Chapter 2: A second Chance

Leaving everything behind, it was better to her than what the past few months have been.

Earlier that day, she had driven to Alex's house to drop off the kids for the weekend with their Dad.

As she took the last leap, admist the air Closing her eyes she waited to end her very existence, never to feel any emotion anymore , she thought of the twins again, Lily and Maxey ,"Oh my lovely little ones, I Know they have Alex to take good care of them , I hope Alex's new wife will be good to them". "Alex has always been a good father to them but it was his new wife I was more concerned about, I don't want her to mistreat our children although they had always been a bit fond of each other right from their infant years" The sensation felt strange— it was like falling, but never quite landing , it felt like she was going into different worlds . Then, suddenly, there was a blinding light. A sharp intake of breath.

Cherry gasped, her heart was beating very fast and her lungs burning as if she had been deprived of air for too long. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, the world around her a blur of colors and movement. She was lying on something soft—a bed? The scent of fresh linen and vanilla filled her nostrils, familiar feeling yet distant.

Confused, she blinked rapidly, her mind sluggish as if waking from a deep, dreamless sleep. The last thing she could remember was the cold wind against her skin, the city lights below, the crushing weight of the pain of a broken heart, and then... nothing.

But this—this wasn't the afterlife. This wasn't darkness or oblivion. This was—

Her bedroom.

But not the one from her penthouse. No, this was different. The walls were painted in warm beige and white earthy tones, and the soft glow of the morning sun filtered through the sheer white curtains. She sat up abruptly, her pulse hammering. Everything about this room was familiar, but it didn't belong to her anymore, at least not for a very long time. "What's going on , is this some kind of dream or trance. How can I be here, present in my own bedroom from years ago."

Her heart raced as she turned to the mirror across from the bed. Her reflection stole her breath, she noticed hell

She wasn't the same Cherry Golden Rich who had just leaped off an expensive building in despair. She wasn't the heartbroken,betrayed ex-wife of Alexander Rich who had become a shadow of herself and had even attempted to take her own life just hours ago.

She was her younger self, again.

Her beautiful brown hair, which had held subtle streaks of exhaustion and heartbreak just hours ago, now flowed in glossy waves. Her skin was also naturally shiny, and fresh, unmarked by years of stress and sorrow. She reached up, trembling, and touched her face, feeling the smoothness that hadn't been there in years.

Then, something else caught the corner of her eye.

A small wooden calendar sat on the nightstand. She turned to it with shaking hands, her stomach twisting into knots. The date read:

September 10, 2015.

"Wow, Ten years ago."

Her mind reeled. "This isn't possible, how is this possible?Am I dreaming, what is all this"

But everything around her was proof that this was indeed happening to her right now. Her own old room. Her dazzling youthful reflection.And the weight of nostalgia pressing down on her chest like an invisible force.

Cherry scrambled out of the bed, her legs shakey and unsteady, her breath coming in sharp gasps as she stumbled toward the tall white alder closet at the side of the bedroom and yanked the door open. Inside it, her old clothes hung neatly— Shirts, pants ,dresses and skirts she hadn't worn in years. All her classy and playful clothes and shoes were neatly arranged in front of her in this dresser she had missed after all these years when her life had gradually changed . It was obvious that so much has changed from now up to the way things became in the next ten years . She had always thought that she would never change much from this time of her life when she was so much fun and outdoorsy . She laughed a little to herself, alone in this room from ten years ago, everything felt scary and funny at the same time.

"Am I back or is this all a dream?" she asked herself aloud.

She was really back in the past . Before Alexander. Before the marriage. Before the betrayal.

A surge of emotion hit her so hard that she clutched the doorframe for support. Was this a dream or was she really getting a second chance at life.

Then, like a flood, the memories of what was to come rushed into her mind—meeting Alexander, falling in love, the marriage, the sacrifices, the twins, the deep betrayal. She thought of the bitter sting of heartbreak and the profound feeling of emptiness she had felt on that balcony before attempting to take her very life

And now, fate had thrown her back into the past, allowing her live again and giving her a chance to rewrite it all.

A sharp knock at the door startled her and made her jump a little.

"Cherry, are you awake?"

That voice was so familiar.

Her stomach lurched, she knew that was Alexander.

The man who had shattered her. The man she had once adored with every fiber of her being. He was right outside her door, his voice still filled with warmth and familiarity—before he became the ruthless, unfeeling man who had tossed her aside like she was nothing.

For a moment, panic surged through her body,she wasn't ready for this. Seeing him again, knowing what the future held—it was too much. But then, a different emotion took hold.

Determination.

She had been given a chance to change things.

To rewrite her life.She wasn't going to waste it.

Taking a deep breath, Cherry straightened her shoulders and turned toward the door, her mind racing with possibilities.

This time, she wouldn't make the same mistakes.This time, she would be the master of her own destiny.

This time, she would not let Alexander Rich break her.