Hard times seem to be put in our way, not to stop us from living our lives but to call out our courage and strength, to which I owe Walter and Gunner for working with me over the years to help bring out the courage and strength I never thought I had.

After learning the truth a little over a week ago about what happened between my parents, how my father was the one who took and raised my sister since she was born, and how my upcoming fight will be against the one sister, I've despised since learning who she was. I've been a mess because I've thought this entire time that she and Stacey were the reason for my parents split and the cause of my mother's depression.

I'm unsure of what to think or how I should feel. I'm also hesitant to forgive my parents and forget about the pain they both caused both Justin and me. And I've also wondered if it would be best if I were to throw my arms into the air and walk away-being content with not having my parents in my life because of this newest test they laid out in front of me. I'm done taking tests, and I don't feel like trying to pass this one.

To me, walking away and not looking back is strength and courage right there because it's difficult to turn your back on the two people who gave you life. The way I see things, and that's if I were to change how I look at these twenty-plus years of dark times, they'd change for the better.

And since my heart and mind tell me I need to let the past go for good and that there are far better times to look forward to, I should probably listen to them. Because if I don't, I'll most likely end up living like my mother has been my entire life. And I refuse to live in confinement-a white padded room dealing with doctors and therapists daily. All while living without the two most essential loves in my life-Gunner, and Wyatt. And that's something I will never allow to happen.

After learning my father and his wife were the ones who raised Stella as their own and lived in Seattle all this time, my curiosity about the woman, my ex left me for grew. I was curious to know if the Stella he was seeing was my sister, and if she was, I wanted to know if he knew who she was to me, hoping to hurt me more than I already was. But now that I'd like to move on with my life, I decided to cancel my trip to Malaysia to visit Cole in prison.

Visiting Cole wouldn't have changed anything. All it would have done was upset me more if Cole rubbed it in by admitting that he was seeing my sister. And if I want to continue moving on with my life, then that means I need to cut ties with everyone who hurt me, even if that means ending any relationship I have with my parents. I have Wyatt, Gunner, Walter, and Justin. That's all I need.

I tell myself this, yet here I am, sitting in the driveway at my father's house after he had called Gunner, asking that he talk me into coming to see him. At first, I was adamant about not giving him the time of day, but after Gunner mentioned it was because Stella wanted to meet me, I caved-another reason I canceled my Malaysia trip.

Finally, after twenty minutes of sitting in my car, I got the courage to knock on my father's door. I expected to see him answering the door, but instead, it was a younger boy who was his spitting image of my father. His eyes widened; he looked behind him and then back at me with a confused look on his face, studying me before asking, "Can I help you?"

"Ah, yeah," I hesitantly breathed, unsure if he knew who I was or if I was coming, so I enlightened him further. "My name is Aria, and I'm here to see Vince. Is he home?"

His eyes remained glued to me, and he looked at me like my father did when he first saw me-like a ghost.

Is there something I don't know? Like, am I dead and the reason behind these ghostly stares? Or maybe it's because he knows who I am and wasn't told I was coming over-especially since I'm the one fighting against his sister in a couple of days.

"He's expecting me," I responded when my younger brother continued staying mum.

He stepped back as he opened the door further, having me step inside. "You can wait here while I go get him," he said as he closed the door.

I stood by the door, scanning the area, then stopped when a large print hanging on the entryway wall caught my eye-a family photo. I didn't care about the woman sitting next to my father or the two kids standing behind her; there was someone else in the image that grabbed my attention. I slowly swallowed as I walked toward the picture, my eyes intensely on the dark-haired girl standing behind my father with her hands resting on his shoulders.

Now I know why everyone stares at me when they see me.

Stella's bright blue eyes, long dark hair, skin tone, thin frame, and smile-everything about her is identical to me and my features. She's a younger version of me who could easily pass as my twin.

Just as I raised my hand and slid my fingers over Stella's face, I felt a presence behind me. So I lowered my hand to my side, spun around, and then jumped when I saw my father quietly standing a few feet away, with his eyes on me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, his eyes roaming away from mine and up to the picture. "Stella looks just like you, doesn't she?"

"She does," I quietly muttered, my heart suddenly racing like I had gotten caught doing something I shouldn't be.

