Page 1

KENNETH

Kenneth gritted his teeth, fingers tightening around the steering wheel as his SUV inched forward in the relentless downtown traffic. The honking horns, the glaring sun reflecting off windshields, the sheer chaos of the streets—it all mirrored the frustration surging through his veins. He was barely holding it together, his nerves already frayed from yet another broken promise.

Wouldn’t you know it? Candi bailed on him— again . It was the same story, different day. And this—this right here—was the reason they were divorced.

His ex-wife was a flake. Always had been. Always would be. A woman who thrived in a world of shallow excuses and petty inconveniences, never taking responsibility for anything beyond her latest manicure.

Get a job? Oh no, I have a headache…

Break a nail? Ken-Doll, could your sweet Candi-girl have a hundred bucks?

Be expected to parent your child? Silence. Deafening, maddening silence. Unlike the frustrated cries coming from the backseat.

Kenneth’s heart clenched at the sound of Zachary sniffling in his booster seat, his little face twisted in distress as he strained against the straps. His stuffed animal had fallen to the floor, just out of reach, and the poor kid was desperate to get it back. But they were trapped in traffic, going nowhere fast, and Kenneth couldn’t do a darn thing about it.

His phone, hooked up to the car’s Bluetooth, crackled to life.

“I can’t do this right now, Terry!” Kenneth hollered, his voice taut with frustration as he tried to focus on the bumper-to-bumper mess around him. His patience was hanging by a thread, and his agent’s call wasn’t helping matters.

“Well, we kinda need to discuss this because it’s not exactly good,” Terry pressed, clearly not taking the hint.

“Why am I not surprised…” Kenneth muttered, barely paying attention as he maneuvered his way forward another few feet.

“You know I love ya, man, but this whole mess with Candi sleeping with your teammate…”

Kenneth’s hands went white-knuckled on the wheel. His foot slammed on the brake harder than necessary, jolting the car slightly as he barely avoided hitting the vehicle in front of him.

“Say what?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know…”

Kenneth let out a sharp exhale, a mix of anger and exhaustion rolling through him. “I don’t exactly have time to read the papers or get online much nowadays with her refusing to take our child during her allotted time. In fact—I’m on my way to the courthouse right now, which is why I can’t talk.” He hesitated, his jaw tight. “Which guy?”

“That’s not important—and I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

Kenneth let out a humorless laugh, the sound bitter and raw. “It is important because I’m gonna make sure and slam his butt into the boards…”

A small sniffle from the backseat made him glance into the rearview mirror just in time to see Zachary’s teary, wide-eyed stare.

“Butt?” Zachary repeated, his little voice laced with curiosity. “Daddy, you said ‘butt’?”

Kenneth exhaled through his nose, forcing a strained smile. “Yup. Daddy is going to pulverize—” He cut himself off, taking a deep breath to calm himself before slamming on the brakes as traffic slowed to a crawl again. His patience was wearing thin, but the last thing he needed was to upset his son any further.

“Terry, what do you need?” he ground out, his head throbbing.

“Word has reached me that they’re talking about moving someone else into the captain position—not you. And that was not what we’d discussed when you moved to Detroit.”

Kenneth groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Greaaaat.”

He reached back blindly, fumbling for Zachary’s discarded shoe, and wiggled it near his son’s leg. Sure enough, a giggle bubbled up from the backseat, and Kenneth felt a small measure of relief. He might not be able to fix everything, but at least he could still make his kid laugh.

“But I have another lead for you…” Terry continued.

“Done,” Kenneth bit out. “Take it.”

“Well, it’s not that simple.”

Kenneth’s patience was hanging by a thread. “I don’t really want to skate with a guy who isn’t man enough to tell me he’s screwing my ex-wife on the side. And my entire team is married—except me—which means that guy is cheating on his wife with my ex-wife . I’m not cool with infidelity or liars. I’m finalizing sole custody today and arranging to have my ex-wife’s spousal payments reduced, so we might as well lay it all on the line.”

“It’s more money…”

Kenneth snorted. “Oh mercy, don’t tell Candi that.”

“About Candi…”

“Yeah? What now?” Kenneth asked warily.

“How ‘over’ is your marriage?”

