Chapter 1: The Life I Thought I Knew

My name is Griffin Callahan, and I’m 35 years old. For the last 15 years, I’ve worked as a field coach in regional baseball leagues across the Midwest. It’s not glamorous work, but I’ve always loved it. There’s something pure about watching young athletes discover their potential, about being part of their journey from high school dreams to college scholarships and sometimes—if they’re really special—to the minor leagues.

I’ve always been the type of person who solves problems quietly, who keeps everything running behind the scenes. When a team needs a strategy or a player needs an adjustment to their stance, I’m the one they turn to. But behind the scenes, my own life was anything but easy.

I met Jenna Whitmore when we were both 19. She was studying journalism at Ohio State, and I was already working my way up through the coaching ranks. I’d been passionate about baseball my entire life, and while she was studying, I was working in the trenches of coaching—grinding away for the next opportunity. We met through mutual friends and clicked immediately. There was something about her energy, her ambition, her fire. She had this determination to make it in sports journalism that I admired.

We built a life together over the next 13 years. A life I thought was solid, unshakeable. When Jenna got offered a position with a Fox affiliate in Cincinnati three years ago, I didn’t hesitate. I sold my 2018 Honda Civic, packed up my life, and followed her to help her pursue her dream. I took temporary jobs—equipment management, groundskeeping, anything that kept me close to the sport I loved while she built her career.

I believed in her dream, maybe more than she believed in mine. I had no qualms about stepping back to let her shine, even if it meant putting my own career on hold. I had a network of coaches, scouts, and media personnel that I’d developed over the years. I introduced Jenna to some of my contacts—veteran players, rising stars, and general managers. One of those introductions was Eli Maddox, a kid who had the potential to make it big in the major leagues.

Eli was 20 years old when I first met him. A shortstop from Indiana with a cannon arm and lightning reflexes. I had worked with him during his senior year of high school, helping him refine his batting stance. The kid was special. His talent caught the eye of the Cincinnati Reds, and when he got drafted, I made sure Jenna knew about it.

“This kid’s going places,” I told her. “Get an interview with him now, before he becomes untouchable.”

She took my advice and secured an interview. At the time, I had no idea that this was the beginning of the end. Jenna was professional and dedicated, but what I didn’t see coming was how Eli would slip into our lives in ways that would shatter everything I believed about love and loyalty.

Chapter 2: The Slow Burn

Looking back, I can see the signs I missed. Jenna started working longer hours, always claiming it was to build her portfolio. She’d come home energized, full of excitement, talking about the opportunities and connections she was making. She started mentioning Eli more frequently—his training regimen, his statistics, his potential.

I thought it was just professional enthusiasm. She was doing her job, building her career. But soon, it was more than just work. Her eyes would light up when she spoke about him. She talked about him in ways she had never talked about any other player. It was obvious she had developed a bond with him.

The home run derby was scheduled for July 15th, 2025, at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Eli had earned a spot in the derby, and Jenna was assigned to cover the event. She was beyond excited, more excited than I had seen her about any assignment.

“This could be my break, Griffin,” she told me one evening in March. “If I can get exclusive access, build relationships with these players before they hit the big leagues, I could be the next Erin Andrews.”

I supported her like I always did. I helped her research the players, gave her insights about their backgrounds and playing styles. I even reached out to some of my contacts to help her secure better access for interviews. She was thrilled.

But there was a distance between us now. Something was off. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The more she talked about Eli, the more I started to feel like I was losing her. It was subtle at first—small comments here and there. “Eli’s a great kid,” she’d say, her voice a little too soft.

By the time the home run derby rolled around, I was feeling left behind. Jenna’s career was taking off, and I was doing my best to play the supportive boyfriend. But deep down, I could feel something slipping through my fingers.

Chapter 3: The Discovery

The truth hit me like a fastball to the chest on a Tuesday morning in April. Jenna had left her iPad on the kitchen counter. A message notification popped up, and I couldn’t help myself—I glanced at it.

The message read: “If I stay close to Eli, my career explodes. This kid’s going to be huge, and I need to be the journalist everyone associates with him.”

My blood went cold. I scrolled up, my hands trembling. The conversation painted a picture I had been too naive to see. Jenna wasn’t just covering Eli professionally. She was sleeping with him.

“He’s young, ambitious, and let’s be honest, gorgeous,” she’d written to her colleague Sarah. “Griffin introduced us, which is ironic. He has no idea how much this relationship could change everything for me.”

I stood there, frozen, as the weight of her words settled in. I wasn’t just the supportive boyfriend. I wasn’t her partner. I was a stepping stone. My stomach churned as I read on.

