LOGINShare
Chapter Twenty
Last Updated:
2022-12-21 01:42:42Related chapters
A Second Chance Chapter Twenty One
Amaliah let herself into the house. The hall was in darkness. Good. Sheila wasn’t home yet. She’d mentioned that she might go for a drink with Sarah after work. They'd invited her, but she declined. The twins were with her parents, and their absence gave her a chance to go to bed without talking to anyone, because she really didn't feel like talking. And if Sheila came in after a few drinks, she wouldn’t be intuitive enough to notice her downcast eyes. Amaliah left the hall light on and went upstairs to bed. She got as far as taking off her blouse when the wave of utter hopelessness hit her and she had to sit down on the edge of the bed and weep. Great gusts of sobs came from her, her chest heaved with each breath and she cried until her face was red and raw. Would she ever get over the pain of Rafael's death? All she wanted was for the pain of wanting to abate somewhat, so she could cope. Tears flowed down her face as she wept with grief. She’d been kidding herself during her the
Last Updated : 2022-12-23A Second Chance Chapter Twenty Two
"Wait, what? How? When? What did he say?" Sheila was as confused as Amaliah was. "I don't know. He simply said my loan has been paid off." Sheila grabbed Amaliah's phone and called the number back but the call didn't go through. "This is bonkers. Are you sure he's not just playing with you? Maybe he wants you to lose guard so they'll hurt you." "I don't think so. He sounded cheerful, sincere. I think the loan has really been paid off. I'm stunned." "Wow. But . . ." "I know what you're thinking. Who could've paid it off? Why did they pay it off? Do you think it was one of our friends?" "I'm sorry, Amaliah, our friends love you but that's quite a sum." Sheila rubbed her friend's shoulder. "Yeah, I thought so too. I'm torn in between celebrating and being wary. What if that person paid it off because he or she has bad intentions? Like you said, that's quite a sum, no matter how much a person has." "I agree. We need some information, although I don't think Ted Williams will be kee
Last Updated : 2022-12-27A Second Chance Chapter Twenty Three
Three weeks and four days later. Caesar lay on his bed, simply staring at the ceiling, trying to think. Anastasia had changed within a few weeks. She was a lot more considerate, even if she still tried to drag him along with her to her late night parties that exhausted him to no end. She was a lot more polite to his friends and staff, tried her best to be with him as often as possible, had stopped throwing tantrums when she didn't get what she wanted, had stopped trying to gaslight him every chance she got. But Caesar concluded that he couldn't go through with the wedding. He didn't want to. Anastasia might've changed, but he wasn't sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, living a mundane life that only consisted of parties, sex and glamour. He loved kids and wanted one as soon as possible but she had told him that she never wanted kids—at least not from her own body—and if he wanted kids, he could adopt a grown kid and hire several nannies. She hated things like nap
Last Updated : 2023-01-02A Second Chance Chapter Twenty Four
"You're not mad?" She asked tentatively. Alarm bells went off in Caesar's head. He was hurt, but not angry. He had known deep down that even if Anastasia did change her ways, it would take years, not three weeks. Infact, he was actually quite glad. Instead of breaking up with her and having to go through her tantrums and meltdown, she had made it easier for him. He would not be the one to be tainted all over the media either—not that he planned to make their break-up public—incase Anastasia took it to the tabloids. But if he acted like he was not angry, she would sense that he had wanted to end the relationship before. Anastasia had an uncanny ability for sniffing out the truth, even if she was a pathological liar and an expert manipulator. She would then turn everything around and blame him for making her cheat. He could just imagine her saying, "I knew you were trying to break up with me, which is why I wanted to sleep with him to hurt you." Anastasia was known for blaming every
Last Updated : 2023-01-07A Second Chance Chapter Twenty Five
"Listen Stassie," Caesar's voice was weary now. "I need you to leave my house. I'm calling off the wedding immediately. I decided long ago that nothing you do or say will get to me." "Oh yeah? Says the emotionally weak man who would turn to putty the minute my hands are on him. You have a weakness for me, Caesar. I have you wrapped around my little finger and there's nothing you can do about it." As soon as he sat down on the sofa, she went over to him and straddled him, kissing him aggressively, biting his jaw, his lips, his ear. He gently picked her up and dumped her unceremoniously on the other side of him. He then picked up his phone and called her mom. She picked up on the third ring. "Have your driver come pick up your daughter." He said to her mom and hung up. Stassie flew at him. "Are you crazy? Why on earth did you call my mom?" She shrieked. Just then, two security men entered the house and grabbed Anastasia. "What the hell are you doing? Leave me alone! Don't touch
Last Updated : 2023-01-08A Second Chance Chapter Twenty Six
The next day, Amaliah stepped inside an elevator going up to her office, hoping she would not meet any one of the office gossip. As the doors of the elevator slid shut, someone stopped it and stepped in. Amaliah glanced up from her phone and winced. It was Caesar. She moved back and he stepped in. "Hello, Ms. Rivers." He nodded politely in her direction and pressed the elevator button."Mr Masterson." She gave him a tight smile.As they went up, she continued to text Sheila while he admired how ethereal she looked. She was dressed in mom jeans and silk blouse with a pair of low heeled sandals. He cleared his throat."Er… how're you?" He asked, smiling at her."Very well, thank you. I'm sorry about your broken engagement.""Oh… there's nothing to be sorry about. I mean, it's nothing serious. I mean, she wasn't serious…we weren't serious." He realised he was blabbing and promptly shut up. "I mean, a lot of people show sympathy but I'm relieved that the wedding won't be happening.""You
