The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 60

Chapter 60 “Alright, Aria, prepare to be defeated!”

Before us lay a daunting game of chess. Black was currently in the lead, its horde of knights and bishops taking full control of the siege against the white pieces. Aria was down to her measly pawns and a lonely King.

She glared at me as | gloated, twisting her lips. “We'll see about that. I’m not going down without a fight!”

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow through the windows of my apartment, creating a cozy atmosphere that was perfect for an impromptu board game session. Aria and | had decided to take a break from our busy lives and enjoy a relaxing afternoon together. The familiar sound

of game pieces shuffling filled the air as we settled down at the coffee table, ready for some friendly competition. “| can’t believe we finally have some free time to ourselves,” Aria exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I chuckled, nodding in agreement. “It’s been a while since we've had a chance to just relax and hang out.”

Aria grinned, leaning forward to examine the board. “It’s also been a while since. I’ve kicked your butt!”

“Well, you're going to be waiting even longer before you ever defeat me!” | gloated.

As we played, the news on the television in the background served as mere background noise. It had been some simple daily news, up until around 4 o'clock. hit. The mention of Timothy's name caused my ears to perk, and | drew my gaze away from the board.

“Hey, Aria, do you mind turning up the volume on the TV?” | asked, my curiosity piqued.

Aria obliged, raising the volume so we could hear the news more clearly. My ears perked up when | heard Timothy's name mentioned in relation to a scandal.

“Timothy,” | whispered, my heart skipping a beat.

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Aria looked at me, concern evident in her eyes. “What’s going on?”

“They're talking about Timothy,” | said, my voice tinged with worry. “Something about a scandal.”

As we listened, the news anchor mentioned tabloid accusations of Timothy's involvement with a woman named Linda. | frowned, not liking where this was going.

“He’s releasing a statement,” Aria added, her eyes glued to the screen.

| suppose the day wouldn’t end on a happy note after all. As | settled onto the couch, my eyes fixed on the television screen, my heart raced with a mix of anxiety and frustration. The news anchor’s voice was calm and measured as he reported on the latest celebrity scandal, involving none other than my closest friend, Timothy.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Today, hockey star Timothy Hayes has found himself entangled in a media storm over accusations of romantic involvement with a woman named Linda Thompson. The tabloids have been buzzing with speculation, claiming that Linda was more than just Timothy’s pet- sitter.”

| clenched my fists, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. Weren't they dating? Why was this scandalous?

As the news report continued, they aired Timothy’s press statement. He stood tall and composed, his eyes unwavering as he addressed the camera.

“| want to set the record straight,” Timothy’s voice echoed through the room. “Linda Thompson was my pet-sitter. Nothing more, nothing less. The media hast blown this situation out of proportion, and | want to clarify that there was never any romantic involvement between us.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words. No romantic involvement at all? Linda had seemed so infatuated with him, that it seemed their love was obvious.

The news report showed images of Linda in Timothy's apartment, laughing and tampering with his belongings. They had turned ordinary moments into something sensationalized, and it made my blood boil.

So Linda had just been nothing more than a friend, a person Timothy trusted to 2/5

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care for his pet when he was away? Regardless, the media’s insidious whispers had turned their innocent relationship into a scandalous affair.

As the report concluded, | turned away from the television, my mind racing with thoughts. Aria raised an eyebrow, concern etched on her face. “That doesn’t sound good. | hope he’s okay.” | nodded, slightly in a daze. “I hope so too.”

As the news continued, we learned that Linda had suddenly become popular with celebrity gossip news sites. | couldn’t help but feel a surge of frustration. They were completely ignoring what Timothy had said at his conference!

Aria’s eyes widened in surprise. “This is ridiculous. They’re totally blowing things out of proportion.” “| know,” | sighed, feeling a sense of helplessness. “I just wish people wouldn’t believe everything they read in the tabloids.”

But what shocked me even more was when the news began to speculate on whether Timothy was in love with me or Linda! | scoffed at the absurdity of it all. Timothy and | were just friends, and yet the media was trying to create a love triangle out of thin air.

“They'll do anything for a juicy story,” Aria commented, her frustration mirroring my own.

“It's so unfair,” | muttered, anger bubbling within me. “Timothy doesn’t deserve this, especially right as things started cooling down.”

Aria placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “People who truly know him will. see through the gossip,” she said. “You know the truth, and so do his real fans and friends.”

Her words brought a sense of comfort, and | nodded in agreement.

With that resolve in mind, we decided to do some research on social media to gauge the public’s reaction to the scandal. As we scrolled through various platforms, we saw the discussion

ignite into two factions- those who believed the scandal and those who were on

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Timothy's side, trusting his words.

“It's nice to see so many people standing by him,” Aria said, a smile tugging at her lips.

| nodded, a glimmer of hope returning. “True fans will always support him, no matter what.”

As the news report continued, they showed blurred picture of what might have. been Timothy, Linda, and Duke standing at a park, laughing and chatting. Aria furrowed her eyebrows, studying the images closely.

“Did you ever meet Linda?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

| hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes, | did. Once.”This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

Aria’s eyes widened, and she leaned in, eager to hear more. “What was she like?”

| took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to describe my encounter with Linda. “Well, she seemed nice at first, but there

was something off about her. She was a bit too eager to talk about Timothy, and it felt like she was trying to impress me with their relationship.”

Aria’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Impress you? Why would she do that?”

“I'm not sure,” | replied, shaking my head. “But it felt like she wanted to show off how close she was to Timothy, even though she was just his dog-sitter.”

Aria’s expression turned thoughtful, and she crossed her arms, deep in thought. “That’s strange. It almost sounds like she was obsessed with him.”

My eyes widened at the realization, and a chill ran down my spine. “You think so?” Aria nodded, her voice serious. “It’s possible. People can get obsessed with celebrities, and it can be dangerous.”

The words lingered in the air, and | couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Linda’s behavior had indeed seemed strange and overly fixated on Timothy. The pictures on the wall of her home didn’t help. Could it be that she had developed an unhealthy obsession with him?

As the evening turned to night, we found ourselves unable to tear our eyes away from the news coverage. Social media was abuzz with speculations about

Timothy's love life, with fans and critics alike discussing the scandal. Amidst the chaos, | noticed a disturbing trend some fans were coming to Linda’s defense, claiming that she and Timothy had a hidden romantic relationship.

It became apparent that the media frenzy was only growing stronger. Rumors and speculations continued to spread like wildfire, fueling the scandal even further.

Feeling overwhelmed, | decided to take a break from social media and the news, hoping that some time away from it all would clear my head. Aria and | spent the rest of the night watching a lighthearted comedy, trying to distract ourselves from the chaos.

It didn’t calm the disturbed feeling in my gut. Linda wasn’t just some woman Timothy had employed. Something told me that she was someone far scarier than Timothy or | could’ve imagined.

| need to speak to Timothy about this: 315)