Chapter 10 - The Champion Reclaims Her NameOne year later.
The grand training facility of the Vance-Mercer Foundation—formerly a private commercial luxury warehouse owned by the Vance estate—was filled with the warm, vibrant sound of laughter, sneakers squeaking on mats, and pads being struck with explosive speed.
I stood in the center of the primary ring, wearing a black training shirt and shorts, my hair pulled back into a messy bun, my hands wrapped in clean white boxing tape. Around me, thirty young women from local shelters were practicing their defense stances, their faces bright with a new, unshakable confidence.
“Keep those guards up, girls!” I called out, my voice holding a warm, powerful resonance. “Read the shoulders! Never look at the fists; look at the base!”
Judith’s company had been forced into bankruptcy liquidation months ago to pay off the federal fines and restore the siphoned capital. I had used my divorce settlement and the liquidated shares of the penthouse to buy this facility, turning a monument of corporate greed into a sanctuary of survival and empowerment for women who had been pushed into corners by the bullies of this world.
“Maya!”
I looked up to see Clara walking into the gym, a warm smile on her face, carrying a folder of legal documents.
“The final corporate filings just went through, Maya,” Clara smiled, sliding the papers onto the edge of the canvas ring. “The state has officially granted the name change. Vance Developments is completely dissolved. The foundation is entirely under your maiden name now.”
I looked down at the paper, reading the bold, elegant text at the top: The Mercer Athletic & Compliance Institute.
“Thank you, Clara,” I said softly, reaching down to touch the clean paper.
The physical scar from the match that first night was long gone, but the strength it had forged in my soul was absolute. Ethan had tried to teach me a lesson about my place as a wife with a leather belt. But in the end, he had only reminded me of who I was before I ever met him: a fighter, a champion, and a woman who would never let anyone change her name or dim her light.
May you like
I turned back to the ring, tightened my tape with my teeth, and looked at the crowded room of young, strong women who were learning to fight for their own lives.
“Alright, team!” I yelled, a bright, genuine smile breaking across my face. “Let's run that drill one more time. From the top!”