Last Updated : 2023-01-09A Second Chance Chapter Twenty Seven
Amaliah sighed. "What am I doing, Sheila? This is so wrong.""It's not. You're simply moving on, living your life." Sheila grinned, finishing off the last bit of Amaliah's make-up."I really shouldn't. The girls are still grieving." Amaliah sighed again and stood up."That's what you think. Anyway, why are you overthinking this? It's just a dinner party." Sheila laughed. "You're making it sound like you're getting married."Amaliah nodded. "Right. I should get going. Thank you for the make-up. You should start doing this professionally. You'd be a total hit.""As if!" Sheila laughed again and grabbed her keys. "I'll drop you.""You don't have to. I booked a ride already." Amaliah patted her friend's shoulder and left.She got to the venue, paid the driver and got down. She took a deep breath and ran her hands over her gown multiple times. It was loose fitting because of her pregnancy, but if anyone looked closely enough, they'd notice that she was pregnant right away. She didn't mind
Last Updated : 2023-01-19A Second Chance Chapter Twenty Eight
Courtney Norman stopped her car in front of the small brownstone and unbuckled her seatbelt. She turned back to glance at her son. She smiled when she saw that he was fast asleep in his car seat with a cookie in his hand. She leaned over and brushed the crumbs off his face and his sweater. After looking at the brownstone for a few more minutes, she sighed, got out, and rounded the car to get her son. "Drew." She shook him gently. "Come on, baby, wake up." When he didn't respond, she unbuckled the seat belt and carried him out, wincing a little as his weight settled heavily on her. Courtney opened the small gate and walked up the short steps to the front door. She adjusted Drew's weight on her shoulder and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. The person who answered the door was a slender redhead with the most amazing blue eyes she had ever seen and a full, contagious smile that made her eyes sparkle. She was fully dressed in a beige silk blouse, white linen pants, and
Last Updated : 2023-01-22
Latest chapter
A Second Chance Chapter Forty Three
Amaliah set her iced tea down, her gaze fixed on Caesar. “Was it because of you that Ms. Rodriguez called Mark to her office?” she asked.“No,” Caesar replied firmly. “She heard the rumors and assured me she’d handle it herself. I had nothing to do with it.”Amaliah tilted her head thoughtfully. “He seemed very upset when he came back. I wonder what she said to him.” she mused.“Whatever it was, it should stop him from spreading more lies about you,” Caesar said with a reassuring tone. “But honestly, out of a thousand employees in the company, why did he choose to target you?”Amaliah shrugged, muttering under her breath, “He thinks I’m a snob. He doesn’t like that I won’t answer his million questions about my personal life.” “He should spend less time gossiping and more time focusing on his work,” Caesar said sharply, only to pause as his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. He ignored it at first, unwilling to let anything interrupt the moment with Amaliah. But when the buzzing pe
A Second Chance Chapter Forty Two
Amaliah stood at the lectern, double-checking her slides on her laptop one last time before starting her presentation. Nerves churned inside her, but she trusted herself enough not to let them get the best of her. Caesar had even reassured her, confident she'd do well, and she was determined not to let him down.Her heart pounded as the double doors to the conference room opened, and the board members filed in with expressions that gave nothing away. These were the same people who had watched her stumble through her previous presentation’s opening minutes, and she could almost feel their silent doubts, wondering if today would be a repeat—and if Caesar might consider giving her presentation to someone else.But she had other plans. That wasn’t going to happen; she was set on making sure everyone left this room impressed. Caesar and Francine entered last, and as the doors closed behind them, she watched them take their seats before she took a steadying breath and dimmed the lights with
A Second Chance Chapter Forty One
As they tidied up the apartment after the party, Sheila glanced at Amaliah with a knowing smile. "So, am I allowed to assume you've finally decided to give Caesar Masterson a chance to woo you?" she asked.Caesar had left just five minutes earlier after Sheila playfully pushed him out the door. It was late, and he’d mentioned having a breakfast meeting with his father's friends the next morning. Though he’d wanted to stay and help clean up, Sheila insisted he go, even threatening to ban him from any future birthday parties if he didn’t. He finally relented, giving each of them a hug. Before he left, he reminded Amaliah of her promise to let him accompany her to her next hospital appointment.Amaliah chuckled, glancing over her shoulder. "Woo me? What are you talking about?"Sheila huffed. "Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I watched you two all night. You were practically glued to each other, talking and laughing. I think I saw you laugh more tonight than you have all year
A Second Chance Chapter Forty
