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“You’ll get used to it. Besides, we’ve kept your name off of it, so even if it goes wrong, you’re safe.”

“I know this should make me feel better, but it doesn’t,” I say. “He got Kayla pregnant when she was still in high school, Esme, and made her get rid of it. Then he moved to LA, and my father gave him a job, and I married him.”

My hand goes to my belly before I can stop it. “I want this to go well. For you. For Rebecca and Kayla. For every girl he hurt. I want him to pay.”

“And you’ll get it,” she says. “Just wait and see. We start with this to get the public on our side before they can get ahead of the story with a lie of their own, and then we go to the police. If there’s enough evidence to warrant an investigation, they’ll arrest him and the investigation will make the news. From then on, it’s up to them to prove his guilt. But we did our job. And who knows, maybe this will help convince someone else to step forward and tell her story.”

We finish our coffee without saying much. I check the clock.

“It’s time,” she says, standing up. “Let’s go.”

I follow her to the desk and pull up a chair beside her. She puts on her headset, clicks on a file, and gives me a thumbs up.

“Here we go,” she says, and clicks publish.

The episode begins with some music, and then her voice.

“Welcome to The Long Ball, the podcast that covers the real stories behind women’s football. I’m your host, Esme Ryan, and today I have a five-part series that will blow your mind.

“It’s about a coach who abused his power, and his players. It’s about a predator who manipulated young, vulnerable women and ruined their lives. A man who’s gotten away with it for years protected by the system, who is still coaching today. His name is Declan Woods, and this is his story.”

She goes on to give some background information about him: his career, his reputation, his marriage and divorce to me, his affairs, and his new job.

Esme and I tune out the podcast and focus on the comments in the live chat. They’re already pouring in, and most of them are positive and curious. Some of them are disgusted and shocked. And some of them are hostile.

“Wow, this is intense,” Esme says, scrolling through the comments.

“Yeah. I’m glad people are listening.”

“Me too,” she says. “Now all we have to do is wait and see which way it blows.”

“Hopefully, right in Declan’s face,” I say.

We spend the rest of the day watching the reactions. The episodes are released as planned, and they generate a lot of buzz. The media picks up the story and soon it’s everywhere. The hashtags are trending, and nobody agrees on anything.

Some people believe us. Some people praise us, some people curse us. Some people demand justice and others defend Declan. It’s a mess, but it’s also a victory. We’ve started a movement. And we’re not stopping until we get what we want.

I’ve been patient ever since I found out about Declan’s affairs, and it’s finally paying off.

The day of reckoning is here.

CHAPTER 23 – Ewan

Friday, November 7

It’s been a full day since Esme’s podcast aired, but the world hasn’t changed much. Declan hasn’t been suspended by the club and there’s no investigation pending.

Apex can’t prove the source, but Caleb suspects it was me, and he’s right to. He contacted me, threatening to ruin me. I don’t care. I have nothing left to lose.

But he also warned me to stay away from the unveiling of the statue. I can’t do it. It’s not about pride or ego. It’s about honoring my past and hoping for my future. It’s about showing my legacy to the world. It’s about being accountable.

I don’t know if they’ll even let me in on Heritage Night, but that’s still two weeks away and who knows what will happen by then. I only know that one way or another, I want to be there.

I’m sitting in the house, drinking whiskey and watching TV. I’m alone, but for the first time since everything went to shit, I don’t feel bad. I feel lighter than I have in years.

Maybe it’s because I did something right for once, something that might make a difference. Or maybe it’s because I’ve stopped pretending everything is fine. I’ve finally accepted that I’ve made mistakes, I’ve hurt people, and now I have to face the consequences.

Or maybe this is me being in denial and when the first pitchforks are out, I’ll feel worse than ever.