Sarah had responded, “Girl, you’re playing with fire. What about Griffin?”

“Griffin’s sweet, but he’s stuck in small-time baseball forever,” Jenna replied. “Eli’s my ticket to the big leagues. ESPN, Fox Sports, maybe even a book deal if he makes it to the majors.”

I set the iPad down slowly, my body numb. Thirteen years. Thirteen years of supporting her dreams, sacrificing my own, of believing we were building something together. And this was my thank you.

Chapter 4: The Calm Before the Storm

I didn’t confront her immediately. I didn’t explode. I didn’t yell or scream. I was calm, too calm. In fact, the calmness terrified me. It was like I had already resigned myself to the inevitable. I was a problem she no longer needed. I was a tool she used, and now that she had Eli in her sights, I was disposable.

The following weeks were hell. Jenna came home after interviews with Eli, glowing with excitement, talking about how they were building a special relationship. “He’s opening up to me in ways he doesn’t with other journalists,” she’d say. Every word was like a knife twist. “I think I’m really getting through to him.”

I nodded and smiled. I became the supportive partner again. The problem was, I knew. I knew exactly what was happening. And I hated myself for it.

But I wasn’t a fool. I didn’t want to confront her and make a scene. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break. Instead, I watched. I watched every interaction, every text, every time Eli’s name came up. I played my part like I was still in the game, but I knew the truth.

And I was preparing my move.

Chapter 5: The Plan

I knew how the media worked. I’d spent years in the world of baseball, managing teams, coordinating events, and handling media coverage. I knew how to play the system. What Jenna hadn’t realized was that I could manipulate the media just as easily as she could.

I reached out to Marcus, a friend who worked as a broadcast technician for Fox Sports. “Hey, Marcus,” I said, pretending to be casual. “You guys need any extra help for the home run derby? I’ve got some experience with the equipment.”

Within a week, I had a temporary position as a media technician for the home run derby broadcast. I’d be working behind the scenes, where I could observe everything.

Jenna was thrilled when I told her. “That’s perfect,” she said, kissing me on the cheek. “We’ll both be there. It’s like the universe is aligning for us.”

But for me, the plan was already in motion. I was going to watch everything unfold, get the evidence I needed, and make sure the world saw the truth about Jenna and Eli.

Chapter 6: The Night That Changed Everything

The night of the derby was electric. The stadium was packed, the energy contagious. Eli was a rising star, and everyone in the media center was buzzing about him. Jenna was all smiles, working the crowd and interviewing players.

I stayed focused on my task—setting up equipment, running system checks, and making sure everything went smoothly behind the scenes. But my eyes were always on Jenna.

Around 400 p.m., I saw her and Eli slip into one of the private media rooms for a “post-interview debrief.” They thought they were alone. I didn’t need to overhear their conversation. I already knew what was going on.

The moment they disappeared into that room, I made my move. I knew the media servers, the internal communications, and the content distribution systems. I had access.

I discreetly made a copy of the footage. The whole exchange was captured on the security cameras in that private room. I saved it and made sure it was added to the evening’s media package. It would be automatically distributed to the executives at Fox Sports, the higher-ups, the people who needed to know what was really going on.

Chapter 7: The Fallout

Jenna came home that night, giddy with excitement. “This is it, Griffin,” she said. “This is my big break.”

I smiled, but inside, I was thinking about something else entirely. The moment the footage hit the executives at Fox, I knew everything would change. It didn’t take long for the calls to start coming in.

At 11 p.m., Jenna’s phone rang. She answered it, and I could hear her voice tremble as she spoke to the person on the other end. “What? No, I can explain. Eli and I… It’s not what it looks like.”

I couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation, but I didn’t need to. I knew what was happening.

The next morning, the story broke. The scandal was everywhere. The footage I had made sure to distribute was now public, and Jenna’s career—everything she had worked for—was crumbling.

Her contract with Fox Sports was terminated, and Eli’s career took a major hit. He was reassigned to a lower-tier farm team, and his endorsements were pulled. Their secret was out, and the world now knew exactly who they were.

Chapter 8: The Final Blow

As for me? I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t bitter. I wasn’t even surprised. What I felt was a sense of peace—a calm certainty that I had done the right thing. I had given Jenna every chance to prove that she respected me, that she valued our relationship. But she hadn’t.

After the dust settled, I moved on. I moved far away from everything that had been my life with her. I found peace in knowing that I had made the right choice.

And when the time came to rebuild, I did it. Alone, but stronger.

Jenna tried to reach out, sending messages, leaving voicemails, but I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. I had learned that sometimes, the best revenge isn’t in getting back at someone. It’s in walking away and never looking back.

The End