Cup, she injected a lethal dose of stimulants directly into my veins.

"If you hadn't forced Skyler to drink that stuff back then, he wouldn't have been banned. He wouldn't have died!" she screamed, her mask of calm shattering. "You stole his trophies and caused his death. You’re the one who deserves to die!"

My heart exploded in my chest.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in the locker room.

Ten minutes before the finals.

This time, I’m not saving anyone.

I want to see how they survive without me as their life raft.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of shouting.

Opening my eyes, I saw our team’s hothead, Mike, poking Skyler hard in the chest.

"Skyler, you’re the one who got disqualified! But now Serena destroyed everyone's gear because of you! None of us can race!"

"The prize money is gone! Our careers are toast! How are you going to pay for this?!"

Skyler was backed against a locker, neck stiff, denying everything. "It wasn't me! I didn't dope! It’s a testing error!"

Mike was furious. "You failed the appeal and two re-tests! You still dare call it an error?"

He raised a fist, ready to swing, but Serena rushed in and blocked him.

Skyler, who had been acting tough a second ago, immediately turned red-eyed and weepy the moment he saw her.

The teammates were seething.

"Serena, if you guys want to quit, just leave! We want to win for our country!"

"This is the International Championship! How are we supposed to swim naked?"

Serena shielded Skyler like a mother hen. She lowered her voice to comfort him, then turned to the team with a self-righteous glare.

"We are a team. Skyler was framed. You should be helping him appeal, not worrying about your own races."

Her twisted logic stunned everyone. But since she was the team captain, they all turned to look at me—the vice-captain.

"Lucas, we're on in ten minutes. What do we do? We never should have let Skyler join. Since he got here, everything’s gone to hell!"

Serena cut him off sharply. "The bad luck is because you didn't train hard enough, don't blame Skyler."

"Besides, the coach approved his entry. If you have a problem, take it up with the coach."

The teammate muttered a curse, shooting a resentful look at me. "It’s all because of Lucas. Bringing these two disasters into the team."

Great. Once again, I’m guilty by association.

My family, the Sterlings, are wealthy. The Vanderbilt family—Serena’s family—approached my parents when we were kids, saying Serena wanted to swim too.

We were engaged since childhood. My parents were happy to help.

So, my family paid double to let my professional coaching team train her. We dragged her all the way to the National Team and made her captain.

We were practically inseparable. Both families called each other "in-laws," waiting for us to retire and marry.

Then, Skyler appeared in her circle.

For this guy, Serena ordered my coaches to waste their time training him, barely scraping him past the qualifiers to get him on the team.

She talked about him constantly. If I showed even a hint of displeasure, she’d snap: "Skyler and I are just friends. Stop being so dirty-minded. If you’re going to be jealous, at least be logical."

In my past life, I believed her. When she destroyed the gear, I tried to save both her reputation and Skyler’s career.

My reward was a needle in my arm and a stopped heart.

This time? I’m done. The childhood bond is over.

I looked down and sent a text message, instructing my family to contact a swimming equipment supplier.

Then, I spoke calmly.

"You're right. After this competition, I will formally request a re-evaluation from the coaches. Anyone who doesn't meet the standards gets kicked out."

Serena looked at me in shock. Skyler panicked.

They knew. Without my protection, Skyler wouldn't last five minutes in a real assessment.

Someone slammed the table. "Forget the assessment! The race is starting! No suits, no goggles, we don't even have caps! We're going to lose by default."

"The live broadcast is on. The whole world is going to see us forfeit."

"It’s not just embarrassing; it’s a national humiliation. We’ll be nailed to the pillar of shame forever."

Serena’s pupils contracted. She bit her lip nervously.

Skyler tugged her sleeve. "Serena, what do I do? My whole family is watching. If they find out I was disqualified, they’ll kill me."

Serena turned back to comfort him. "Don't worry. I’m here. I’ll handle it."

She stepped forward, putting on her captain’s face.

"There's a rule. If the whole team signs a joint petition, a disqualified athlete can be reinstated."

"I can fix the gear situation, but you all have to sign the petition to get Skyler back in."

Skyler’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude.

A teammate asked, skeptically, "Easy to say. The gear is shredded. We’re in a foreign country. How do you fix that in ten minutes?"

Serena lifted her chin, pointing confidently at me.

"Lucas's uncle owns a sports equipment company in this city. He can have professional gear delivered immediately!"