Hated by Everyone, Chosen by Him

Chapter 4: The Vipers

Liam’s POV

I didn’t want to leave my house. It was peaceful there.

That was the truth I kept avoiding. Maybe it was not the dream, maybe I did not want to win. And David put my equipment and suitcase in the car. My body was already moving to the car before my mind agreed to it.

Lily leaned against the doorway, arm crossed, watching me as if she were trying to memorize the shape of me. She gave me a warm smile and walked up to me.

“You’re overthinking it,” she said quietly.

I turned to her. “I am not thinking at all,” I replied.

“Yeah, no shit.” She chuckled.

For a moment, no one said a word. She finally sighed and stepped forward, fixing the collar of my shirt like I was a child. She reminded me of Mom so much.

“You always do this,” she said.

“Do what?”

“Act like everything is an ending.”

“And what if it is?”

She didn’t respond to that. There was a pause between us again. The kind that comes before distance.

“You don’t have to be strong out there,” she said. “Just don’t…lose yourself again.”

“Liam! It's time to go.” David said.

I looked at her properly again.

She was trying not to cry. And that made my chest tighten.

“I won’t,” I said, before running off to David’s car.

Behind me, Lily spoke again.

“Liam.”

I turned slightly.

“If it gets too much…call me.”

I gave a small nod.

Then entered the car. The ride to the airport was long and quiet.

So, it was actually happening. I am going to another team. And it was worse this time. I was going to be face-to-face with Damon with his f****d-up surname, Cross.

As soon as I got to the airport, the announcements echoed through the ceiling. I hated the airport; it was always so loud.

David stayed slightly ahead of me, checking documents, speaking to no one but acting like he was in control.

“You are quiet,” he said without turning.

“I am saving my energy for disappointment,” I replied.

“Fair.” He said.

The plane ride was worse than I expected. Not because something bad happened.

But because nothing happened. The silence was getting louder, and I was alone with my thoughts.

Eventually, David spoke.

“You know.” He said, “You don’t have to treat this like a punishment.”

“It feels like one,” I said without looking at him.

“That’s because you are expecting it to be.”

“People only ask for me unless they want something or because I’m a cheaper option.”

David paused. “Liam, you are the best player I have seen in the league. Damon has nothing on you. You are only this way because of you.”

I didn’t say a word anymore.

I spent the rest of the flight reading about my new teammates.

We landed in the late Afternoon. The sky outside was pale. As we stepped outside the airport, I already knew today would be tough and filled with regrets.

A black SUV waited outside. No one spoke during the ride. Not David. Not the driver. I watched buildings pass through the window, each one pulling me further into something that might end me.

David finally broke the silence. “You don’t have to win them over.”

“That’s the last thing I would do.”

“Maybe that’s your problem,” he said calmly. “You stopped trying at all.”

I didn’t answer David. I was not ready to have that conversation.

The car slowed down. And my breath slowed. A large building came into view.

It was huge, not like the ones I was used to. It had a glass exterior. Team banners.

The Vipers' logo was all over the place like a warning rather than a welcome.

We stopped in front of the building.

“This is it,” David said. “Welcome to hell.” I know he was joking, but the way he said it made my stomach drop.

I stared at the building. So, this is where I end up. Or start over.

I opened the door and stepped out. The air hit my face immediately. There was no warm welcome. Or smile. Nothing.

David walked beside me as we approached the entrance.

Every step was heavier than the last.

Walking into this place reminded me of why I loved Hockey in the first place.

The lobby was too quiet. Too polished. People were there, and I could feel their attention before I saw their faces.

And I heard them. They didn’t bother to whisper, as if they wanted me to hear.

“Is that him?”

“He actually came?”

“Damon really bought him here?”

“Damon is going to ruin him.”

We reached the main hall. Trophies and framed photos of former players lined the walls. Then I spotted Lucas Cross. I curled my finger into a fist.

“You are late.”

The voice cut through the space like a blade.

I looked up to see who it was. It was Damon Cross. He stood at the end of the hall.

He didn’t look like the monster in my dreams. Worse.

He looked calm, controlled, and calculated.

“You are Liam Hart,” he said.

It was not a question; it was a fact, so I didn’t reply.

The room went silent, as if he was waiting for a reply.

David cleared his throat behind me. “Damon, this is…”

“I know who he is,” Damon interrupted.

His voice remained calm and controlled.

That scared me more than anger would have.

He turned to David. “You must be his agent. You can go to the office straight down there to finish the paperwork.”

He turned back to me. “I asked for you,” he said.

“Why?” It was the first word I said since I entered the building.

“You will find out,” he said.

What the hell does he mean by find out. So, I was right, he wants to take revenge.

Just like that, he turned. Then stopped. “Oh, and the coach wants you on the ice in twenty.”

Then he walked away.