He stepped closer, pointing at the picture. "That picture was taken two years ago before Stella went to New York."

My stomach instantly turned, and my breathing hitched.

New York?

Cole mentioned the Stella he was seeing went to New York-his reasoning behind their breakup.

So if she's in New York, why did he call begging that I come over, saying she wanted to see me? "I'm confused. I thought the reason I'm here was to meet Stella, finally."

He nodded. "You are. Stella only lived in New York for a short time. After she heard her ex was incarcerated, she immediately moved back home."

So that fuckface was seeing my sister.

"Was he abusive towards her?" I asked, remembering when he got physical with me at the Back Door Lounge.

My father shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I never liked or trusted the guy, and she knew it. So she never talked to us about him. But if I were to guess by the way she moved back as quick as she did, it tells me he was abusing her."

I contemplated telling him what kind of guy Cole was, but I didn't feel like talking about the jerk either, so I turned to the picture and stared at the other two kids behind him and Stacey. Seeing Felicia again, remembering what she said the last time I fought her, and knowing I'll be throwing my fists at her again in a couple of days, had my stomach turning in knots. I looked away from her and focused on the boy in the middle.

"What's his name?" I asked, tapping the picture.

"Braylon."

"Does he know who I am?" I asked while turning to face him.

My father nodded with a smile. "He's always known about you." He extended his hand towards the living room. "Stella will be home from work soon. Would you care to sit on the couch and talk while waiting for her to come home?"

I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth-feeling unsure about having a conversation with my father without Gunner by my side. It also felt weird being in his home, knowing Stacey and Felicia could be home.

He nudged his head to the side, urging me to follow him. "I promise I won't bite," he teased.

I looked around him. "Is there anyone else here?"

"If you're asking if Stacey and Felicia are home, they're not. Stacey felt you'd be more comfortable without her here, and Felicia is out with her friends for the rest of the day."

At least Stacey had the decency to leave, and I'm sure Felicia heard stories that I can be easily set off, so she left, not wanting to add any fuel to the fire for our upcoming fight.

Good, I didn't want to see her face anyway-either of their faces, for that matter.

I followed my father into the living room, sat on the couch, then looked around. "You have a gracious home. Have you lived here long?"

"We moved here after Stella was born," he admitted. "I know I told you this already, but I thought about you kids all the time. I never wanted what your mother insisted I do, which caused my heart to ache daily from being unable to talk to or see my kids. Even though your mother wanted me to move as far away as possible, I couldn't. So, I bought this house to be somewhat far away from her yet close, where if you or Justin ever needed or wanted to see me, you'd be able to without it costing a fortune to do so."

"Justin told me he was here, and you shooed him away, saying how you were threatening to call the cops on him."

"I didn't know it was him. Not until he started his car and looked at me before speeding away. Had I known it was Justin and not some teenage boy looking to spy on the girls that day and all those other days he sat across the street watching my home, I would have invited him in."

Justin never told me he was doing that. "He did that?"

"He was. Since there wasn't any harm ever being done, I only kept my eye on him whenever he showed up. But when the kids came home one day complaining he was out there taking pictures of them, I decided it was time to scare him off. Then, after realizing it was Justin, it felt like a knife was being stabbed into my heart as I watched him drive away. Once again, I felt like I had lost my child. And a chance at setting the record straight."

I didn't know what to say, so I looked down at my hands resting on my thighs and remained quiet.

"However, I do have a confession to make."

My eyes flickered up to his. "Confession? What kind of confession?"

"You and Justin may think I was never around, but I was." He stood with a particular smile that strangely warmed my heart. "I've got something to show you. So hang tight; I'll be right back."

My eyes remained on him while he sprinted out of the room, and they continued focusing on the hallway he rushed into until he came back carrying a stack of files in his arms. He sorted the files out onto the coffee table, separating files with Justin's name from mine, and then pushed mine towards me when he finished.

"Open them," he insisted. "They're yours. And if Justin would like what I saved of his, he's more than welcome to take them," he proudly said.

I grabbed a file, rested my back against the couch, and the second I opened one file and saw what he had been saving, my heart fell into the pit of my stomach.

Programs...

