Sitting in the isolated, dark corner of the garage, Ardeth let his angry tears flow down, as he remembered Tristan's words.

He was a failure, he could never give his baby the luxury and comfort like Tristan's kid. He lost his form, and he wasn't able to get back to the game, even after trying hard. Everything was falling apart infront of his eyes, and all he could do was watch it helplessly, he failed as a sportsman, boyfriend, and a father.

"It's 11PM." Ardeth looked up to find the source of the voice that interrupted his thoughts.

"Mr.Scott." Ardeth said standing up from his place, as he saw the recluse owner of the garage infront of him.

"The garage closes at 9PM, why are you still here?" Mr.Scott asked in his usual annoyed voice.

"I am sorry, I didn't know where else to go." Ardeth said stepping into the light.

"Follow me." Mr.Scott said as he walked towards his room in the corner, and Ardeth followed him.

"Coke?" Mr.Scott said passing the diet coke towards Ardeth.

"What's the matter?" Mr.Scott asked Ardeth, pulling the chair and sitting opposite to him.

Ardeth looked at him confused.

"You seemed to be going through a lot of things, and I can clearly see the signs of depression in you. If you want to share, I am all ears." He said sipping on his beer.

"You are a stranger to me." Ardeth frowned.

"Strangers don't judge you."

Ardeth sighed, and began to speak out the things happening in his life lately, while Mr.Scott sat and listened silently.

"I don't know what to do, I am a failure, I lost my form, my game, I don't want to lose Sherlyn and my baby, I don't want them to see me as a failure. I can't bear that." Ardeth cried.

"Is there anything that I can do for you?" Mr.Scott asked calmly.

"No, thanks for hearing me out, I feel light, now that I spoke out my problems." Ardeth thanked Scott, "Even though I don't know my next step, for now I am feeling light, thank you."

"You are welcome, and I am happy seeing the way you are priortising your family, even though you are worried about the game." Mr.Scott said with a forlorn look, "I hope I had been like you."

"What does that mean? Are you a soccer player?" Ardeth asked.

"I was." Mr.Scott let out a sad smile as he gulped down the beer, "I used to be like you, passionate about the game, hungry for success. In between that I neglected my family, I was so busy running behind my success, that I was forgot that I want running away from my family, I didn't realise it until..." He choked as tears strung his eyes, "I lost my baby." He rasped.

"Is that's why you left the game?"

"Yes, I couldn't play the game after I realised my incorrigible mistake." Mr.Scott said taking in a deep breath, "I am saying this to you, so that you don't make a mistake like me, it's okay to fail, game is a part of the life, the people, who cheer for your success or the same people who look down at you, when you fail, but family is the only thing that sticks with you in your ups and downs, take care of your family."

"I will." Ardeth nodded.

"Feel free to knock my door, at anytime, if you want to speak about your depressions again or need any help." Mr.Scott slurred before he passed out of the couch.

"Mr.Scott... Mr. Scott..." Ardeth shook Mr.Scott, in an attempt to wake him up, he has no idea whether he should leave, leaving Mr.Scott on his own, or he should drop him at his home.

He felt it's inhumane to leave the person, who was concerned about him, and he doesn't have an idea where to take him home to, since he had no idea about where Mr.Scott lived. So he decided to stay back until he regains some if his senses so that he can get leave after making sure the man is okay.

Ardeth began to look around the room, since he didn't get a chance to take a good look at it during his visit to the room. It was stocked up with piles of papers and files. He remembered the time he saw the NSL trophy replica in his room. Ardeth remembered the conversation he had with Mr.Scott.

"Are you a soccer player?"

"I was, I used to be like you, passionate about the game, hungry for success."

"Was it the real trophy? Not the fake one like I thought it is?" Ardeth thought and as soon as the thought came into this mind, he grabbed his phone and began to search on the internet about Mr.Scott.

"Shit, I don't remember what Mr.Scott's full name is!" Ardeth groaned. "Should I call and as Jamie?" He contemplated, but again he decided not to disturb Jamie at this hour.

Ardeth began to search the list of players who won the NSL trophy.

"Gabriel Scott? He doesn't look anywhere like Mr.Scott, besides he is the county league secretary now." Ardeth murmured as he scrolled through the profiles, "Vernon Scott, no, Herald Scott, Neil Scott, oh god there is no one who resembles to Mr.Scott for even 1%."

