The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 191

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Timothy stood in the dimly lit funeral home, his head still pounding from a hangover. He had never imagined himself in this place, discussing the final arrangements for someone so dear to him. His mother was gone, leaving behind an ache that seemed insurmountable.

The funeral director, a somber woman with kind eyes, was patiently guiding Timothy through the various options. He listened, trying to make sense of the practicalities. There was so much to plan, but he didn’t know much about what his mother would've wanted once the time came.

As he discussed the details of the service, the floral arrangements, and the guest list, Timothy’s mind kept drifting back to the moments he had spent with his mother during her final days. He hadn’t been the son he wished he could have been. He had been wrapped up in his own life, his own problems, though he was grateful to have been by her side until her last breath.

Asharp, unwelcome interruption pulled Timothy from his thoughts. The doors of the funeral home swung open, and in walked his father. The sight of his father in this place was surprising and unsettling.

“Dad,” Timothy said cautiously as Kamran approached. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Kamran looked at him somberly as he came to stand by his side, hands shoved in his pockets. “She was still my wife, Timothy. | have every right to be here, to handle the arrangements.”

Timothy's brows furrowed, a hint of anger bubbling beneath the surface. “But you left her. You left her years ago, and you weren't there for her when she needed you most.”

Kamran’s gaze remained steady, his voice unwavering. “That may be true, but she was still my wife. We shared at life together, and now I want to make sure she’s taken care of in the end.”

Timothy shook his head, his anger flaring. “You can’t just waltz im here and take control. You weren't taking care of her when she was alive. She deserved better.”

Kamran’s jaw tightened. “I know | wasn’t the husband | should have been, but | loved her, and | still do. Don’t forget that | was the one still paying for that house.”

Timothy fought the urge to flinch at the passion in his father’s voice. He didn’t think Kamran would have felt so 4/4

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strongly. It seemed like everyone was buying time until her death, treating her as the family’s estranged, ailing pet more than anything.

“| won't let her memory be tarnished,” Kamran continued. “And she deserves a proper burial.”

Timothy's anger began to ebb, giving way to a deep sense of sadness. He remembered his mother’s final days, her frail form in the hospital bed, and the conversations they had shared. She had mentioned, just once, her wish to be cremated, a simple and quiet way to bid farewell to the world.

He sighed, his voice heavy with the weight of his emotions. “She told me once that she wanted to be cremated, Dad. It was her wish.” Kamran’s eyes softened, his shoulders sagging. “I didn’t know that.”

Timothy nodded, already losing his resolve. “We can have the funeral, Dad. For the sake of the family. But the cremation is going to happen despite what anyone says.”

Kamran gave a nod of agreement, the tension in the room gradually dissipating. “Thank you, Timothy.”

They returned to making arrangements with the director, and Timothy had to fight back the bile that rose in his throat upon seeing his mother’s body. They had dressed in her a fine silk dress, and her face, once sunken and

depressed, was tugged into a content smile. After the funeral, it would be the last time he’d see it. Just as they had shifted into discussing the steps for who would carry the casket, the entrance door creaked

open, and their attention was abruptly diverted. Stella and Andy came rushing in, and the calm atmosphere was immediately charged with fury.

Stella, with a stormy expression, marched into the room, her eyes locked on Timothy. Her lips were set in a tight, angry line, and her voice was shrill as she spoke. “Timothy,” she hissed, “did you and Evie leak those affair photos to the press?”

The accusation hung in the air like a thundercloud, and the room fell into a tense silence. Timothy was taken aback, more so that she had the nerve to address that here. “What? No, Stella, of course not,” he replied. “Why on earth would you think that?”

Stella’s anger only intensified as she shot a withering look at Timothy. “Don’t play innocent with me,” she snapped. “The photos of you and that woman went public, and it can’t be a coincidence. You've been trying to screw me ever since you found out about me and Andy.”

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Timothy clenched his fists, his anger mounting. “Stella, you're way off base here,” he retorted. “I would never do something like that, and neither would Evie. We're not responsible for those photos getting out.”

Kamran, who had been silently observing the exchange, finally spoke up. “Stella, perhaps we should discuss this later,” he suggested, his voice trying to soothe the mounting tension.

But before Stella could respond, stepped forward, a guilty look in his eyes. “Stella...

“Not now, Andy!” Stella shushed him and turned back to Timothy. “I dropped the protective order! What more did you want from me?”

“Stella, | sent the photos to the press.

Stella turned back to Andy, stunned into silence. The confession hung in the air, a bombshell that shattered the already fragile peace. Stella's anger shifted from Timothy to Andy, her face contorted in disbelief and betrayal.

“Why the hell would you do that?” she exclaimed, clawing at her hair.

Andy took a deep breath as he grabbed her shoulders and urged her closer to him. “I did it because | love you, Stella,” he admitted. “I can’t stand by and watch you go through with this wedding when things have been so good between us.”

Kamran’s face darkened with anger, and he took a step toward Andy, his voice growing threatening. “This was not part of the plan,” he snapped. “We agreed to let her move on with her life.” Andy, however, remained undeterred, his determination clear in his eyes. “The baby was always mine,” he declared, his voice

defiant.

Stella looked as if she were caught in a storm, her expressions shifting rapdily. She turned to Timothy, her eyes pleading for understanding. “Timothy, | need to explain,” she implored.

But Timothy’s patience had worn thin, and his anger simmered just below the surface. “No, Stella,” he snapped. “I don’t want to hear it. | have business to take care of, and this is not the time or place.”

The room reverberated with his anger, a tense silence following His outburst. Stella’s face crumpled and she parted her lips once more.

“Timothy, please,” she started again, her voice trembling. “We need to discuss this.” 3/4

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Before Timothy could respond, Andy stepped forward and took her hand. “Stella, we need to talk,” he insisted, his voice firm as he pulled her away.

Stella gave Timothy one last fraught look as she turned and left the funeral home with Andy, leaving Timothy and his father alone in the silence that followed.

Timothy clenched his fists, his anger and frustration consuming him. He had hoped that the funeral would bring some sense of closure, a chance to say goodbye to his mother and put the past to rest. Instead, it had brought forth a bigger mess.

“| can’t believe that boy!” Kamran growled pacing the floor in short bursts. “The one time he decides he wants to ‘settle down! Unbelievable!”

His exclamations grew quieter, and Timothy waited until the room fell into an uneasy silence. The funeral director, who had been a silent observer throughout, cleared her throat and tried to refocus their attention on the funeral arrangements.

Timothy's anger had deepened, and he struggled to push aside the emotions that had been stirred up. “Let's just get through this,” he muttered.