THE SECOND CHANCE LOVE

The clock read 8 PM when Alyssa arrived at her front door. She didn't go in immediately but stood there for a few seconds, lost in thought.

Suddenly, she felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen. But what? Alyssa couldn't guess at all. Or maybe it was just a side effect of her body and mind being too exhausted today?

"Has Brent come home yet?" Alyssa murmured as she held the door handle.

She was a bit afraid of meeting Brent and being interrogated by him for coming home this late. It wasn't without reason that she had just returned. She had to stop by the convenience store in front of her house to buy ice to compress her swollen eyes from crying too much about her increasingly unclear marriage. In any case, Alyssa didn't want to make Brent, who was already tired from work, worry about her condition. Now Alyssa could only hope that Brent wouldn't interrogate or get mad at her.

Alyssa took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Now, she tried to stay calm despite her irregular heartbeat.

The sound of the door opening felt rather ominous, perhaps because of the eerily quiet mment that seemed almost uninhabited.

Looking around cautiously, Alyssa stepped inside.

"Where have you been?"

"Oh my God!"

She screamed in surprise when Brent suddenly appeared behind her. It seemed he had just come from the kitchen.

"Brent? You startled me," Alyssa said nervously.

"I asked where you've been, Grace. Why are you just getting home at this hour?" Brent repeated sharply.

"I... I just...."

Damn it, Alyssa thought.

Alyssa, who never lied, suddenly had to try to deceive Brent to keep the peace in their house tonight. However, it turned out that lying wasn't easy. As a result, she now sounded like a toddler learning to speak. It was pathetic.

"I... I was meeting a friend," Alyssa said.

Her eyes darted around. It was clear she wanted to avoid Brent's gaze to prevent her lie from being uncovered. Suddenly, Brent moved to the living room. Still wearing his work clothes, he sat on the sofa while Alyssa stood to his right. For some reason, she didn't want to sit. Her instincts told her she shouldn't sit right now.

"Have you eaten? Do you want me to cook something?" Alyssa offered.

Brent didn't answer. Instead, he took out his phone from his pocket, fiddled with it for a moment, and then placed the thin device on the table with the screen lit up, showing a photo.

"Is this the 'friend' you were meeting?" Brent asked, looking sharply at her.

Alyssa's eyes automatically focused on the photo on Brent's phone. Her pupils dilated involuntarily when she saw that it was a picture of her and Hiro.

"Brent, I can explain," Alyssa said in a shaky voice.

As he stood up, Brent asked, "What is there to explain?"

"I... it's not what you think. Hiro and I--"

"I know you and Hiro broke up a long time ago. You were close and knew each other before I came along. But... you shouldn't have done this, Grace. You should remember...."

Brent turned his face away for a moment to control his emotions.

"You should remember that you're my wife now," Brent emphasized.

Not giving Alyssa a chance to explain further, Brent then walked towards his room.

Alyssa, left behind, could only stand there in silence. Her body felt nailed in place, unable to move. The sensation of tightness in her chest now took over.

"I didn't mean it like that, Brent," Alyssa whispered.

Today was supposed to be a day Alyssa spent with Brent. They were supposed to do the monthly grocery shopping together. However, when Alyssa woke up this morning, Brent was already gone. As a result, Alyssa had to circle the supermarket alone.

She couldn't deny that she was quite sad when Brent left without saying goodbye. His behavior seemed to indicate that he was deliberately avoiding Alyssa. They should have met today to clear up last night's misunderstanding.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

Alyssa's daydream was interrupted by the rebuke of a middle-aged woman who was accidentally bumped by Alyssa's cart.

"Oh, sorry, Ma'am. I'm so sorry," Alyssa apologized.

The woman shook her head a few times before continuing on her way.

"Idiot! You almost caused a scene," Alyssa cursed herself.

She continued to walk around the supermarket, filling her cart with items she thought they needed, ignoring the fatigue in her legs.

"Do we need soy sauce?" She mused as she reached the condiment aisle.

Alyssa quickly grabbed a few bottles of sweet soy sauce. Seeing the bottles in the cart reminded her of Brent again.

"It's been a long time since I cooked Brent's favorite soy sauce chicken," Alyssa muttered, her eyes reflecting a sad light.

Her expression quickly changed. A bright smile replaced the sadness that had momentarily appeared.

"Okay. Today, I'll cook soy sauce chicken for Brent," she decided. Alyssa's smile grew wider as she imagined Brent's face enjoying his favorite meal.

"Brent...."

Whether it was a coincidence or divine plan, at that moment, the person Alyssa was thinking about appeared unexpectedly. Just a few meters ahead, Brent was pushing a cart full of groceries with a woman at his side. The woman's face seemed familiar to Alyssa, but she couldn't recall where or when she had met her.

Seeing this scene, Alyssa tried to stay calm even though her mind was swirling with negative thoughts. She forced a smile as Brent, with a stiff expression, arrived in front of her. If she wasn't mistaken, Brent looked surprised to see her there.

"Brent?" Alyssa greeted, forcing her smile to stay in place. The woman next to Brent looked surprised and then asked, "Oh, are you with Alyssa?"

"Yes," Brent replied flatly.

Alyssa felt something collapse inside her chest. A gaping hole opened in her heart. An overwhelming pain caused her smile to vanish instantly.

So, this is what it feels like not to be acknowledged by your own husband? Alyssa thought sadly.

Meanwhile, the woman smiled broadly, in stark contrast to Alyssa, who seemed dazed by Brent's response.

The woman extended her hand. "Hi, Alyssa? Finally, I get to see you in person."

Alyssa nodded without smiling or accepting Janice's hand. Her heart sank in pain as she remembered that this woman was Janice, the one Brent almost married before choosing Alyssa.

Slowly, Alyssa backed away with her cart, then turned and left without a word.

"Janice...." Alyssa whispered.

Tears fell unbidden, accompanying her heavy steps.

Alyssa was utterly shattered. All her confidence vanished after meeting Janice in person.

"So... this is the reason? Brent never wanted to talk about Janice, but it seems... I'm not someone he trusts in this marriage," she sobbed, heartbroken.

To be continued...