Second Chance

It had been three days since Dahlia’s departure, and the Brown mansion had not been the same. Asher, too wrapped up in work to notice Chloe’s condition, finally returned home on the morning of the third day.

Following his usual routine, he sat at the dining table for breakfast with Catherine.

“Where’s Chloe?” he asked as he ate, barely looking up.

“She’s still locked up in her room. She won’t come out,” Catherine replied matter-of-factly.

“It’s been three days already. Has she eaten anything?” Asher asked, a hint of concern creeping into his tone.

“Nope,” Catherine replied with a sarcastic laugh. “She said she won’t come out until Dahlia comes back. Such a funny child.”

Asher sighed deeply, his mind lost in thought. After a moment, he set down his cutlery, wiped his lips with a napkin, and rose from his chair.

“Are you leaving already?” Catherine asked, watching him.

“No,” Asher said, his tone firmer now. “I need to speak with my daughter.”

When he reached her door, Asher knocked softly, his voice gentle. “Chloe, it’s Daddy.”

“Go away!” Chloe yelled from the other side.

Her voice could be heard easily. Her door was the only one in the house without soundproofing.

“Chloe, you need to come out and eat,” Asher sighed. “You’ve missed school too. Your teacher might be worried.” He paused, his tone softening further. “I’m worried too, Chloe.”

“Is Dahlia back?” Chloe asked, her voice muffled but filled with hope.

Asher hesitated, guilt weighing heavy in his chest. “No,” he admitted quietly.

“Then I’m not coming out,” Chloe replied stubbornly.

Asher exhaled in frustration, running a hand through his blonde hair. His tired brown eyes revealed the toll the last few days had taken on him.

“Chloe, please,” he pleaded, knocking again. “Dahlia would want you to listen to Daddy.”

“Don’t say Dahlia’s name!” Chloe shouted, her voice trembling with anger. “You didn’t even give her a chance to explain. You didn’t even check the CCTV cameras. You just made her leave. Go away, Daddy! I’m not coming out until you bring her back.”

Chloe’s words hit Asher really hard. His brow furrowed as he processed her accusation.

“The CCTV cameras…” he murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Chloe, if I bring Dahlia back, do you promise to come out?” he asked, his tone cautious but firm.

“Yes,” Chloe replied instantly, desperation lacing her voice. “Please bring her back.”

“I will,” Asher said with quiet determination.

He stayed by her door a little longer, trying to reassure her, but despite his promise, Chloe refused to come out. He walked away, his mind racing with thoughts of the CCTV footage.

Asher left, not for the office, but to the CCTV room. Chloe’s words lingered in his mind. She was right. He hadn’t bothered to check the CCTV footage before firing Dahlia.

Sitting down, Asher began skimming through the footage. His eyes narrowed as he noticed something odd. The sequence wasn’t adding up; a portion of the recording seemed to be missing. Specifically, on the night he had given Chloe the necklace.

Leaning closer to the screen, he replayed the footage, but the gaps remained. Confusion flickered in his mind as a thought occurred to him.

“Something’s not right,” he muttered to himself. “Chloe might be right. I may have fired Dahlia wrongfully. Only a few people have access to this room, and Dahlia isn’t one of them. Which means, she couldn't have deleted the footage. But, if it wasn’t her, then who?”

He leaned back in his chair, pondering on the possibilities. His phone rang, breaking his train of thought. Sighing, he picked it up. It was Anastasia, his secretary.

“Sir, you’re running late for the briefing,” she said politely. “It’s about to start. Should we cancel or hold?”

“Hold it for a few minutes. I’ll be there soon,” Asher replied, his tone professional.

Ending the call, he hesitated. His gaze returned to the CCTV screens one last time. A new determination settled in his eyes.

This time, he knew what to do.

Throughout the long hours of the briefing, Asher's mind remained occupied with the CCTV footage. Even subsequent meetings failed to hold his attention.

Instead of his usual routine of pulling an all-nighter, Asher left the office at 7 p.m., an unusual time for him. His destination was clear: Dahlia’s residence.

Upon arrival, he knocked on the door and waited patiently.

“Coming!” Dahlia called from the kitchen, her voice loud enough to carry to the living room, not far off from the kitchen.

Wiping her hands on a towel, she walked over to Stacy’s room and knocked. Stacy peeked out, her face fully done up with makeup.

Dahlia raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “Someone’s at the door. Did you order something, or are you expecting anyone?”

“It must be Jeremy,” Stacy replied with a grin. “We’re going on a movie date, remember? I’m almost ready.”

Without waiting for a response, Stacy retreated into her room. Moments later, she emerged, dressed in a simple but elegant black gown, shoes and bag in hand.