Kenneth blinked, momentarily thrown by the question. “Very.”

“Then we’ll have to pass on this offer.”

His fingers flexed on the wheel.

“Why is that?”

“It’s a new team. They’re announcing it in a few weeks, and they’re really pushing the whole family image.”

Kenneth scoffed. “I have a family—I’m a single dad with an amazing kid who would do well to play with other children.”

“It’s the word ‘single’ that’s a problem.”

Kenneth felt his pulse spike as he noticed an opening in the traffic and took it, his tires skidding slightly as he veered onto the exit ramp. A blaring horn erupted behind him, followed by a middle finger from a furious driver. He exhaled sharply, gripping the wheel.

“Terry, I gotta call you back.”

“Yup. Call me when you get out—or later tonight.”

Kenneth ended the call, the words echoing in his mind.

It’s the word ‘single’ that’s a problem.

Kenneth’s knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his mind already spinning in a hundred different directions. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. He had expected a routine custody hearing, the usual legal back-and-forth, but nothing out of the ordinary. Instead, his ex-wife had pulled another stunt, one he hadn’t seen coming.

“Will do,” he muttered into his phone, ending the call with his agent before pulling into the courthouse parking lot. His stomach churned with irritation, but he forced himself to take a steadying breath.

This was for Zachary.

That was the only thing that mattered.

Thirty minutes later, Kenneth stood at the front of the courtroom, his expression frozen in shock. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. Candi had lawyered up, demanding more money, renegotiating her holiday schedule with Zachary, and—unbelievably—going after his car.

His Maserati Quattroporte.

The very car he had bought four years ago was a purchase he had made for himself. Now, after over a year of divorce, she was claiming it had been a wedding gift.

His stomach burned with frustration, his pulse hammering in his ears.

“I’m used to a certain lifestyle,” Candi whined, flicking her manicured nails as if she were discussing something as trivial as an out-of-season handbag.

Kenneth’s blood pressure skyrocketed, his patience wearing thinner than ever. “On your back?” he snarled, his voice cutting through the room like a blade.

Laughter exploded in the courtroom. Even the bailiff smirked before catching himself.

Candi pouted, batting her lashes in an attempt to appear innocent. “Kenneth was always good to me…”

“Too good,” he bit out, his voice edged with bitterness.

“And we just weren’t compatible.”

Kenneth let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. “Because she was compatible with someone else’s private parts—turns out it’s someone I know, too.”

The judge slammed the gavel down, glaring at both of them. “This is a matter of money and custody,” he reminded them sharply. “Your divorce was settled over a year ago, and we are not reopening that discussion.”

“I’d like to reopen it,” Candi said simply.

Kenneth’s mouth fell open. His lawyer’s head snapped up. Even the judge blinked in disbelief before all three of them simultaneously asked, “What?”

Candi shrugged, a saccharine smile playing on her lips. “I don’t think it’s fair that he’s keeping my car.”

Kenneth exhaled, shaking his head in disbelief. “You got the house because you wanted it.”

“My car broke down,” she pouted, lower lip jutting out like a petulant child.

“So fix it,” Kenneth shot back at the same time the judge pointed a finger at him, warning him to be quiet.

“We’re not discussing the car,” the judge repeated, his patience visibly fraying. His glare shifted to Candi. “You should have hired a better lawyer if he told you we were here to discuss that at a custody hearing.”

“It would support me if Kenneth gave me the Maserati,” Candi said sweetly, as if that somehow made sense.

Kenneth let out a breath of disbelief, rubbing a hand over his face. “Oh my gosh.”

His lawyer leaned in, whispering against the rising tension. “Let her hang herself,” he advised. “This will work in your favor.”

Kenneth’s gaze flicked to his son, cradled against his shoulder, his small hand fisting in his father’s shirt. The sight of him, innocent and unaware of the legal battle waged around him, settled something inside Kenneth.

He wasn’t fighting for a car.

He wasn’t fighting for revenge.

He was fighting for Zachary.

“Give her the car in exchange for full custody,” he murmured to his lawyer.

His lawyer stilled. “Are you sure?”

