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?”

my fists, my frustration boiling over. “I live here, Timothy.

I didn’t

seeped into my

like a heavy cloud. I wanted to walk away, to put

finally broke the silence, his voice weary. “Can we start over? I…I don’t want things to be like this between us. We

I said softly, meeting

nodded in acknowledgment, offering

wearing his engagement ring, the absence of it like a glaring omission in our conversation. I wondered if

stop myself, the words tumbled out of my mouth. “You’re not wearing

laced with a touch

of bitterness at his explanation. It thought his relationship with Stella had been genuine, if not a bit rocky. Here het was dismissing it

Evie. I want the kid to have a good life, with

hard, the emotions welling up inside me. His words seemed to carry a hidden meaning, as if the stability extended to him

tried to 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 already tried to warn him once before, with the Erickson situation, and

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Chapter 132

I feared he wouldn’t take my word for it

to his words, my voice

of gratitude in his eyes. “I

and turned to leave, though it felt like we each had more to say. As I walked away, clutching the package I had retrieved from the mailbox,

and squeezed my eyes

as I hadn’t been anticipating any deliveries. I also noticed the absence of a return address, but against my better judgment, I decided to

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 leg, the words “Go back

gutter

TELLA alone! XO” scrawled in jagged

I gagged once the smell of decomposed flesh hit me. Only a depraved person