My Second Chance at Love

Brandon Fenton, a scholarship student my father had been supporting, was drugged one night. After some consideration, I chose to lie beneath him. I had loved him for ten years. Giving myself to him felt like something I had long decided, something I owed to that love. But everything fell apart the moment Melissa Giles, his childhood sweetheart, walked in on us. Before she could even process what she saw, she ran out in a panic and was struck by a passing car, killing her on the spot. Brandon held me afterward, telling me it wasn't my fault. He even proposed to me. Because of that, Dad placed the entire company into his hands. But the day before our wedding, he set his plans in motion. He deliberately caused a car accident that took Dad's life. When I was at my lowest, drowning in grief, Brandon took me deep into the woods. There, he drove his car over my body, crushing me repeatedly just so I could feel the same agony Melissa had suffered before she died. "If you hadn't drugged me, why would I have ever touched you? If not for you, Melissa would still be alive! I hate you. All of you deserve to die!" And then, after the pain reached its unbearable peak... I opened my eyes and found myself back on the very day Brandon was drugged. Chapter 1 Brandon Fenton tugged impatiently at his shirt collar, a fine sheen of sweat forming along his collarbone. He murmured my name under his breath, yet his gaze stayed fixed on me with an almost obsessive intensity. "Did you really just drug me?" Brandon's voice dropped into a harsh growl through clenched teeth. "Get out!" Shortly after I started to leave, I heard him whisper, "Cheryl Swanson... Where are you going? I feel awful…" My steps faltered for a split second, then I walked out without hesitation. It was just like the last time. Back then, he had been the one to press himself against me first. However, after Melissa Giles' accident, he pushed all the blame onto me. Leaning against the door, I listened to the suppressed, ragged breathing from inside, waiting for Melissa to arrive. Just as before, she came quickly. The moment she saw me, she froze, then her expression turned wary. "What are you up to? Don't tell me you've already been inside?" I shook my head and said, "Brandon's waiting for you in there." She looked at me suspiciously. "Standing guard at the door like this... Are you afraid someone might ruin your plans? Everyone in the company knows you like him. You don't even allow female staff in the secretary's office." Her words pierced straight through the feelings I had tried to hide, leaving a dull ache in my chest. Yes, I liked him. Everyone knew it. My father had even warned me not to be so stubborn. How did I ever convince myself, in my previous life, that Brandon was unaware of my feelings, letting him take all the care I gave him for granted? "I don't like him anymore. Go on in." Melissa clearly did not believe me, but the moment she caught sight of Brandon inside, her eyes lit up with delight. "You'd better be telling the truth." She shot me a warning glare before hurrying inside. As I closed the door behind them, I heard a low, satisfied groan from Brandon. I could not stop my mind from drifting, imagining what was happening inside. Would he treat her the same way he treated me in my previous life?Kissing her all over, telling her I was his first woman, swearing he would never let me down? No, he would probably be even gentler with her. More devoted. More sincere. The thought made my fingers unconsciously dig into the doorframe, splinters biting into my nails, yet I felt nothing. They were finally together, lovers united at long last. Maybe that was for the best. At least my father would not suffer because of me. Unable to keep listening, I ran back to my room, my hands trembling as I dialed my father's number. There was a seven-hour time difference, but he had never once missed my call. "Cheryl?" His voice was thick with sleep. The moment I heard him, I clapped a hand over my mouth as tears spilled uncontrollably. "Dad… I miss you so much…" When he died in my previous life, had he regretted not being able to attend my wedding? It was all my fault. "Silly girl. You were the one who insisted on staying there with Brandon. Now, you're suddenly missing me?" Chapter 2 "I just want to be with you right now, Dad." My father's voice immediately sharpened with alertness. "Alright, alright. I'll contact the family lawyer right away and get your visa sorted." My mother had passed away early, so I only ever had my father. However, all I had ever done was chase after Brandon. The noise from the room next door went on from morning until afternoon. It was loud enough to echo through the entire villa. I sat in the dining room, mechanically stuffing food into my mouth. It was not until I was almost done eating that the two of them finally came downstairs. Melissa's legs looked weak, but her face was flushed with a shy glow. I set down my cutlery and was about to leave when I heard Brandon speak up. "What, feeling guilty after doing something wrong? Trying to run?" Brandon grabbed my arm. From the bottom of his heart, he believed I was the one who had drugged him. In his eyes, I was the despicable one capable of doing such things. I forced a polite smile and replied, "No. I'm just done eating. I don't want to disturb you two." His expression darkened instead. