No influence.
No reserved seats.
No favors.
The money funded students who could not afford travel or training.
Claire had helped design the rules.
Carter entered the tournament again.
But this time, he entered without private intervention.
He studied for eight months.
Really studied.
He complained.
He failed practice tests.
He wanted to quit.
I did not rescue him.
Madeline called him repeatedly.
Their relationship had become complicated.
The divorce had humbled her, but it had not transformed her overnight.
She still blamed others.
She still hated losing control.
But Carter had started setting boundaries.
That was his journey.
Not mine.
At the tournament, I sat in the ordinary family section.
No balcony.
No velvet railing.
Just a folding seat.
Claire sat two chairs away.
Noah and Nathan competed.
Carter competed too.
The results came after six hours.
Nathan placed first.
Noah placed second.