Dahlia nodded absently and returned to the kitchen while Stacy hurriedly slipped on her shoes and headed for the door.

“Hey!” Stacy greeted enthusiastically, her bright smile fading when she saw it wasn’t Jeremy at the door.

“Who are you?” She pointed at Asher with a frown.

“I’m Asher Brown. I’m looking for Dahlia Reigns. Does she still live here?” he asked.

“Oh, so you’re the... motherfucker—I mean, Dahlia's boss.” Stacy quickly corrected herself.

Asher's brows furrowed in confusion.

“Yes, she lives here. Why don’t you come in?” Stacy offered with a delighted smile, stepping aside to let Asher in.

“Tonight is surely full of surprises,” she muttered under her breath.

Asher stepped inside, taking in the details of the house before his gaze finally landed on Dahlia.

“Dahlia, it's for you,” Stacy called, raising her voice slightly.

“Me? I’m not expecting anyone.” Dahlia turned around and froze when she saw Asher standing there.

“Sir?” she whispered, stunned.

Dahlia quickly regained her composure, taking off her apron as she approached them.

“No wonder you refused to go out with Jeremy and me,” Stacy leaned in, whispering to Dahlia, though Asher could still hear.

“I didn’t know he was coming here,” Dahlia whispered back.

Stacy turned to Asher. “I’ll leave the two of you alone. Dahlia, call me if…” She let the sentence trail off, casting a stern glance at Asher.

With that, she turned and left the house.

A loud silence fell over them for a few moments. Asher continued to study the house, making Dahlia feel uncomfortable.

“It’s not fancy, but... it’s homely,” Dahlia finally spoke up.

“Forgive me if I’ve made you uncomfortable,” Asher apologized sincerely.

“It’s okay,” Dahlia said, waiting a moment before adding, “Sir, why are you here?”

Asher’s gaze fell on the stacks of cardboard boxes outside Dahlia’s room.

“Is something going away?” he asked, pointing at the boxes.

“Yes, I’m moving back home... to London,” Dahlia hesitated before answering.

“When do you leave?” Asher asked.

“Tomorrow,” Dahlia replied.

Asher let out a long sigh. “No, no, no,” he muttered almost inaudibly as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Can we sit? I have something to say to you,” he asked politely.

Dahlia nodded and gestured for him to sit in the small living room. Once they were seated, another silence engulfed them.

Asher kept his gaze downward, rubbing his wedding ring.

“You know, I met my wife through Catherine,” he began with a bittersweet smile as he looked up at Dahlia. “It was at a bar. Amelia, my wife, had ordered Catherine to buy me a drink and bring it to my table. I was drinking solo. Of course, Catherine tried to make a move on me, but I wasn’t interested in her. I had my eyes on the graceful being with green eyes who dared Catherine. It was those same green eyes that Chloe inherited. And whenever I look at her face, all I can see is Amelia.”

Asher took a deep breath, staring at his wedding ring and then glancing at Dahlia’s understanding face before speaking again. “Amelia was everything I ever wanted. Sweet, funny, and kind. She could make the gloomiest of days feel better. And with the arrival of Chloe, we became one big, happy family. I had no wants or wishes, because I had everything with Amelia. Until…”

Asher stopped midway, his throat constricting.

“I’m so sorry,” Dahlia whispered.

Asher let out a bitter laugh. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I never paid attention to her. If I’d known she was suffering from arsenic poisoning and needed my help, maybe things would’ve been different. I was so caught up in my tech business that I dismissed all of her and Chloe’s complaints as just flu or headaches—until it got worse. I’ll never forgive myself.”

He wiped away his tears.

“It’s not your fault,” Dahlia whispered.

“It is. I took away Chloe’s mother. Do you know how hard it was to explain to a nearly two-year-old child that they would have to live without a mother for a long time? And Chloe’s always been a very smart child. You know that. At two, she had the brain of a five-year-old. That’s why I had to come clean with her. We made the best of it, me and her, until you came along. I didn’t even realize how much happier she became. I was still caught up in my company.”

Asher stopped rubbing the ring and focused his gaze on Dahlia,

“But Dahlia, you brought color into our lives. I never had to worry about Chloe because you took care of her. It was unfair of me to fire you today, knowing how kind you’ve been to me. And it was also unfair that I didn’t give you a chance to explain or check the CCTV footage. Chloe brought my attention to it. She’s been locked up in her room since you left. She hasn't eaten and won’t open the door until I fulfill her wishes.”

He paused for a bit before continuing, “All I’m trying to say is, will you please come back, Dahlia? I know we’ve wronged you, but can you please put that aside and come back… for Chloe’s sake?” Asher asked sincerely.