All Chapters of OFF LIMITS: HIS BEST FRIEND'S MOTHER : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Olivia's Pov The door slammed so hard the frame shook.“Are you proud of yourself, Mom?” Ethan’s voice ripped through the living room before I could even stand. “Do you even realize what you’ve done?”My phone slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor. “Ethan.....”“Don’t.” His eyes were blazing, red around the edges, and his jaw flexed like he was trying to keep the words from tearing out of him. “You don’t get to say my name like that. Not after today.”“I can explain....”“Explain?” He let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “The whole world already saw you with him, after everything. ”I felt the air leave my lungs. “It’s not what you think.....”“It’s exactly what I think!” He paced in front of the couch, running a hand through his hair. “You destroyed him. You destroyed everything!”“Ethan, please.....”“Do you know what people are saying? That you used him. That you preyed on him when he was falling apart!” He turned, fury and heartbreak tangled in his voice. “And maybe they’re

Olivia’s POVThe hours after Cassandra left were a blur of silence and ache.Her words replayed in my head like a curse — You’ll watch me have everything you wanted. And he’ll hate you for ruining his life.I’d thought I couldn’t break any further after Ethan walked out. I was wrong.My phone lay face down on the floor. I hadn’t touched it since she left.I didn’t want to see his name again. I didn’t want to hear another voice telling me how badly I’d ruined everything.I sat on the couch, staring at the blank television screen, until my reflection started to blur from the tears.“Enough,” I whispered to no one.I stood, walked to the bedroom, and pulled an old suitcase from under the bed. The zipper squealed, the sound cut through the quiet like a warning.It felt ridiculous, packing without a plan. I didn’t even know where I’d go. But anywhere had to be better than here. Anywhere had to be quieter than this.I folded clothes mechanically — sweaters, jeans, a scarf Ethan had given me

TWO WEEKS LATER Olivia’s POVIt being a few weeks that I parked out from my apartment into a new place, I needed it. At least my new place is not known by reporters.Today is a big game for Ethan, and I want to try to reconcile with him again.The stadium roared like a living thing, thousands of voices blending into one thunderous pulse. The cold night air bit against my skin, but it wasn’t what made me shiver. It was him, Ethan, standing on the field, helmet tucked under his arm, eyes scanning the stands like he couldn’t see me even if I stood right in front of him.And maybe that was the truth now. Maybe he didn’t want to.I sat in the front row, clutching my scarf like it could hold me together. My son’s number #11 was stitched across my chest, but it felt like a ghost of what used to be. Once, he’d wave before every game, grinning like the world was his. I missed working for the team. Tonight, his jaw was tight. His eyes… empty.The whistle blew. The crowd erupted again, but my

Olivia’s POVThe world didn’t explode all at once.It started with a single notification.“Breaking News: Hockey Captain Calls Off Engagement – Sources Blame Team Therapist.”My coffee slipped from my hand, splashing across the counter. The mug shattered. The sound seemed to echo far too long for something so small.I just stood there, the phone screen glowing on the counter, the headline repeating itself like a heartbeat I couldn’t silence. My face wasn’t in the photo, thank God but everyone knew who the “team therapist” was. By the time I reached for the remote, every channel had already picked up the story. The words were all the same:affair … older woman … broken engagement … scandal rocking the hockey world.“Turn it off,” I whispered to no one.But the voices wouldn’t stop.“Was the captain’s affair the reason behind the split?”“Sources close to the team say the therapist has been ‘over-involved’ with players.”I pressed the power button until the screen went black. The sudde

Olivia's Pov The phone on my table wouldn’t stop buzzing, calls, messages, notifications from headlines I couldn’t bear to read.Every one of them had my name somewhere in the caption.Every one of them dragged me deeper under.I hadn’t slept. Not even for a second. My eyes burned, my throat hurt from swallowing back tears, and my heart… well, that was long gone.Then the call came.“Dr. Carter,” the voice said over the line, clipped and polite, “the board would like to meet with you. Ten o’clock sharp.”There was no question in the tone. No room for denial.I hung up, stared at the clock, and realized I had exactly thirty minutes to walk into the place that had built my life and watch it crumble.When I reached the Ice Arena, the security guard couldn’t even look me in the eye.“Morning, Dr. Carter,” he muttered, opening the gate.The whispers followed before I even stepped inside, voices behind closed doors, the sound of heels clicking, someone gasping when they saw me walk by.It