"Kay, there's something I need to tell you," Max began, his tone serious.

"I met an old friend today who works as a lawyer. I told him about the trickery of your manager and the president, about how they manipulated your contract."

Kay's heart sank, sensing bad news was coming. "What did he say?"

Max sighed deeply. "He said that if there's a clause written in the contract and you signed it, there's not much we can do legally. It seems they covered their tracks well."

Kay stared out the window, the landscape blurring as his thoughts raced. "So, there's no way to fight it?"

Max shook his head slowly. "It doesn't seem like it. But don't let this discourage you. Focus on your coaching career and leave the past behind."

Kay nodded, trying to absorb the disappointing news. "I understand, Dad. It's just...frustrating."

As they continued the road home, an idea suddenly sparked in Kay's mind. He turned to his father, excitement mixing with resolve.

"Dad, I just thought of something," Kay said, his voice animated. "Even if we can't do anything legally, we can still expose what Riki and Tom did. We can share it with the media and destroy their reputations."

Max glanced at Kay, intrigued. "That's an interesting idea, Kay. If the media picks it up, it could definitely put pressure on them and tarnish their reputations."

"Exactly," Kay nodded. "We can let people know the kind of manipulative tactics they're using.

It might not change what happened to me, but it could prevent them from doing it to someone else, and I can have my revenge."

Max smiled, proud of his son's quick thinking. "Alright, let's look into it. We'll need to gather all the evidence we have and find a journalist who might be interested in the story."

Kay felt a surge of determination. "Let's do it, Dad. If we can't get justice through the courts, we'll get it through the court of public opinion."

They arrived home and quickly gathered in the living room. Max and Kay shared the idea with Reina, who listened intently.

Reina nodded thoughtfully. "It's a bold move, but it could be very effective. People deserve to know the truth."

Kay leaned forward, his eyes bright with determination. "I actually have some contacts with journalists from big newspapers. I got their numbers throughout my career. They might be interested in this story."

Max smiled. "That's great, Kay. Let's start reaching out to them. We'll need to be clear and concise, presenting all the evidence we have."

Kay took a deep breath and dialed the number of the first journalist on his list. The phone rang a few times before a voice answered.

"Hello, this is James Carter from The Daily Chronicle."

"Hi, James. This is Kay Marik. We met a few times during my playing career."

"Kay! Of course, I remember. How can I help you?" It's impossible to not remember him as he was on the first page of many journals months ago.

"Thanks, James. I have something important to discuss with you. It's about my recent contract issues and the unethical practices of my former manager, Tom, and the club president, Riki."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

James sounded intrigued. "Go on, I'm listening."

Kay explained the situation, detailing the clause in the contract that had been used to trick him and how it had affected him.

He described the manipulative tactics used by Tom and Riki and their impact on his life to steal his deserved salary.

James interrupted with a question. "Do you have any documents or evidence to support these claims?"

"Yes, I do. I have copies of the contract, and other documentation that clearly show the unethical practices."

James's interest was piqued. "This sounds like a big story, Kay. Why are you coming forward now?"

Kay had a steady voice. "Since they recently informed me. And It's about keeping other players from experiencing this. Additionally, even though I am unable to take legal action, I will expose their business practices and ruin their reputation."

James paused for a moment. "I understand, Kay. This could have a significant impact. I'll need to review the documents, but I'm very interested in pursuing this. Can you send everything over to me?"

"Absolutely," Kay replied. "I'll send you all the documents and evidence right away."

"Great," James said. "I'll take a look and get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks for reaching out, Kay. This could be an important story."

"Thank you, James. I appreciate your help."

After hanging up, he turned to his parents with a hopeful smile. "Let's see where this goes."

Two days passed with Kay anxiously waiting for a response. On the third day, his phone rang, and he saw James's name on the screen.

"Hello, James," Kay answered, hopeful.

"Hi, Kay. I've reviewed your documents, and I'm afraid I can't share the story," James said, his tone cautious.

Kay frowned. "What do you mean? What's wrong with the documentation?"

"There seems to be an issue with the evidence you've provided. Some parts don't add up," James replied vaguely.

"Which parts?" Kay pressed, his frustration growing. "I checked everything before sending it to you."

James hesitated, then said, "It's hard to explain. Look, I have to go now. I'm sorry, Kay," and abruptly ended the call.

Kay stared at his phone in disbelief, anger, and confusion swirling inside him. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

He turned to his parents, who had been listening in.

"It doesn't make sense," Kay said, his voice tight with frustration. "I know everything I sent was accurate. Why would he just brush me off like that?"

Max placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "There's more going on here. Maybe he's been pressured not to publish the story."

Reina nodded. "We can't give up. We'll find another journalist, someone who won't back down so easily."

Kay took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. "You're right. I'll reach out to another contact."

Kay called another journalist, hopeful that this time would be different.

Initially, the journalist expressed great interest, asking for all the details and promising to look into it.

However, a few days later, when Kay followed up, he received a disappointing response.

"Hi, Kay," the journalist said. "I've looked into your story, but it's been a while since these events took place. It's too late to publish it now."

Kay felt a sense of déjà vu as frustration bubbled up inside him. "But the information is still relevant. People need to know what happened."

"I'm sorry, Kay," the journalist replied, his tone final. "I just can't share it. Good luck."

As the call ended, Kay slumped in his chair, feeling defeated.

He shared the news with his parents, who had been anxiously waiting for an update.

"It happened again," Kay said, his voice tinged with frustration. "First, they show interest, then they come up with some excuse not to publish the story."

Kay, getting more and more irritated, called a few other reporters.

The pattern was the same each time: first interest, then a quick change of heart and a thin pretext.

Kay decided to call his friend Alex for advice after using up all of his contacts because he was updated on the latest news regarding Kay's story.

He dialed Alex's number, and after a few rings, Alex picked up. "Hey, Kay! How's it going?"

"Hey, Alex," Kay replied, his voice heavy with frustration. "I need your help. Something strange is happening."

Alex's tone shifted to concern. "What's going on? Tell me everything."

Kay explained the situation, detailing how each journalist he contacted showed interest but then backed out with various excuses. "It's like they're being pressured or something. I can't figure it out."

Alex answered "..."

See you in the next chapter...