As I looked through the papers, my father said, "From kindergarten on up. Every concert you sang in, every play you were in, every sport you played, and every band concert you ever played in, I was there, watching from afar. I'd sneak in when the lights went down, and before the lights turned back on, I'd slip out the door-making sure not to leave without a program in hand. And I'd find a spot to sit where I couldn't be seen every game you played."

Not only did he have programs, but he also had some of my art. "How did you get these? I always thought mom had them stashed away?"

"I had a friend who worked at the school you and Justin attended, who enlightened your teachers about what was happening with our family. And whatever your mother didn't take home with her after conferences, they were given to me."

My dad admitting to being secretly involved in our lives and seeing everything he saved of ours brought those pesky, annoying tears to my eyes-something I told myself I wouldn't allow my father to do to me.

But how could I not?

Not only did he show he defied my mother's demands, but to prove his innocence, he showed me all the police complaints, arrests, court dates, and fines. He also provided me with a copy of the paperwork my mother signed of her terminating her rights to Stella.

An agreement my mother claims was forced upon her. "Mom insists she involuntarily signed this. That it should be considered null and void since she wasn't thinking clearly back then."

My father inched to the edge of the couch as he looked at me. "Aria, listen to me. She wasn't in her right mind then; hence, this written agreement ordered by the courts." He raised his hand while pointing his finger in the air. "However, when she signed this, I promised her that if she got better and took good care of you kids, I'd go to the courts and have them end the agreement so she could have Stella back. But I also wanted it where I could have visitation with all you kids like before."

"I still don't understand how you allowed my mother, as bad as she was, to raise us. And then for Justin to finish raising me after he had her committed."

Looking disappointed, he lowered his head and shook it. "It's not that I wanted to; I had to. It was the deal we made together. I feared she'd hurt you and Justin, and I brought that up in court, but the judge felt that since there was no history of abuse and no signs or evidence of intent to hurt you, kids, she denied giving me the custody I wished to have. So, I did what I had to do and watched from afar. Then, once you kids got older, and I felt you didn't need me to be watching your every move, I backed off with the hopes you'd eventually find me."

I heard a door open and close behind me, so I turned around, and when I saw it was Stella, I set the files beside me and then quickly stood.

"Hello," Stella politely said as she walked into the room.

Seeing the spitting resemblance of me walking toward my father and me had me swallowing hard. I suddenly felt nervous that I was in the same room with her and how it was she who asked to see me. I didn't know if I should smile, cry, or walk over and hug her. Instead, my voice cracked as I responded, "Hello."

It shocked me when she stepped in front of me and smiled as she pulled me to her, her arms tightly wrapped around me. "It's so nice to meet you finally."

"I'll leave you two girls alone. If you need anything, you know where to find me," my father said to Stella as he walked away.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Stella responded.

I can only hope...

Stella released her arms from me, and I couldn't help but smile as she smiled at me. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to meet you. I've dreamed about this day for as long as I can remember."

My brows scrunched together. "You have? How long have you known about me?"

"Since I was a little girl. Dad talked about you and Justin and would show me pictures of you both all the time... then when I heard you got into the boxing league, no matter what I was doing or where I was, I did what I had to do to watch you fight. And I have to say, you're amazing." She leaned into my ear and breathed a giggle. "Your far better than Felicia, and it drives her crazy how better you are at fighting than she is."

"She's good, though," I admitted.

"I wouldn't say she's good. If anything, she's just okay... but you? You're the one who deserves all the high fives you can get. You're an amazing fighter that deserves to win the title."

I don't know about that, but I'll admit, it feels good hearing her say that. "I'm flattered you think that way."

"I don't think it; I know it," she said, pulling me with her as she sat on the couch. Her eyes widened in excitement. "And let me tell you, Felicia hates it. She absolutely despises that you're better than her."

But I'm not better than her.

My lips twisted as the incident in the restroom when I was in Texas came to mind. "Do you know if she was in Texas a few months back?"

"She wasn't, but I was," she admitted, her eyes brightly sparkling when she responded. "When I heard you were fighting Nora the Nightmare, instead of watching it on the TV, I wanted to see you beat her live, so I flew down to Texas to watch it. Then when you lost, I was so disappointed and bummed that I followed you to the bar to call you out on what you did."

