The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 118

The sun was dipping below the horizon as I walked out of the office building. I had endured another grueling day at work, battling nosy co–workers and an all too invested boss. As I approached the parking lot, I couldn’t wait to escape the suffocating atmosphere and head back to the sanctuary of my apartment.

But as I turned the corner and spotted my car, my heart sank, and my steps faltered. There, in bold and viciously red spray paint, the word “whore” adorned every inch of my car’s windows. Fury boiled up inside me like a volcano about to erupt, and I clenched my fists, my knuckles turning white.

“What the hell?” I muttered to myself, my voice shaking with anger and disbelief.

Without thinking, I stormed over to my defaced car, breathless, my heart pounding in my chest. As I stood there, my phone buzzed insistently in my bag. I pulled it out, and Aria’s name lit up the screen. I answered the call with a voice quivering with rage.

“Aria,” I spat out, “you won’t believe what just happened.”

Aria’s voice on the other end was laced with concern. “What happened?”

My voice shook as I struggled to contain my anger. “Someone vandalized my car, Aria. They spray–painted the word ‘whore‘ all over it.”

There was a stunned silence on the other end, followed by Aria’s outraged exclamation. “Oh my god. Did you see who did it?”

“No, I didn’t!” I practically shouted into the phone. “And they must have done it hours ago because it’s already dry.”

“Okay, okay. We’ll figure this out. Just come home.”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Okay”

As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t shake the feeling of vulnerability that coursed through me. This wasn’t just a random act of vandalism; it was a targeted attack on my character, an attempt to smear my name and reputation. Why would someone do this?

When I arrived back at my apartment, Aria was waiting for me outside the building. She rushed over to give me a comforting hug, and I clung to her, my

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Chapter 118

tears mingling with the anger that still simmered beneath the surface.

it?” Aria

the embrace and wiped my tears. “I’ll show

face twist in anger as she took in the hateful

I walked back inside the apartment building, I couldn’t shake the anger and frustration that simmered within me. Who could have

the apartment, I couldn’t hold back the torrent of questions that flooded my mind. I turned to Aria, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear. “It’s not

magazine on the counter and placed it in my hands. Her eyes were filled with sympathy as

I asked, the dread pooling in as I read the headline: “Sleeping

within me erupted like a wildfire. “What the hell is this?” I

up at one of the stands in town. You

shaking, I picked the magazine back up and flipped through the first couple of

on the words that painted a false and damaging narrative. According to the tabloid, Jasper had tipped them off, claiming that I had been fired from my internship due to poor performance but had resorted to selling my body to Mr. Erickson in

but what struck me the most was the image they had painted of

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Chapter 118

for personal gain. It was a betrayal of everything I believed

for.

voice shaking with anger. “This

“I know, Evie. Jasper must have some ulterior

raced with possibilities, but I couldn’t dwell on Jasper’s motivations at that moment. I needed to address the situation head–on. “I need to find out what he’s up to,”

I rushed to the television, flipping it on to see if there were any updates on the situation. The news had already picked up the story, and Jasper was

a

a photo. The image showed Mr. Erickson and me in a seemingly compromising position,

even more damning. It was my voice, unmistakably, saying that Mr. Erickson had kissed me and that it had felt good. I had gone on to declare that I was going to be

hear my

didn’t recall

had to have been close enough, and get me to say the right things.

clearly edited to paint a false narrative, and I couldn’t understand how he had managed to obtain such damning material. He’d made my words sound seamless and intentional, as

a mix of concern

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