As the car pulled up to the curb across the road, Caesar gazed up at the apartment building and sighed. The building had aged gracefully, showing signs of wear but still retaining the charm of being one of the oldest structures in New Ashford—a city roughly an hour's drive from HavenHill Central."Pick me up in a few hours, Ashton," Caesar instructed the chauffeur, grabbing his bags from the floor and opening the door. "I'll give you a call.""Alright, sir. Enjoy your visit," Ashton replied with a nod.Caesar returned the nod with a smile, stepped out, and closed the door. As Ashton drove off, Caesar ran a hand through his hair, exhaled deeply, and crossed the street. He caught his reflection in the building's glass doors, hoping he hadn’t overdone it for the party. Black jeans, a black shirt, and a brown bomber jacket paired with black shoes gave him a relaxed yet polished look. His only accessory was his father’s Rolex, adding a subtle touch of sophistication.He pushed open the do
A Second Chance Chapter Thirty Nine
Caesar applied the brakes, bringing the car to a stop in front of Amaliah's house before turning off the ignition. He stepped out when she did, quickly moving to open the back door to retrieve her bag and laptop before she had a chance. Shutting the door, he walked around the car to meet her."Thanks for the ride," she said, accepting the bags from him."I'm sorry again…for everything," he replied."It's okay." She gave him a warm smile, waved, and headed up the steps to the front door."Take care of yourself," he called after her as she unlocked the door."You too," she replied. "Drive carefully.""I'm always careful," he grinned.With that, Amaliah stepped inside, shutting and locking the door behind her. She set her things on the hallway table, then cautiously walked to the window. Pulling the curtains back just a little, she watched as Caesar climbed back into his car, started it up, and drove away.Sighing, she collected her bags from the table, made her way to the living room, a
A Second Chance Chapter Thirty Eight
Caesar felt like a complete failure as he watched Amaliah sleep. It was his fault she was lying there, and the weight of guilt pressed heavily on him. He doubted he could ever forgive himself for hurting her so deeply. He had to admit, she had been right all along. He had convinced himself that he could handle her rejection, but the reality had hit him far harder than he expected. Even Anastasia's indifference, the way she treated him like he wasn’t worth her time, hadn’t stung as much as this.He reminded himself that Amaliah still belonged to someone else—her late husband. Despite the man being gone, her love for him lingered, and Caesar knew he could never force her to feel the same way about him. She was carrying her husband’s babies, a constant reminder that Caesar had no place in her heart or her future.He paced the room, his eyes never leaving her face as he anxiously waited for the doctor. The pain etched on her face when he’d first brought her in had disappeared, replaced b
A Second Chance Chapter Thirty Seven
As they walked back to their office, Mark stated, "I don't know if it is just me, but I think the boss didn't like your presentation, Amaliah. Did something happen between the two of you?"Feigning ignorance, Amaliah replied, "Something like what?""Did you have a falling out of sorts?" Mark inquired with a frown."We were never..." Amaliah paused, catching herself just in time as she wondered why she had been about to explain whatever had happened in the conference room. "It wasn't just me. He was clearly in a bad mood." She responded."Uh huh," Mark nodded, looking unconvinced."Ms. Rivers?" Francine Rodriguez, their boss, called from behind them.Mark and Amaliah both turned around to look at her. Francine had an indescribable expression on her face that didn't bode well for Amaliah. Whatever had happened in the conference room wasn't Amaliah's fault but Caesar's. He had interrupted her halfway through her presentation and called on Mark to continue with it. The presentation she h
A Second Chance Chapter Thirty Six
Amaliah clenched her hands, her fingers digging into her palms as the elevator ascended rather slowly to the rooftop. She was content with the slow pace, as it gave her time to think. She didn't want whatever was happening with Caesar to turn into something more than friendship. She knew that Rafael would be sorely disappointed with her for even talking to Caesar, let alone considering becoming his friend. However, even if Rafael were still alive and she had learned of his infidelity as she now knew, he wouldn't have been in a position to dictate whom she could befriend.She couldn't tell him about it either, as that would be like admitting she'd been thinking about it a lot, and he would definitely tease her. Before she could change her mind and press another button, the elevator arrived at the rooftop. The doors swished open, forcing her to step out, and then they closed behind her. Caesar stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring at the vast sky. He must have sensed her
A Second Chance Chapter Thirty Five
Amaliah's opportunity for a discussion with Caesar was thwarted when Mark Robles, the office gossip, informed her of Caesar's one-week trip to Belize. She hadn't asked him, but he had willingly offered the information when she accidentally mentioned going up to the executive floor to see Caesar.If she were someone else, she knew he would have bombarded her with questions until he was satisfied."Why do you want to see Mr. Masterson?" Mark questioned, his raised eyebrow nearly vanishing into his hairline. "You two are seeing each other, aren't you?"Despite knowing his tactlessness and lack of a filter between his brain and mouth, she still felt offended by his assumption. She was starting to show, and office rumors were circulating about the real identity of the biological father of her baby. She knew the entire situation originated with Mark as the source, yet she hadn't bothered confronting him as she deemed it a waste of time. After all, he would only twist her words when recount
