LightReader

Chapter 18 - The Shadows That Follow

He started hearing the whispers

Not from fans

Not from rivals

From inside

Some teammates

Some staff

Even people who once cheered

They said he was selfish

Too obsessed

Too focused on himself

He walked into the dressing room one day

Silence

Some eyes looked away

Some stared too long

Cristiano knew

He wasn't liked by all

But he didn't come to be liked

He came to be great

During a close match

He didn't pass to a teammate who was open

He went for the shot

Missed

The team still won

But after the game

The locker room was ice

A senior player came up to him

Face tight

Voice low

You think this is your team?

Cristiano didn't blink

No

But I'll make sure we win

Every time

Rumors started swirling

The media ate it up

"Cristiano causing tension"

"Too big for his boots"

"Talent or trouble?"

He didn't respond

Didn't post

Didn't tweet

He trained harder

Talked less

Played colder

One night he stayed on the pitch after everyone left

Just him and the ball

Rain falling

Lights dimmed

He juggled

Over and over

Until his legs ached

Then he looked up at the empty stands

Let them doubt

Let them talk

I'll let my work answer

Sir Alex called him into the office again

This time it wasn't about football

You've got fire

But fire can burn your own house down

Cristiano didn't argue

He just nodded

Noted

Logged

Used

The next game he passed more

Ran harder for others

Gave everything

Still scored

Still dominated

But he did it smarter

By the final whistle

Even the ones who doubted had to respect it

He didn't just play for himself anymore

He played to win

With or without applause

More Chapters