Jessica Wiggins stood in the middle of the ring, staring down her opponent. The other fighter was taller, stronger, leaner, but Jessica was not scared. She had been preparing for this for months, ever since her high school sweetheart, Billy, had dumped her. Hundreds of hours of training led up to this fight, the final bout of the Muay Thai World Expo in Des Moines, Iowa.
Five years with Billy down the drain because he had found someone else, someone stronger. Someone who participated in marathons and biked to work and lived a more physical lifestyle. He said he didn't think Jessica was tough enough to do the same kinds of activities that he wanted to do. She took it personally.
Jessica looked to her left to see her trainer, disgraced former muay thai champ Conor Clarke, holding a Wendy's Strawberry Lemonade. Condensation dripped down the side of the beverage. Sweat dripped down Jessica's brow. Conor pointed to the beverage and Jessica nodded. The bell rang, signaling the end of the third round. She smacked her gloves together and walked to her corner, then sat on her stool and closed her eyes.