LIE: 3

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All I'm saying is if you don't love me
no more then,
lie



WARNING: mature themes, mentions of abuse, mental health, panic attacks and EDs

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WARNING: mature themes, mentions of abuse, mental health, panic attacks and EDs.




*italics are the central narrator
commentary*














2019,
two weeks before
the New Rochelle Challenger




ART, tried to always excel in tennis, be perfect; work out sessions, training sessions, eating little but just the vital nutrients, going to his physician, be a good husband, be a good father, be a good man, be the best at tennis; win, always win. But lately it seemed like none of it was enough for Tashi.

After losing another match and his wife making him rewatch his errors, he was physically and mentally exhausted.

She convinced him he needed to get back on his winning strike by competing on the New Rochelle tournament, he amicably accepted with a nod, trying to tune out her rant about their last couple advertisement for a car and how she looked in it, he tune in changing the tv to the local sport channel.

His face immediately paled, as someone's picture from his past came on the screen.

He slowly stood up from the couch, trying to hear what they were saying but a ringing sound in his ears made everything sound like it was muffled around him.

The sport commentators said that it was yet to be confirmed that the artist and retired tennis player, Isadora Raimondo might be making an appearance in next the New Rochelle match... as the coach of one of the competitors, Patrick Zweig.

"Fuck." Tashi exclaimed, standing up and pulling his arm, "Arthur, listen to me. You're gonna win this, there's no other option for us."

"Us?" Art mumbled, a nauseous feeling coming up his throat.

Everything felt blurry around him, like Tashi was talking to him but he could barely understand what she was saying; he was a having a panic attack, truth is it has been so long since he had one, the last one involved his ex lover on the tv screen.

A mean glare crossing on Tashi's face, "Yes, us." She gritted through her teeth, "Now, I need you to calm down. Count to ten or something."

"Mommy?" their daughter asked with a sleepy face, "Is daddy okay?"

"Yes sweetie, your dad is just tired from his game today, let's go read something together." She said threading after their child.

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