The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 156
With the day trip to the spa scheduled, I decided it was time to start packing,
though my mind was weighed down by the heavy tension that had enveloped our
apartment. Aria had been avoiding me ever since our fight, and I couldn't help but
feel like i was walking on eggshells.
I began folding clothes and carefully selecting toiletries to take with me when I
heard a sharp knock at my bedroom door. Before I could answer, Aria barged in,
a sheet of paper clutched tightly in her hand. The look on her face was a mixture
of concern and anger, a storm brewing behind her eyes.
“What's this?” Aria demanded, thrusting the paper toward me. I took it from her
and my heart sank as I realized what it was the protective order Stella had filed
against me.
“What are you doing with this?” I asked, my voice betraying my unease.
Avria’s voice was tight with frustration as she replied, “I found it on the kitchen
counter, Evie. Why didn’t you tell me about this?"
I sighed, frustration bubbling up inside me. “It's nothing. Aria. I didn’t want to
bother you with my messy life anymore.”
Avria's eyebrows furrowed as she studied me, clearly not buying my dismissive
attitude. “It doesn’t look like “nothing. Evie. Stella filed a protective order against
you. You should have told me.”
I turned away from her, feeling a mix of embarrassment and guilt. “I didn’t want to
burden you with my problems, Aria, Besides, what could you have done about
it?”
Avria’s voice grew exasperated. “What could I have done? Well, for starters, I
could have been there for you, supported you. We're supposed to be friends,
Evie!"
I clenched my fists, my anger building. “Look, it's my problem to deal with.”
Avria’s frustration boiled over, and she took a step closer to me, her voice rising. “I
spoke to Lucas about the trip, and he told me that Stella had threatened you. You
got him involved, but not me?
I threw my hands up in exasperation. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I
thought I could handle it on my own.
ll
Chapter 156
Avria's anger flared, and she practically shouted, “Well, you can't handle it on your
own! Stella is clearly dangerous!”
I was at my breaking point, exhausted from the constant turmoil that had my life.
“Aria, I'm not in the mood to fight with you right now.”
consumed
Avria’s eyes bore into mine, but there was a hint of hurt in her voice when she
spoke. again. “Is that how it's going to be, Evie? You're just not going to speak to
me anymore?”
I didn’t have the energy for this argument. My shoulders slumped, and I admitted
defeat. “I just need some space right now.”
With a frustrated huff, Aria stormed out of my room, leaving me alone with my
thoughts and a heavy sense of guilt. I knew I should have confided in her about
the order, but I had been so wrapped up in my own fears and insecurities that I
hadn't considered how it might affect her.
The hours passed, and I tried to push aside the nagging worry that gnawed at
me. I finished packing, double—checking that I had everything I needed for the
spa trip. It was supposed to be a day of relaxation and rejuvenation, but it felt like
an impossible task with the weight of my problems hanging over me.
The streetlights flickered to life as I made my way through the dimly lit streets of
downtown. After packing my suitcase for the spa trip. I had arranged to meet
Penny for a late-night breakfast at the nearby diner. The promise of comfort food
and her company offered a glimmer of solace.
The bell above the diner’s door tinkled as I stepped inside, and the scent of
sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee enveloped me. Penny sat in a corner
booth. nursing a cup of coffee, her expression peaceful. As I slid into the booth
across from her, I could already sense that the conversation ahead wouldn't be
an easy
I picked up a menu, but my appetite had vanished beneath the weight of my
worries. “You won't believe what happened today.” I began, my voice quivering.
Penny looked at me intently, her bright eyes filled with curiosity. “Spill it, Evie.
What's going on?”
111
Chapter 156
I took a deep breath, my anger bubbling just beneath the surface. “Stella framed
me for tearing up her wedding dress, Penny. She made it look like I did it and
then filed a protective order against me.”
Penny's face twisted into a scowl, her anger mirroring my own. “That conniving
witch! Why would she do something like that?”
I lowered my head, feeling a heavy weight on my chest. “May have something to
do with those photos...”
Penny tapped her fingers on the table, deep in thought. “You know, Evie, Stella
has made a lot of enemies over the years. She's not exactly the most liked
person in town. Maybe someone else had a vendetta against her.”
I frowned, considering Penny's words. “But who would hate her enough to go to
such lengths? Tear up her dress, have her frame me, and then file a protective
order? It's all so calculated.”