Kenneth nodded, his jaw tight. “She’s not a fit mother, and we both know it’s nearly impossible to get full custody from her otherwise.”

His lawyer studied him for a beat, then nodded. “All right.”

Kenneth sat down, pressing a kiss to Zachary’s soft cheek. “Shhh, buddy,” he whispered. “Daddy loves you so much, and you are being such a good boy.”

His lawyer stood. “Your Honor, may I approach the bench to discuss a potential change in our case?”

The judge sighed. “Oh, what now?”

“My client is willing to give Miss Ethridge the Maserati in exchange for sole custody of his son and a reduced spousal support payment.”

Kenneth barely had time to process the words before Candi leaped from her chair, her eyes alight with excitement. “Done! I’ll take it!”

The judge’s head snapped toward her. “Young lady, sit down!” He turned his piercing gaze to Kenneth. “Is this normal? You’ve got the boy, and she’s acting like this?”

Kenneth nodded solemnly. “Yes, sir.”

The judge exhaled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Miss Ethridge, let me get this straight—you want the Maserati over custody of your son?”

“With both sets of keys—yes,” she replied eagerly, her face glowing with triumph.

Kenneth’s heart sank. He should’ve been used to it by now, the sheer selfishness, the absolute lack of maternal instinct. And yet, somehow, it still hit him. It still disappointed him. He had once been enamored with her, flattered by her attention, taken in by the spark she had brought into his life. But when it came down to what mattered, to being a decent human being, Candi had failed him time and time again.

She was a narcissist, and he had spent too long making excuses for her. He had done the marriage counseling. He had had the endless discussions. And when he found out she was cheating, he had drawn his line in the sand. He was done.

“The car,” the judge repeated, his voice tinged with disgust. “Instead of your son.”

Candi beamed. “Yes.”

The judge turned to Kenneth, his expression grave. “Mr. Salas, this is highly unusual, but I’m going to amend all of this. Custody and spousal support should be about the best interest of the child and assisting the spouse in regaining stability. This is not an opportunity to take advantage of someone.”

“I agree, Your Honor,” Kenneth said solemnly. “But Zachary comes first. I can get another car. When she wanted the house, I moved into a condo and gave it to her. I’ve tried to keep things amicable, but when does it stop? It’s not fair to Zachary to drag him into court every six months just because she needs something new… No offense.”

“I agree with you,” the judge said, his voice firm. He turned back to Candi, his expression unreadable. “Miss Ethridge, I’m going to allow this to happen…”

And Candi interrupted with a ‘Yes!’ and excitedly hugged her lawyer.

The weight of the moment settled over him like a thick fog, heavy and suffocating yet laced with the promise of long-awaited relief. He kept his expression neutral, but inside, his heart pounded. Every decision made here would shape his son’s future.

“And Mr. Salas—I am remitting sole custody to you with no spousal support,” the judge announced, his tone firm but laced with something close to sympathy. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, his gaze shifting from Kenneth to the woman sitting across the room, her arms crossed, her lips pursed in irritation. “I’ve watched you holding your son, caring for him, and you are giving up a car for her to leave you both alone—and I tend to agree. You gave her the house in the divorce and now the car, but it has to stop at some point. If Miss Etheridge runs into problems, she can sell the car or come up with an alternative other than you .”

Kenneth exhaled slowly, steadying himself. He’d fought so hard for this, sacrificed so much. It had never been about money. It had never been about revenge. It had always been about his son—keeping him safe, giving him a stable home, protecting him from the chaos Candi seemed to carry in her wake.

Across the room, Candi blinked as if struggling to comprehend the words, her perfectly manicured nails drumming against the wooden table. “Wait,” she blurted out, eyes wide with disbelief. “I’m not getting any more money?”

“No, ma’am, you are not,” the judge stated flatly.

Her lips twisted in mild frustration, but then she shrugged. “But I get the car.”

“Yes.”

Kenneth watched as a slow, satisfied smirk spread across her face. “Cool.”

A low mutter broke the silence.

“Unbelievable,” the judge murmured, shaking his head before shifting his gaze to Kenneth. He studied him for a long moment as if searching for some sign that this had been worth the battle, that the sacrifices weren’t in vain. “I hope this was worth it.”