A SECOND CHANCE IN LOVE

CHAPTER 1

"Please, let me see him."

The woman who spoke stood trembling in front of a large mansion. Gaunt and thin, she looked like the softest gust of wind could topple her.

Across from her was another woman, but their appearance were the complete opposite.

Where Vanessa's hair lacked luster, Riana's thick and shiny. Where Vanessa's cheeks were almost caved, Riana's soft and rosy. Where Vanessa's body was frail and sick-looking, Riana's body was healthy and elegant-looking.

Anyone looking at the two of them will definitely not believe that Vanessa had once captured every man that looked at her way due to her breathtaking beauty.

Because when she marry Kiran Lauder she gave up everything in exchange for his love. She made herself submissive to become a good housewife, and suppressed her dreams to gain the approval of his family.

And slowly, Vanessa change.

Her clothes became more unfashionable, her beauty disappearing with rough care. She stayed late each night to cook for Kiran while he was busy, and woke up early each morning to prepare him a breakfast. Less than a wife, she was more like a slave in their years of marriage.

And all of her effort only earned her a frosty glance from him.

He didn't acknowledge her as his wife. He could barely even look at her, sometimes.

And all along, Riana was there, reassuring her that she would take care of it, since she and Vanessa were the best friends, and because she and Kiran were childhood friends, Vanessa blindly thought that Riana was telling Kiran of her good points, of how good of a wife she was, and slowly change his mind.

Little did she know that Riana's meaning of 'taking care of him' was vastly different from hers.

While she slaved everyday like a housekeeper, they were enjoying exploring the sheets in the master bedroom where she slept at night. While she was being made fun of by her mother-in-law for being too ugly, Riana was slowly becoming the dignified daugher-in-law that Kiran's mother had always wish to have.

And right now, as the they faced each other, their fates had already been reversed.

Riana slowly curled her lip as she glanced at the miserably looking Vanessa.

"What are you doing here? Don't you know that trash are not allowed in our home?"

Vanessa flinched. That large mansion was once her home. Now, she couldn't even enter the front gates.

"I need to see him," she repeated, clenching her fists.

"Where did you get that confidence?" Riana sneered at her with contempt. "He doesn't want to see you anymore. In fact, he even told me before that waking up next to you during all those years felt like he was trapped in an endless nightmare. Now, at least, he could wake up and see my beautiful face. So just get lost, Vanessa. No one wanted you here.."

Although she was already used to his insults, Vanessa could still feel her heart breaking.

Just how many times that man broke her heart, over and over again but she still she clung to him, begging for scraps of his love.

"I still need to see him," Vanessa insisted.

Although Vanessa looked like an abandoned puppy begging to see her ex-husband outside the gates, but those enchanting eyes of her were unchanging, making you want to drown in them. Her eyes were wide and soulful, curly lashes trembling with unshed tears. She clearly had lost her beauty, but Riana still felt hatred bubble up like acid in her stomach. This b***h still beautiful even in her wretched state! Did she had to pluck her eyes too so she can't stop looking like a seductress!? Riana bit her pouty red lips, frustrated. But when she saw the expensive ring in her finger, all of her worries instantly vanished. Slowly, her lips began to curve triumphantly.

Ha! What was there to be jealous of? Vanessa had already fallen this low. Poor, divorced, and ugly, how could she even dare to compete with her? Plus, Kiran was already hers. Does she still have to be mindful of a trash?

"I have his child..."

As the soft whisper reached her ears, Riana froze.

Looking at Vanessa outside the gates, she finally noticed that the she was caressing her stomach tenderly. In that brief second, Riana was suddenly seized with rage.

How could she have Kiran's child?

She was supposed to be the one to give birth to the heir of the Lauder family. She had meticulously planned her way to the top, but she had forgotten this one important thing.

Riana ground her teeth. How dare this trash drive a wedge in her plans?

Thinking quickly, the disdainful look in Riana's face softened, and she opened up the gates. But she didn't let Vanessa enter. Instead, she was the one who went outside, and placed a gentle hand on Vanessa's shoulder.

"You're pregnant with Kiran's child?" she asked, hiding her vindictive inner thoughts. "How sure are you that you're pregnant? Did you go to the doctor, already? You know that Kiran will definitely not believe you if you don't have hard evidence backing you up."

At first, Vanessa felt uneasy when she saw how Riana quickly shifted her attitude, but the way she spoke to her reminded her of the old times they spent together, and her heart grew soft. Once upon a time, they were close as sisters so in her weary state she couldn't help but let her guard down.

"Yes, I went to the doctor. It's only three months old. But I didn't bring any evidence..."

Vanessa realized that Riana was slowly steering her away from the front gates. "Where are we going?"

"To see a doctor, silly. You need to have an ultrasound to show Kiran." Vanessa gave her a dazzling smile. "I was hurrying to come home earlier, so I parked my car at the corner. Let's go there, okay?"

"Oh." Vanessa moved away from her, her hands hugging her stomach, her instincts suddenly warning her of impending danger. "It's fine, I'm sure Kiran can call a doctor at ho...at the mansion."

She was about to say 'home', before painfully realizing that it wasn't hers anymore.

Riana's eyes darkened as her eyes fell on the barely discernible bump on the other woman's stomach. They were both ugly reminders that Kiran didn't truly belong to her.

With anger coursing through her veins, she ignored Vanessa's attempts on getting away from her and dragged her forcefully towards the main street.

Vanessa started panicking. "What are you—"

She tried to struggle, but malnutrition, accompanied by her fatigue during pregnancy, made her efforts futile.

With an abrupt shove from Riana, Vanessa suddenly saw herself standing in the middle of the road, her eyes wide. Like a deer caught in the headlights, she could only look at a large truck getting closer and closer—Until all she could see was darkness.

..........