The Second Marriage Chance

Sarah

As I looked at Bronn, a small doubt crept into my thoughts. Could he be the one to make me feel loved and complete? The promise I had silently made to myself, urging me to seek love and companionship.

But even with these doubts, I felt a strong sense of urgency. Time was slipping away, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I needed to act quickly amidst the uncertainty that clouded my mind.

He’s thirty-three, the same age as- I must halt my thoughts there!

I’m seething with frustration! Jakob’s text message has triggered my whirlwind of thoughts about my utterly insane ex-husband.

“Can you at least muster a smile for a moment? Your demeanor is making me feel ancient!” Grandpa Mitchell chastised me as if my usual stoicism was unfamiliar to him.

“Grandpa, please refrain from scolding Sarah,” Bronn interjected.

My grandpa emitted a frustrated huff.

“Please disregard Grandpa’s earlier comment. I’m here to discuss business and nothing else,” Bronn stated.

“I’ll go change my attire,” I informed Bronn before turning to Lori, one of my maids, and instructed, “Please escort my guest to the garden area,” before making my way to the elevator headed for the third floor, where my room awaited.

Amanda trailed behind me, relieving me of some personal belongings. However, to my surprise, Grandpa Mitchell also stepped into the lift.

“Sarah, you know I care for you deeply, right? Why won’t you consider my suggestion to marry that young Martin?” Grandpa inquired pointedly, referring to Bronn.

“Grandpa, Bronn doesn’t love me. Like me, he was forced into the arranged marriage you and his grandpa arranged for us. Marriage without love is senseless.”

“And now you’re lecturing me? Ha!” He scoffed, crossing his arms.

With a gentle smile gracing my lips, I leaned softly against one of his arms. In that tender moment, I felt the warmth of Grandpa Mitchell’s love enveloping me, melting away his anger like a fleeting breeze in the face of an insurmountable blitz.

“I just learned from the relationship you and grandmother had. I want to experience love like you gave her,” I reasoned.

Ultimately, he frequently grasped the rationale whenever I invoked the memory of my deceased grandmother.

“Why don’t you try to win Bronn Martin’s heart? Make him fall for you. You’re a good girl, Sarah. That boy will love you,” he commented.

“Grandpa…” I winced but murmured, “I’ll try,” hoping to conclude the conversation swiftly.

Grandpa Mitchell and I parted ways in the hallway before I entered my room while he went to his own.

I commanded Amanda to get the bath ready for me before I stormed towards one of the cabinets in the wardrobe.

My chest constricted, suffocating me. With trembling hands, I snatched the medicine bottle from the cabinet after unlocking it with the key.

Swallowing hard, I popped a pill and marched to the tiny fridge to grab a water bottle. I downed it mercilessly, along with the pill to calm my heart.

Agonizing emotions overwhelmed me as I glanced at the medicine bottle. Since the loss of my baby with Philip, frequent bouts of chest tightness and breathlessness due to relentless panic attacks have plagued me. Subsequently, the doctor who had been treating me for the past year diagnosed me with heart failure.

“You only have one year to live, Miss Mitchell,” I remembered Dr. Morgan telling me last month.

I only have one year left in this world with mitral valve regurgitation.

“If you undergo surgery, it will affect you psychologically, especially since you’ve gone through maternal and postpartum grief.”

That truth cut deep as I continue to grieve the loss of my unborn child to this day. I refuse to undergo heart surgery, and if this is the fate the Lord has bestowed upon me, I won’t resist it.

My life’s sole pursuit is to unearth a man who will love me deeply, treat me with the utmost respect like a queen, and care until the end of my days.

“Miss, the bath is ready,” Amanda’s voice brought me back to the present moment.

After returning the medication to the cabinet and securing it, I proceeded to the bathroom to groom myself before facing Bronn Martin, one of the individuals with the potential to fulfill my ultimate aspiration.

***

“I apologize for any inconvenience with the wait,” I said to Bronn as I approached.

I submerged myself into the depths of the tub, seeking solace in the comforting embrace of warm water, before emerging and donning a somber black dress. Other than the stark contrast of the body racing suit, every thread that adorned my form bore the black hue, a poignant reminder of the profound grief that still gripped me, the loss of my child with Philip.

Bronn stood up and helped me settle into the chair across from him.

“No worries. Fortunately, I had my iPad with me. I hardly noticed the time as I was catching up on emails,” he replied.

I noted his busyness and appreciated his effort to come to see me. Lori poured iced tea into a glass and handed it to me.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“I adore this mansion!” Bronn exclaimed, but I braced myself against any further effusive praise.

“What brings you here?” I inquired.

“Ah, yes! I heard you’re involved with LoveLogic, which is currently in partnership with BM Technologies,” he said, locking eyes with me, which gave me a slight unease. “I’m interested in becoming a character in that app.”

“What?” I didn’t anticipate that suggestion from Bronn. “Bronn, are you seriously considering resorting to a dating app when you still haven’t found a girlfriend?”

“That’s amusing, isn’t it? But plausible. What do you think?” he taunted, a sly smirk curling at the corner of his lips, betraying his amusement with the unfolding scenario.

I paused, the weight of his suggestion sinking in before I cautiously retorted, “So, you’re proposing this as a means to boost your earnings from the app we’re tirelessly developing?”

“Maybe,” he said casually, leaving me slightly taken aback.

What kind of response was that? Bronn is one of the wealthiest men around, and at the age of thirty-three, he was even more desirable to many women. If he were to join as one of the AI boyfriend characters for LoveLogic, it could undoubtedly attract a larger user base of women.

He’ll bring me and Jakob fortune.

“But have you considered the potential risks to your reputation and BM Technologies?” I pressed cautiously.

“It’s just an AI boyfriend character. And if my character makes any earnings, I intend to donate to charity. Does that ease your concerns?” he explained.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I nodded, though uncertainty clouded my thoughts. “Now that you’ve chosen to be part of the boyfriend characters, my partner and I will begin designing your character for inclusion on the list. I’ll send you the contract shortly, in case you know…” To avoid a lawsuit!

He nodded back. “Oh, and one more thing…”

“What is it now?”

“When are you going to apologize to me?”

I nearly choked on my saliva at what I heard. It had been precisely four years since I terminated my marriage agreement with him. To alleviate the constriction in my throat, I reached for the juice Lori had prepared and took a sip.

“I offer my sincerest apologies. My actions have tarnished the honor of your family and Grandpa Mitchell’s. I deeply apologize for the harm I’ve caused.”

“If you truly regret it, how about a date next weekend at Henderson? Aren’t you heading to BM Technology to finalize the design in a month? Let’s go on a date!” he suggested eagerly.

A swirl of emotions churned within me as my gaze met Bronn’s. His actions left me puzzled; his intentions shrouded in ambiguity.

“Are you flirting with me, Mr. Bronn Martin?” I asked, trying to discern his intentions.

“Did it seem like I was flirting with you?” he countered with a smirk.

A surge of intrigue coursed through me. With Bronn unexpectedly offering himself, I couldn’t help but ponder that he might be one of the few who could harbor genuine affection for me.

Am I being selfish in considering what I’m about to do?

All I desire is to understand the feeling of being loved before my time here concludes. Bronn is one of the potential candidates for this experience. Furthermore, if Bronn loves and marries me, it will fulfill Grandpa Mitchell’s longstanding wish for me to wed this man.

“Agreed,” I affirmed, masking any emotions with a stoic expression, concluding our conversation.

A week later, as fate would have it, I found myself back in Henderson, where Bronn’s office resided.

However, what truly caught me off guard was seeing Philip alongside Megan.