Penny's eyes narrowed in thought. “Her sister Scarlett hates her right? And she
was at the Hayes mansion that day when the dress was torn, and might have
been there earlier to tear it.”
The mention of Scarlett made my heart race. Scarlett's sudden appearance had
always struck me as odd. She had shown up and asked for my help specifically
while also nursing an intense dislike of Stella.
I nodded slowly, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach. “I would hope it's not
her.”
Penny leaned in, her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. “What if Scarlett
had something to do with it? She might have a vendetta against Stella, and this
would be the perfect way to get back at her.”
The idea sent shivers down my spine. Accusing her of something so serious
without concrete evidence seemed reckless.
“I don’t know, Penny,” I replied, my voice uncertain. “She seems classier than
that.”
Penny sighed, frustration evident in her eyes. “Classy people are usually the
messiest behind closed doors, but says it's not her? Maybe Linda?"
I blinked wildly. That wasn't a name I'd heard in a while. “Linda...I guess she
would hate the woman marrying Timothy. She hated me just for working with
him.”
3/5
A
Chapter 156
“Right!” Penny nodded rapidly, seeming more drawn to that conclusion.
I hunched over a table, the cheap Formica surface sticky with the residue of
countless meals. I stabbed at my hash browns with a fork, more out of habit than
hunger, while Penny sipped her black coffee, her eyes darting around as if
searching for something that could never be found.
“Penny,” I began, breaking the silence, “I've got to tell Timothy.”
Penny glanced up from her coffee, her eyebrows furrowing in concern. “Tell him
what?”
I hesitated for a moment, as if the very act of speaking the words aloud would
make them all too real. “He needs to know about Stella and Andy.”
Penny's coffee cup clattered against the saucer as she set it down, her eyes,
widening in shock. “But you said...we agreed that-"
“It's wrong,” I cut her off, leaning toward her. “Keeping it to ourselves isn't helping
anyone, and looks so miserable. I can’t let him go through with that knowing that
that woman doesn’t value him.”
Penny's eyes remained fixed on me, her expression a mixture of sympathy and
concern. “Evie, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, telling Timothy... it's a
big step. You could be tearing his world apart.”
I sighed. “I know, but Timothy deserves to know the truth. He's planning to marry
her, crying out loud. He’s about to commit his life to someone who's been
betraying him with his own brother.”
Penny drummed her fingers on the table, deep in thought. “If you're so sure
about this, Evie, than I guess you should tell him.”
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
I shook my head vigorously, a shiver
running down my spine at the mere
thought of Timothy falig Gpart
“ Pp
BEE bine No, no, I can't have
him hate me for this. It needs to look
. Pv »
like it's from someone else.” The
content is on Novelxo.org! Read
the latest chapter there!
Penny leaned in closer, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. “You can send an
anonymous email from a fake address, one that can't be traced back to you.”
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
A glimmer of hope flickered in my
9 )
heart as I considered Penny's mn
suggestion. it seemécike the perfect
sBlfiorhh way to expose the truth
without sacrificing my friendship with
. “ : ”
Timothy. “That might work, Penny.
The content is on Novelxo.org!
Read the latest chapter there!
4/5
A
Chapter 136
Penny's lips curled into a sly grin as she grabbed her bag and set it on the table
between us. She slipped out her thin laptop and opened it. “Did you want to do it
now? It'll be quick and painless.”
1 bit my lip as the nerves gripped my gut. It would be quick surely, but the
painless part was debatable.
“We'll create an anonymous email address, send the evidence, and let the chips
fall where they may,” she explained once more, pushing the laptop in my
direction.
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
After some hesitation, I agreed. With
the plan in motion, we spent the pext
) 2
hour huddled oyerI Penny saptop in
the el of the diner,
creating a fake email address and
compiling the incriminating evidence.
The content is on Novelxo.org!
Read the latest chapter there!
As we finished crafting the email, Penny looked at me, her eyes filled with
determination. “Are you absolutely sure about this, Evie? Once we hit send,
there's no turning back.”
I took a deep breath and nodded, my resolve unwavering. “Maybe schedule it for
a certain day though, the day after tomorrow.”
Penny scheduled the send date and clicked the send button. After loading, the
email disappeared into the digital abyss. We watched in silence, the weight of our
actions settling over us.
“This is going to change everything, Evie,” Penny said.
“It had to be done,” I told her, picking up my fork. My appetite still hadn't
returned. “Timothy deserves the truth, no matter what it costs.”
And I was prepared to bear the brunt of that cost.
5/5