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you are, keeping up this act?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Melissa looking at me with the same disdain. I clenched the tablecloth in my fist. He had never once hesitated to humiliate me in front of others. He turned to the housekeeper, Mary Nelson, and instructed, "Mary, make an extra portion from now on. Melissa will be living here." Mary looked at me awkwardly. The house was mine. Brandon was only able to live here because of me, yet he wanted to bring someone else in as he pleased. "From now on, Melissa will be the lady of this house. Think of her as the 'sister-in-law'." Melissa lifted her chin smugly. My throat tightened. I refuted, "My parents only had me. I don't even have a brother. Where would this 'sister-in-law' of mine come from?" Brandon's expression changed instantly. In the past, to stake my claim, I had always told others he was my ‘brother'. My phone rang. I glanced at the screen and noticed it was the family lawyer. I took the phone and headed upstairs. Melissa whined, "Brandon… Does Cheryl look down on me? I'm sorry… I've dragged you into having to deal with her attitude too." "It's not your fault. I've just spoiled her too much," Brandon replied reassuringly. Before entering my room, I turned around just in time to meet Brandon's dark, brooding gaze. The lawyer continued, "Ms. Swanson, the documents have been submitted. We're using the VIP channel, so your visa should be approved within the next two days." "Thank you." Two more days, and I would leave that place. I looked around the room. I had trapped myself there for ten years just to stay by Brandon's side. Scenes of the past surfaced in my mind. "Cheryl, I'll work hard. I won't let your father down. I'll join the company, protect you, and let you be my little princess for the rest of your life." Back in university, Brandon dressed simply, but the light in his eyes back then was more dazzling than any scenery I had ever seen. The door suddenly swung open, bringing me back to reality. It was Brandon. "Don't come in," I huffed. "What kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Is it because of what happened between Melissa and I today?" He walked in anyway. "Your relationship has nothing to do with me." I turned my back to him, packing my luggage. "I knew it! You're just saying that out of anger. You wouldn't even acknowledge me as your 'brother' earlier. By the way, who called you earlier?" He did not even like me, yet he still wanted to control me. All those years, Brandon had never allowed me to have any contact with other men. "That's none of your business. I have my own social freedom." His expression grew uglier. "Cheryl Swanson, don't think I don't know about those little thoughts you have about me. Melissa is the one I love. Even if you kept fawning over me for another ten years, there would never be anything between us. "Good thing you had the sense to leave this morning. Otherwise, just thinking about having anything happen between us makes me sick! I wouldn't have felt a thing." Chapter 3 My hands froze in the middle of folding my clothes. I did not understand why Brandon had to speak like that just to hurt me. So what if I liked him? Was that some unforgivable sin? Why did I have to endure that kind of humiliation from him? "Get out! Leave my room... Now!" Even my voice was trembling. Brandon refused to move, so I pushed him toward the door with all my strength. Just before the door shut, Brandon's gaze sharpened. "Cheryl, I want you to treat Melissa better from now on. You must treat her like your own sister. Otherwise, I'll never forgive you." ... The immigration interview went smoothly, and my visa was approved on the spot. "Book me a flight for tomorrow morning," I requested. "Is it that urgent, Ms. Swanson?" my lawyer asked. "The sooner, the better." When I got home and tried to unlock the door, I realized the lock had been changed. "Don't bother. I've already replaced all the locks." Melissa stepped out from the door. "Who gave you the right to do that?" I retorted. It was the house my father bought for me. What gave her the right to do that? "My future husband, of course. He's the man of this household. It isn't just this room, but this entire house and everything in it belongs to me