Page 88 of Pucking Secret

Gerald laughs, low and smug, and it feels like acid is being poured on my nerves. “Oh, Owen. Did you really think I wouldn’t know? I’ve always known. I’m the one who ensured you stayed far away from that life-destroying whore you knocked up.”

“You did what?” My voice is deadly quiet now, but my rage is boiling through me. Is this him admitting to deleting Stacey’s voicemail that she told me she left? Keeping me from finding out about her pregnancy, all these years?”

For all this time, this fucking asshole knew I had a kid out in the world, and he kept it hidden from me. Made me think that Stacey had simply ghosted me even though I was so desperately in love with her.

I’m not a violent man outside of the rink, but the urge to beat Gerald within an inch of his life slams into me. He’s lucky he’s over a thousand miles away.

“You should be thanking me,” he continues, his arrogance unbearable. “I saved you from throwing your life away on a mistake. Do you really think you’d be where you are now if I hadn’t intervened? Now, end this little rebellious act and everything will be okay. Marry Elise, produce an heir linked to two powerful families, and ensure once and for all that I gain control over the family business. I deserve it more than either of my self-righteous, worthless older brothers, and this will prove it once and for all. We won’t have to worry about your little brat ruining our family’s reputation.”

I grind my teeth. Little brat? Millie is a goddamn angel, and this prick would be lucky to have her in his life. That won’t happen, though. He wants my rebelliousness to end? Well, he’s going to get exactly what he wants.

Which is why I find myself now, still on the phone with him, making him think that he’s won.

“You’re welcome,” Gerald says in a bitter tone. “All I’ve ever done is give you a good life, and this is the thanks I get? Well, you’ll realize soon enough that I’m right, Owen, and when you do…”

I don’t bother listening to the rest and hang up the call, throwing the phone onto the couch. My chest heaves as I try to steady myself, but it’s no use.

I’m seething. I now know, for certain, that Gerald is the reason I’ve missed so much of Millie’s life, and has kept me from Stacey. I always knew he was an asshole, but this is diabolical.

A sudden knock at the door jolts me out of my seething thoughts. My blood is boiling, and I don’t want company, but it’s not like me to leave a door unanswered. When I swing it open, Elise is standing there, looking frazzled and out of place.

“Elise?” I ask, my voice hard. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She glances past me into the room before meeting my eyes, biting her lip nervously. “I already had a trip planned to the states, but I changed my flight to here when this happened. I tried calling you, but you never answered and I needed to warn you about the article. I overheard our fathers talking about it yesterday. The photo of you and Stacey at the game went viral within hours and Gerald saw it. How he got the article out so fast, I don’t know but…”

I cut her off, crossing my arms. “You mean the article about straying from our nonexistent relationship and cheating on you? That one?”

She flinches at my tone but presses on. “Yes, obviously that one. I came to give you a heads up and try to come up with a plan so we can handle this. I didn’t expect to run into her right away...” Her voice trails off, and she looks suddenly nervous, glancing down and wringing her hands.

“What?” I snap, already running out of patience. “Who did you run into?”

“When I got here, to your place, I think I might’ve fucked up,” she says softly, her cheeks turning red.

My stomach twists. “What are you talking about, Elise?”

She pulls something from her bag — a folded piece of paper — and holds it out to me.

“I think your girlfriend was here,” she says, her voice wavering. “Your real one.”

“What?” I shake my head, confused. “You must have been mistaken. Stacey would’ve let me know she was here.”

“She looked really upset,” Elise explains. “She was crying and running away. She was so flustered she dropped this. I… I think you should see it.”

Baffled, I reach out and take the paper. She couldn’t have seen the article already, could she? It’s not like she’d be tapped into Canadian news… right? My mind is whirling, still trying to figure out what Stacey could’ve been upset about, when I open the paper. I freeze as my eyes scan what’s inside. It’s a letter with my signature at the bottom. As I scan the words, however, I know immediately… I didn’t write this.

Stacey,

I’ve moved with my family to Canada. My mom and Gerald are getting married. He wants to be closer to his family and their businesses. He’s promised to enroll me into a school with one of the top hockey programs in the whole country and to support my dream to play professionally. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t have gotten in Wisconsin, and I can’t waste this chance.

I’m writing to let you know that it’s over between us. I need to focus on my future and while what we had was a fun distraction, it was never anything serious. If I’m going to be a success, I can’t be held back by a fling I got into because I was bored living in a small town. Don’t try to contact me. I won’t respond. It’s better for us to both move on.

Owen

“What the fuck is this?” I mutter, my hands trembling as I read. The letter is cruel, dismissive, like it was written by someone who wanted to destroy Stacey, not just break her heart.

“That’s not yours?” Elise asks hesitantly, sounding almost hopeful.

“No,” I growl, my voice low and dangerous. “It’s not mine. Stacey had this?”

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