Leon_410

A Father’s Second Chance

Alexander Whitmore spent his life building his financial empire, believing that success would bring his family security. He worked late nights, missed his son Edward’s birthdays, and neglected his wife, Eleanor. By the time he realized his mistakes, it was too late—Eleanor had filed for divorce, Edward had grown distant, and Alexander died alone in a sterile hospital room.

But fate wasn’t done with him yet.

He wakes up in his childhood home in Cambridge, England—on the morning of his wedding, 20 years in the past. Given a second chance, he vows to live differently. No more missed Christmases. No more chasing wealth at the cost of love. He will become the husband and father his family deserved.

But changing the past isn’t simple. His younger self’s pride, his cutthroat ambition, and society’s expectations threaten to pull him back into old habits. Can he rewrite his family’s fate, or is he doomed to repeat his mistakes?


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Chapter 1: Yesterday’s Return

Alexander Whitmore gasped awake. The scent of fresh linen and oakwood filled his nose. He blinked rapidly, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through lace-curtained windows.

This wasn’t his penthouse in London. This was… home?

His eyes darted to the full-length mirror across the room. Instead of his aged, weary reflection, a younger man stared back—sharp jawline, unwrinkled skin, and the same piercing blue eyes that once held ambition, now clouded with shock.

His heart pounded. This isn’t possible.

A knock at the door.

“Alex, wake up! It’s your wedding day!” a voice called from the hallway.

His breath caught. His wedding day. The day he had first begun to neglect Eleanor, setting off a chain of regrets.

This time, he wouldn’t make the same mistakes.


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A Father's Second Chance

Alexander stared at his reflection, fingers trembling as they traced his jawline. The reality of the situation began to settle in—this wasn't a dream. He was here, back in his old life, on the morning of his wedding.

He turned toward the window, pushing aside the curtains. Outside, the familiar sight of his childhood estate greeted him—the Whitmore family manor, a grand Victorian house in the countryside near Cambridge. The sprawling gardens were already being prepared for the afternoon ceremony, with white chairs arranged on the lawn and florists bustling about with bouquets of ivory roses.

"Alexander, for heaven's sake, get up!" The voice belonged to his mother, Margaret Whitmore, a woman of poise and strict expectations.

Alexander took a deep breath. He had lost her years ago to illness, and now here she was—alive, impatient, and likely seconds away from barging in.

He crossed the room and opened the door.

Margaret Whitmore stood before him, elegant as ever in a lavender dress, her silver-streaked hair pinned in a neat bun. She gave him a once-over, eyes narrowing. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I have, Alexander thought. But the ghost was himself.

"I'm fine, Mother," he managed. "Just… thinking."

She arched an eyebrow. "On your wedding day? There's no time for thinking, Alex. Your father is already downstairs speaking with Eleanor's parents, and the staff is preparing the garden. You should be getting dressed."

The name sent a pang through his chest. In his past life, he had taken her for granted. He had put work before her, assuming she would always be there, until the day she wasn't.

"I'll be down soon," he assured his mother.

Margaret eyed him suspiciously but nodded. "Hurry up. And do try to smile. Today is a joyful occasion, even if you refuse to show it."

She walked away, leaving Alexander to close the door behind him.

He turned back to the mirror, inhaling deeply. I have a second chance. I won't waste it.

Chapter 2: A Vow to Change