now," she huffed confidently. "You don't actually think this is still your home, do you?" Brandon could not wait to drive me out. Melissa pulled out a jewelry box from behind her and opened it. "Ms. Swanson, your things really do look expensive," she commented. "Give it back!" "That won't do. Brandon already gave it to me." "Brandon doesn't have the right to give it away," I growled as I rushed forward to grab it from her. "You can have everything else in there, but that bracelet belonged to my mother… Give it back!" That bracelet was the last birthday gift my mother gave me before she passed away. It meant everything to me. "It looks pretty fragile." Melissa made a motion as if to throw it. "Don't!" My heart nearly leapt out of my throat. In the struggle, the malachite bracelet slipped from our hands and fell down the stairs. A sharp crack echoed. The sound of the bracelet shattering was crisp and unbearable. I stumbled down the stairs, almost crawling. The bracelet had broken into several pieces. My hands trembled uncontrollably as I picked them up. The shards cut into my fingers, leaving countless tiny wounds. The pain in my chest hurt just as much. "What happened here?" Brandon had returned. "Brandon… The bracelet my mother left me… It's broken." I knelt on the floor, tears quickly soaking into the carpet. The year my mother died, it was Brandon who stayed by my side, helping me through the darkest days. He knew how much that bracelet meant to me. Brandon crouched down beside me. "How did this happen? I know a very skilled craftsman. We can send it to him and have it repaired, okay?" I looked up at him immediately. "Really? Can it be fixed?" As long as my mother's keepsake could be restored, nothing else mattered. "Of course it can. Stop crying. You don't look good like this." Suddenly, hurried footsteps came running down the stairs. "Brandon! Cheryl said that I didn't deserve you and tried to drive me out. She said if she couldn't have you, she'd rather destroy everything, and then she threw the bracelet down the stairs." "I didn't!" I denied immediately. Brandon slowly stood up from beside me, his doubtful gaze cutting into me. Melissa rolled up her sleeve. "She… She even hit me." Tears instantly welled up and fell from her eyes. The mark from my custom ring was clearly imprinted on her arm. It was left there during my scuffle with her over the bracelet. Chapter 4 "It was because she started it..." I tried to explain myself, but Brandon looked at me with nothing but disappointment. "Lying, hitting people, putting on a show. Cheryl, how did you become like this? "Cheryl, you're really vicious. Using something like this to gain my sympathy. You even tried to frame Melissa to drive her away." "That's not true! I didn't!" I cried. He snatched the shattered bracelet from my arms. "You'd even sacrifice your mother's keepsake just to play the victim? You're disgusting." With the broken pieces in hand, he turned and walked toward the garden. He moved so fast I could barely keep up. I stumbled after him, tripping over flowerpots again and again, crashing to the ground more than once. "What are you doing? Give it back! That's my mother's!" I rushed to him, grabbing at him desperately. In the struggle, my nails accidentally scratched his neck, leaving a thin streak of blood. Brandon struck me across the face. "Have you lost your mind? Cheryl, what exactly are you trying to do?!" 'Did he just hit me?' I thought. Since being reborn, all I had wanted was to stay away from them. I did not want his love anymore. I could even give up the house, so why was I still being treated like this? "It was Melissa who took my things! She was the one who broke my mother's bracelet! What right do you have to hit me? What right do you have to accuse me without even knowing the truth?" I exclaimed furiously. "Are you still pretending? How did I never realize you were such a good actress before? I'm deeply disappointed in you." Brandon raised the pieces of the bracelet up high and suddenly threw it into the garden fountain. "No!" Without thinking, I jumped straight into the fountain. The icy winter water sent a violent shiver through my body. The fountain water was flowing, so the bracelet was swept away almost instantly. I could not see where the pieces had gone. "Why are you doing this to me?" I collapsed to my knees in the water, my lips trembling. "Since your father isn't around, it's my responsibility to teach you some basic manners. In the next two days, you are to buy twenty pieces of jewelry to compensate Melissa. Otherwise, don't even think about seeing me again." I looked up at his retreating figure. The droplets on my face, I could not tell if they were from the fountain or my tears. Mary hurried over with a towel and said anxiously, "Ms. Swanson, please get up. You'll catch a cold like this." I sat there in the fountain, soaked through, and glanced back toward the house. Inside the living room, Brandon was comforting Melissa. He gently wiped away her tears. For the first time, I felt disgusted at him. I hated myself for having loved someone like him for ten whole years. Numb to the world around me, I let Mary dry me off and tuck me into bed. I was starting to run a fever, my head heavy and dizzy. I missed my father. 