"That thing is for sure a fake product." Ardeth decided, and when he was about to turn off his phone, an almost familiar face caught his eye, making him zoom in the picture.

The person, who was standing among the other teammates, with a big grin on his smile, and twinkling eyes, looked like Mr.Scott, except then clean shaved look was now replaced with a over grown beard, and the eyes doesn't twinkle anymore, and he couldn't remember the last time he saw him smile, hell he never smiled.

"Daniel Scott-Romano." Ardeth read as his eyes widened in surprise, as he read further about him.

Daniel Scott Romano, famously known as Dan Romano among the Soccer fraternity was a terrific left wing player, he won many county, premiere, and prestigious leagues. But after he won the National Soccer League, he took a break from his Soccer career, and never came back.

Mr.Scott woke up feeling worn out, with a massive headache. He opened his eyes and saw someone holding water infront of him.

"Ardeth?" He asked confused, and then remembering their conversation from last night, he asked, "You didn't leave?"

"I was about to, and then I didn't know, where to drop you at, so I stayed back." Ardeth answered.

"You shouldn't have bothered about me, it's something that happens with me often, I drink, I get wasted and pass out in this room. Nothing serious." Mr.Scott said waving his hands, trying to get on his feet.

"It is serious." Ardeth said as he steadied a stumbling Mr.Scott, making him raise a brow.

"Do you think it's not serious, when the whole world is wondering about where the golden legged man, disappeared from the Soccer World, and I get to know that he is hiding from the world, in a small cabin in garage, needing someone else to help him stand on his own feet without stumbling." Ardeth asked in a calm tone, "Can you answer that Mr.Romano? Why are you hiding from the world? From your fans, and from the sport that you once considered as your life."

Mr.Scott looked at Ardeth in a surprise, and then getting back to his usual self he answered, "I don't have to give explanations to you." He said in a dismissed tone.

"You have to, because there are still a lot of people, who are genuinely concerned about you. They deserve and explanation, did you do anything immoral or..."

"Stop it!" Mr.Scott shouted throwing the glass on the floor breaking it into pieces. "I don't owe any explanations to anyone, no one needs to know what happened with me or why I left the game, it's solely my decision and I never did anything immortal or against law."

"I..."

"Get out of my cabin." Mr.Scott shouted.

Ardeth opened his mouth, and deciding to be quiet, he walked out closing the door behind him.

"Why do you do that, Sherlyn?" Marcie asked exasperated as she walked to and fro in Amelia's apartment. "If something had happened to you, I wouldn't have forgiven myself." She shuddered at the thought.

"We were scared when you suddenly ran into the alley." Amelia said wrapping her arm around Sherlyn. "And now hearing what had happened to you, we are petrified."

"I am sorry Marcie and Amelia." Sherlyn said looking down, " I wasn't thinking straight at that moment."

"Promise me, that you would never ever pull such kind of stunts." Marcie said as she took deep breathes.

"I promise." Sherlyn said.

"The thought we could have lost you, is still making me shit bricks." Marcie cried hugging Sherlyn.

"Sorry." Sherlyn said hugging her cousin back.

"Why do you do that?" Marcie asked sniffing.

"I saw Professor Ashford, with Jackie, the one who slipped drugs into Ardeth's bag. I thought if I could get any evidence against him, then the college board will fire him, and with him gone, Ardeth will have less things to worry about."

"Babe, I understand your concern about your baby daddy but this is no right way doing it." Marcie said sitting in the bed between Sherlyn and Amelia.

"I know, as I said I wasn't thinking straight." Sherlyn said, "Ardeth is struggling with his career and responsibilities, I thought I could help him someway, but now I am hopeless."

"I know Professor Ashford is holding grudges against Ardeth, and deliberately blocking him from playing in the soccer team." Marcie said, "it would have been great if we had got some evidence against him peddling drugs but now let's not loose hope, let's get him out of the team selection committee one way or other." She said determined.

"I didn't get it." Amelia said confused.

"I have an idea, and I am damn sure it will work." Marcie said clapping her hands together.

"And what is it?" Sherlyn and Amelia asked in unison.

Marcie grinned looking at her friends, with a devilish glint in her eyes.