A Cocky Champion Mocked a Silver-Haired Grandmother, Until the Official Read Her Real Name
Previously: When 28-year-old Leo mocked a senior woman at the national shooting qualifiers, he thought it was an easy win. But her first shot changed everything.
A Forty-Year-Old Scandal
Arthur stepped forward, his eyes darting from the monitor to the silver-haired woman standing in lane seven. The room had fallen into a stunned silence. Leo’s face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. He couldn't accept that this elderly woman had just outshone his own warm-up shots.
“This is ridiculous!” Leo demanded, stepping toward Arthur. “She must have a modified trigger, or the target system is malfunctioning! Look at her—she’s a senior citizen. There is no way she shot a perfect tight group like that.”
Arthur ignored the young champion entirely. He walked slowly toward Martha, his expression a mix of reverence and deep anxiety.
“Martha?” Arthur asked, his voice barely audible. “Is it really you? After forty years?”
Martha lowered her weapon, keeping the muzzle pointed safely downrange. She turned to face the official, a sad, knowing smile touching her lips.
“Hello, Arthur. You’ve put on a little weight since the eighty-four trials,” she said softly.
Leo looked between them, his frustration boiling over.
“Who is she, Arthur? Why are you acting like she’s someone important?” Leo snapped.
Arthur turned a cold glare toward Leo.
“You are looking at Martha Vance, Leo,” Arthur said solemnly. “She set the undefeated national record in 1984. The very record you’ve spent the last five years failing to break.”
A murmur swept through the gathered onlookers. But Arthur’s face quickly darkened as he remembering the past. He stepped closer to Martha, speaking in a hushed, urgent tone.
“But Martha, you know the rules,” Arthur whispered. “The athletic board issued a lifetime ban against you after the scandal. If the committee finds out I let you register, they will disqualify this entire regional heat. Why are you doing this now?”
Leo’s eyes widened with malicious delight as he overheard the word ban.
“A lifetime ban?” Leo laughed mockingly. “She’s a fraud! Official, disqualify her immediately and call security, or I’ll make sure the national board hears about this cover-up!”
”Official, disqualify her immediately and call security, or I’ll make sure the national board hears about this cover-up!”