'Just one more night,' I thought. If I could endure one more night, I could leave that place and never see them again. That night, I slept in the guest room. Brandon came in again without knocking. He held the company's financial report in his hand, his expression cold. "Why is there a visa expense in the accounts? Where are you going?" he demanded. "That's none of your business," I huffed and turned away from him. "Is this because I stood up for Melissa today? Are you throwing a tantrum?" He sat down at the edge of my bed. "Melissa comes from a poor family, just like I do. You should treat her better. Also, I'm doing this for your own good. Liking me shouldn't turn you into someone ugly. I don't want to see anything like today happen again. Even if you're jealous, there should be a limit." My head throbbed so badly I did not even have the strength to argue. I simply replied, "You're overthinking it. I sincerely wish you and Melissa happiness. From now on, there won't be anything between us." Chapter 5 Brandon grabbed my wrist, forcing me to look at him. "Cheryl, since when did lying come so naturally to you? I know how much you love me. You wouldn't even allow a single woman near me before. How could you possibly wish us well?" My eyes reddened as I shook his hand off with force. "I was immature before, but not anymore. Whether it's Melissa or anyone else, I won't care again." "Stop saying things like that out of spite. I was worried you might actually leave, but now I'm sure. You're just throwing a tantrum. What can a spoiled young lady like you do besides cling to me? I'm used to you baring your claws and driving everyone away, yet now you're pretending to be noble and magnanimous? "Be good. I'll make sure you're taken care of for the rest of your life. Just stop coveting things that were never meant to be yours." He reached out and tucked the blanket around me, his movements gentle. However, all I felt was a chill spreading through my body, a wave of nausea rising in my chest. Brandon suddenly picked up a pearl hairpin from the table. "Didn't you say that you didn't like me anymore? Why are you still keeping this little thing I gave you eight years ago?" I did not know how it ended up there. "Maybe Melissa thought it was fake and worthless, so when she threw my things out, this got tossed in too." The words 'fake' and 'worthless' insulted both her and him at the same time. Brandon's expression darkened instantly. "Melissa isn't materialistic like that. You're the one who cares too much. Four years ago, you wouldn't let go of this hairpin even when you nearly got stabbed by a thief." The fear from that moment still lingered in my memory. However, back then, just thinking that it was the only gift Brandon had ever given me filled me with endless courage. I would have risked my life for it. Everything he gave me, even if it was worth only ten dollars, I treated like treasure. However, watching him spend lavishly on Melissa in luxury stores, I finally understood. When someone truly loved you, they would give you the best things in the world. I snatched the hairpin from his hand and threw it out the window without hesitation. Brandon instinctively reached out to catch it, but he missed badly. With a soft splash, it fell into the fountain. "Have you lost your mind? How could you throw away something I gave you?!" he shouted in anger. "I don't like it anymore. I don't want it anymore, so I threw it away." I looked at him calmly. His face turned ashen. His gaze flicked to the suitcase in my room, then he suddenly turned and walked out. With a loud bang, he locked my door from the outside. "You're not going anywhere. Stay here and reflect on your actions." I rushed to the door and pulled at it, but it would not budge. His voice came from the other side. "You're my sister, Cheryl. There will always be a place for you by my side." That place by his side... I no longer wanted it. ... Dawn came. I heard Brandon calling in every high-end bridal brand in the city, bringing dresses to the villa for Melissa to choose from. I quietly opened the door, pulled my suitcase, and slipped out through the back garden. Before getting into the car, I turned back. Mary stood in the garden, wiping her tears as she waved at me. It was my home after all. There was no way Brandon could actually trap me inside. The taxi sped toward the airport. I took one last look at the place that had imprisoned me for ten years.