Olivia stood on the track once again. At this moment, her mind was filled with countless voices.
"My health has taken a turn for the worse. I hope you can stay with your mother for a while..." Her father’s words over the phone left Olivia deeply anxious.
"Come with me, Olivia. At least now I can provide you with a stable environment. I love you..." That night, her mother sat on the couch at home, tightly holding Olivia’s hand, her plea both urgent and sincere. Olivia was confused. She didn’t know what kind of feelings her mother truly had for her. If she really meant what she said, why hadn’t she appeared in so long? Olivia withdrew her hand from her mother’s, lowered her head, and stayed silent.
"Olivia, I’ll be cheering for you tomorrow at the event. You’re going to win!" Donna had spent a long time with Olivia the previous evening, and it was the only thing recently that had brought her a bit of warmth.
But Olivia’s mind was in chaos; it felt like her head was about to split open. These voices kept echoing over and over, making it impossible for her to calm down. She got up, walked to the rest area, and poured a bottle of water over her head. Instantly, she felt more awake. She closed her eyes, emptied her mind, and then walked back to the track to prepare.
Olivia instinctively glanced at her competitors in the other lanes and immediately spotted June in the outermost lane. This was the moment Olivia had been waiting for. She had to beat June and reclaim the championship. She needed to prove to everyone that her last loss was just an accident. Olivia's eyes fixated on June, burning with the flames of vengeance.
With the referee’s command, all the runners bent down. In the stands, Donna had taken the closest spot to the track. She held her breath and silently cheered for Olivia. As the starting gun fired, the crowd erupted in loud cheers and shouts.
Olivia's start was as steady as always, and within seconds, she had already gained an advantage. As she approached the first turn, a thought flashed in her mind, and she used her peripheral vision to check June’s position. She saw that June was far behind her, which filled Olivia with a mix of confusion and relief.
Olivia lowered her head and prepared to sprint, a faint sense of triumph creeping into her heart. However, as she rounded the second bend, she realized that her lead had vanished. Two runners had overtaken her. Both were unfamiliar faces, unknown competitors, which shocked Olivia. The June she had been focusing on was trailing behind, completely out of contention for the championship.
At this point, Olivia couldn’t focus on anything else. She desperately pushed her legs forward, gritting her teeth as she sprinted toward the finish line. The cheers from the crowd gradually faded from her ears, replaced by the sound of the wind, and then even the wind disappeared. She could hear nothing.
"Olivia!" Donna’s voice called out to her, snapping her out of her daze. Donna gently patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her. Olivia's expression was vacant; she couldn’t understand why her performance was worse this time than the last. All she felt now was confusion, deep confusion. She couldn’t grasp why she had failed.
Seeing Olivia’s despondent state, Donna felt heartbroken. She held onto Olivia’s arm and slowly walked her out of the stadium. Many of Olivia’s supporters in the crowd let out a few boos, but Olivia was trapped in her own world, unable to break free.