I gasped. "That was you that gave me those pointers in the restroom?"

She nodded.

No wonder Gunner didn't see anyone go in and out of the ladies' room. He thought it was me...

"You lost on purpose that night, didn't you?"

I sighed. "I did."

"Why?"

"Because of Felicia. I heard she was a fighter, and I wondered if Nora was her since I hadn't seen her since she was a year old." I paused, afraid of what I'd really like to admit-how much I hated her and always thought she was the reason behind our parent's split. "I just didn't know if it was her, that's all."

Her eyes wandered from side to side as she studied me for a moment. "I gave you pointers that night because I know Felicia's weaknesses, and I wanted you to win your upcoming fight against her."

That's weird.

"I don't know why? You grew up with her, your sisters; you don't know me, so why would you do something like that?"

"We're all sisters. And it doesn't matter that we grew up together; I did it because Felicia is a bitch. She hates you, and she hates me. She also did something I'll never forgive her for."

I find it weird that Stella's talking to me like she's always known me and as if we're best friends. But I like it, and I like how she eased my nervous nerves by talking to me like sisters should. Even though Felicia is my sister and wasn't the cause of my father leaving my mother, I still couldn't care less if she hated me.

"I don't care what she thinks about me; that's her right to feel the way she does. However, she doesn't know me, so she has no reason to hate me. But why would she hate you?"

"Felicia hates us because of our father. She's always felt she got the shaft of his love because of how much he would cry and talk about missing you and Justin and how he wished you two were living with us. So because of him and you, Felicia took up boxing, thinking if she ever ran into you, she'd get more attention from him by ending our father's pain of missing you if she were to make something happen where you were no longer here. So, I asked to meet you before your fight with her to warn you about her plans. She isn't out with her friends like she told our dad; she's hanging out with some shady people right now practicing how to take you out for good."

She paused, looked away, and over to the hallway our father had disappeared into. Stella looked back at me and let out a long, exasperated breath. "Felicia isn't a good person. And she knows it. That's why she came up with the fighting name Hell's Baby. But there's something else I wanted to talk to you about-something I'm ashamed of."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Cole..."

I gasped at hearing his name. Even though I realized it was her who was seeing him when we broke up, I still asked, "What about him?"

"A few years ago, Felicia introduced me to a girl named Shelby." Hearing Shelby's name made me swallow hard, and my heart beat harder and faster. "And then, after getting to know her and her friends, Shelby and Felicia introduced me to a guy named Cole, where we immediately hit it off. Well, so I thought. I had no idea he was involved with you until later in our relationship after overhearing him talking to his friends about their plans."

I think I know where she's going with this... "Are you talking about with Gunner?"

She nodded. "Yes. But I also overheard Felicia talking to them about when they take out Gunner, that they were supposed to take you out as well. So I confronted them all about you and their plans. The next thing that happened was Cole attacked me. So because they were all trying to get me involved with their scheme, I took off since I wanted no part in it. And I went to the farthest place I could-New York."

So they've all been planning this for a long time.

How lovely...

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to warn you about their plans before I took off to New York but was told that if I were to, I'd never see the light of day again."

"Does dad know about any of this?"

She shook her head. "No. He thinks she's some sort of perfect angel and can do no wrong. And if I were to tell him what she's been up to or her upcoming plans with you, he'd never believe me. Dad has an extremely soft spot when it comes to his kids, so because of what happened with you and Justin, he'll turn a blind eye and let things fly when he shouldn't-fearing if he didn't, he'd lose another child."

"But I'm still his child, so wouldn't he'd like to know what Felicia's planning?"

"He would, yes. But it wouldn't matter if I said anything, anyway; he'd still never believe she'd be capable of doing any type of harm, especially to you. So again, I'm not here to tell you what to do because you deserve to win and to be the one put her in her place. But she has some disturbing plans, and if she doesn't get you inside the ring and you end up winning your match against her, you'll want to watch your back everywhere you go."

So my understanding is that Felicia isn't just out to hurt me; she's out to hurt my father and take pride in whatever pain she'll cause my father to feel if she were to succeed in putting me six feet under. That way, she can blame my father for her evil, vindictive actions when they come after her.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!🤞🤞