Chapter 4

The next morning, ignoring my aching body, I put on my only clean white shirt and went to the National Equestrian Association headquarters.

Today was my final evaluation to get certified as a rehab coach for disabled riders.

It was my only way back into the industry, and my only hope to pay for Grandpa Charles’s urgent heart surgery.

I sat in the waiting room, clutching my application form tight.

The large screen in the lobby was playing promotional videos for the association.

Suddenly, the screen glitched, and a security camera video started playing.

In the video, a woman wearing the exact same white shirt I was wearing was brutally whipping a chained horse.

The horse was Scout.

But the person wielding the whip wasn't me!

It was Chloe, wearing her white riding habit from yesterday!

The video had been maliciously edited. The face was blurred, leaving only the clothes and the silhouette.

The riders and coaches in the lobby gathered around, pointing and whispering at the screen.

"Isn't that Bella? How does she have the nerve to apply for a coaching license?"

"Her hand got ruined, so she’s taking out her anger on a helpless animal? What a psycho!"

I jumped up, shouting, "That’s not me! That video is fake!"

A soft laugh echoed from the entrance.

Chloe, dressed in a designer suit, walked into the lobby, accompanied by Howard.

"Bella, the evidence is right there. Are you seriously trying to deny it?"

Chloe pulled out a document stamped with the Wilmot Group's official seal and handed it to the association's president.

"Chairman Thomas, I saw it with my own eyes. Bella was desperate for cash."

"She not only sold her horse illegally, but she also abused him severely before the sale, leaving him traumatized."

Chairman Thomas took the file, his face darkening as he glared at me.

Howard stepped forward, standing close to Chloe, looking at me with total indifference.

I stared back at Howard.

"Howard, you were there yesterday! You know exactly who was whipping Scout! Tell them the truth!"

Howard casually adjusted his designer watch.

"I was indeed there. And I personally witnessed Bella whipping Scout with a spiked crop."

"I couldn't stand the cruelty, which is why I bought the horse at a high price and handed him over to Chloe to be saved."

Gasps erupted around the room.

The testimony of the heir of the Wilmot Group was the final nail in my coffin.

I shook with rage, my fingernails digging deep into my palms.

"Howard! You liar!"

Howard looked away, annoyed.

"Bella, take responsibility for your own actions. Stop making a scene."

Chairman Thomas announced loudly to the room:

"After reviewing the evidence, Bella is found guilty of severe unsportsmanlike conduct and animal abuse."

"Her application is denied. She is banned for life from holding any position in the equestrian industry!"

Banned for life.

The words shattered my world.

I had lost my career, lost Scout, and now I had no way to make money to save Grandpa Charles.

The crowd began hurling insults at me.

Someone threw a half-empty cup of cold coffee, splashing it all over my white shirt.

Security guards grabbed my collar and threw me out the front doors.

I tumbled down the concrete steps, my forehead hitting the edge of a step. Warm blood trickled down my face.

Chloe stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at me like I was trash.

"You can never beat me, Bella. You're done."