Chapter 4

I held my head, overwhelmed by the splitting pain. My vision was blurred with tears.

Stop. Please, stop.

Every word made my mind automatically replay the painful memories between us, each one more unbearable than the last.

My heart ached with every beat.

Russel was right. Someone like Xander really would not feel guilt.

Back then, Xander was a professional snooker player, hailed as a "genius snooker prodigy," dominating the spotlight.

I was just a snooker referee, simply put, the kind responsible for repositioning the cue ball after a shot.

Seven years ago, during a match, while I was bending over to adjust the ball, a foreign player behind me started making suggestive movements toward my butt.

It was workplace harassment, out in the open for everyone to see.

The audience was shocked.

I was humiliated and furious, but being naturally timid and just a low-level referee, I did not dare say anything.

But Xander stepped in. He punched the guy in the face on the