The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 152

The next morning, I woke up with a sense of dread that had become all too familiar. The events of the past few days had left me feeling tangled and confused. With a sigh, I got out of bed, determined to face the day ahead.

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As I made my way to the kitchen, I noticed Aria absorbed in conversation on her phone, her laughter and giggles floating through the air. She had a new boyfriend, and it seemed like they were in the throes of a honeymoon phase. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy at the ease with which she had moved on, while I remained entangled in my own emotional turmoil.

I approached her tentatively, my frustration simmering beneath the surface. “Aria, can I check the mail today?”

She held up a finger, signaling for me to wait, before turning her attention back to her call. It was clear that her conversation was more important to her than my

request.

I tried to hide my irritation, offering a forced smile before walking away. The mailbox was just a short distance from our apartment, but the walk felt longer than usual. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was trapped in a cycle of frustration and disappointment.

As I reached the mailboxes, I hesitated for a moment, my hand hovering over the slot. I wasn’t expecting anything in particular, but the mundane task of checking the mail offered a temporary distraction from the chaos of my emotions.

Just as I was about to insert my key into the mailbox, a voice from behind me sent a shiver down my spine. “Evie.”

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest, and slowly turned around to face the one person I had been trying to avoid–Timothy. He stood there, his expression tense, his phone clenched in his hand.

I swallowed hard, struggling to find my voice. “Timothy.”

He had been in the midst of a heated conversation with Stella on the phone, and his frustration was palpable. The tension in the air was suffocating, and I couldn’t help but feel like an intruder in his world.

Timothy hung up the phone abruptly, his gaze never leaving mine. “What are you

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Chapter 152

doing here?”

boiling over.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that, Evie. I just…I’ve had a lot on

bitterness that seeped into my

hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. I wanted to walk away, to put some distance between us, but I couldn’t bring myself to

start over? I…I don’t want things to be like

said softly, meeting his eyes. “Hi,

nodded in acknowledgment, offering a warm

absence of it like a glaring omission in our conversation. I wondered if it was a deliberate choice

stop myself, the words tumbled out of

his words laced with a touch of defensiveness.

couldn’t help but feel a twinge of bitterness at his explanation. It thought his relationship with Stella had been genuine, if not a bit rocky. Here het was dismissing it as if

continued, his voice softening. I’m doing this for the child, Evie. I want the kid

seemed to carry a hidden meaning, as if the

keep my demeanor cool, to maintain a façade of composure, but the urge to confide in Timothy about Stella and Andy gnawed at me. I had

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Chapter 132

I feared he wouldn’t take my word for it

nodded in response to his words, my voice steady as I replied, “That’s really

a hint of gratitude in his eyes. “I suppose. Thank

we each had more to say. As I walked away, clutching the package I had retrieved from the mailbox, I couldn’t escape the feeling that our encounter had

long sigh and squeezed my eyes

the package in my hands. Its presence was unexpected, as I hadn’t been anticipating any deliveries. I also noticed the absence of a return address, but

have prepared myself for the grotesque contents that spilled out onto the floor. A dead rat lay before me, its lifeless body weathered and rotted. A note was attached to its

gutter

alone! XO” scrawled in jagged

depraved person would go to