All Chapters of Secret Affair with My Bully Hockey Stepbrother: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The first day at a new school is always the worst.I stood in front of the mirror in my room, staring at my reflection. I had chosen a simple grey sweater and black jeans, nothing too flashy. My dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and my face was pale from a night of restless sleep. I looked tired. I felt worse.A knock on my door made me turn."Come in," I said.My mother stepped inside, already dressed in a cream blouse and tailored pants. She looked like she belonged in this world. I did not."How are you feeling?" she asked."Like I am about to walk into a lion's den."She frowned. "It is just a school, Elara. A very good school. You are smart. You will be fine."I wanted to laugh. She made it sound so simple. But she did not understand. She had never been the new girl in a place where everyone already knew each other. She had never been the poor kid surrounded by wealth."Is Kael going to be there?" I asked."Probably most likely to be. He is a student too, you know."I

The day went by in a blur until the afternoon, when I was walking through the cafeteria with my lunch tray, and someone stuck out their foot. I tripped and fell hard, my tray clattering to the floor. Food splattered everywhere. The entire cafeteria went silent for a second, then erupted in laughter.I lay there for a moment, my palms stinging and my knees aching. My face burned with humiliation, and tears blurred my vision. But I refused to cry. I would not give them the satisfaction.Mia rushed to my side. "Elara! Are you okay?"She helped me up, and I wiped my hands on my jeans. They were covered in mashed potatoes and spaghetti sauce. The laughter grew louder, echoing off the walls.I looked up and saw Kael sitting at a table across the room with his teammates. He was not laughing. He was just watching me, his face unreadable. Our eyes met for a brief second, and then he looked away."Come on," Mia said, pulling me toward the exit. "Let's get you cleaned up."We went to the bathroo

**Elara Pov** I continued sitting at the park, watching people walk past me as they went about their lives, some laughing with their friends, some holding hands with their partners, and others simply walking with their heads buried in their phones. I didn't know how long I had been sitting there, but I wasn't ready to go back home yet. Just the thought of seeing Kael's face again made my stomach twist, and I found myself clenching my fingers against the fabric of my skirt as if I could somehow squeeze the memory of him out of my head. That man was the most heartless creature I had ever met in my life, and after everything he had done to me in high school, I couldn't understand how I had ended up living under the same roof as him again. I wished I could go back to the time before our parents got married, before I had to wake up every morning knowing that somewhere in the same house was the boy who had made my life miserable. I wished I could erase him from my life completely, but deep

The moment I opened the door, my eyes immediately fell on the figure standing by the window, and I didn't need anyone to tell me it was Kael. The small smile that had been on my lips disappeared. I had seen his car outside and assumed he was somewhere else in the house, so I never expected to find him standing in the living room. Of all the people I could have met after the day I had just had, he was the last person I wanted to see or speak to. I stared at his back, and for a brief second, I imagined walking over and hitting him as hard as I could; maybe one good punch would finally knock some sense into his head and make him understand that I was tired of being his favorite target. But I knew better than to do something that stupid, especially with the way he always seemed to find a way to turn everything against me. Without saying a word, because there was absolutely nothing I wanted to say to him, I turned toward the stairs and started walking to my room.I had barely taken a few s

When I got downstairs, I saw my dad sitting on one of the chairs in the living area, with Elara's mother sitting beside him as they discussed something. The moment they noticed me, both of them turned their attention toward me, but I only gave them a glance before continuing toward the door without stopping.“I want to discuss something with you,” I heard my dad say behind me.My feet stopped just before I reached the door, and I slowly turned around to look at him.“What?” I asked, keeping my voice flat. Please don't let this be about Elara. I had already had enough of that girl for one day, and the last thing I wanted was another lecture about how I was supposed to accept her, treat her nicely, or pretend that she was suddenly part of my family.“About the hockey.”A small breath escaped my lips, and I lowered my eyes for a second.Of course.It was always hockey.My father and I had never really had a normal father-and-son conversation. There were no late-night talks, no questions