SECOND CHANCE WITH THE Silent CEO

I came back home with my heart overflowing with happiness and longing. The smile never left my face as I carefully carried the birthday cake ... I had decided to surprise my husband on this special day. I even finished work early just to return to him, imagining the shock and joy on his face when he would see me standing there with the cake, saying, Happy birthday , my love.

I laughed softly as I opened the door quietly so I wouldn’t ruin the surprise I had planned. But the moment I stepped inside, I felt something strange fill the house . It was eerily quiet not the warm silence I was used to, but a heavy stillness that made my heart tighten for no clear reason. I walked slowly further inside, still holding the cake, the only sound I could hear was my own footsteps.

I froze in place , completely stunned, when I heard a sound coming from the bedroom. It was a mixture of tangled breathing and muffled whispers. I shook my head in disbelief. It was impossible that my husband would do this to me. I tried to clear my mind and resist my suspicions ... my trust in him was stronger than anything . I had sacrificed everything for him. He would never do this to me.

But the sounds became louder and clearer. Kisses and laughter ... undeniable, unmistakable. I could no longer ignore them. I walked slowly toward the door, and in one sudden moment, I pushed it open forcefully.

The cake slipped from my hands and shattered on the floor. My eyes widened as I saw my husband on my bed with another woman.

I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing.

I didn’t scream. I didn’t say a single word. I just stared without blinking, my eyes frozen with tears.

I blinked hard, hoping the scene would change ... but no , it was him. My husband.

James turned toward me, shocked.

“Estrella , don’t misunderstand, I i i was just… i i i don't” he stammered.

He tried to speak, but the words got stuck between his lips. His face turned pale, his eyes searching for an excuse that didn’t exist.

“Just what ?” I cut him off sharply, my voice trembling.

“Are you cheating on me? In my house… in my own bed ?”

The girl gasped without turning around. She quickly covered herself with the blanket and jumped out of bed, running toward the balcony.

“Stop!” I screamed , running after her frantically.

“Let me see your face! Show me what you have that I don’t! Show me who you are!”

I slammed the balcony door open violently. The cold breeze hit my face as I grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. And the moment I saw her face, I froze completely.

lena ? you ? I said, tears trapped in my eyes.

“You … my dear friend , my only friend ”

The words came out broken. Each letter tore me from the inside.

They were together… in my bed. The two people I loved most. He was betraying me but when ? How? How did I not notice? Was I that foolish ?

In that moment, I was taken back to the day my mother died . I remembered how I called lena while crying uncontrollably, asking her to come. She arrived two hours late, wearing dark sunglasses.

“Deepest condolences, Estrella,” she said, hugging me with a cold tone. I cried on her shoulder, grateful she came. I noticed her lipstick was smudged, as if she had just come from a passionate kiss.

Then James came to hug me, and I buried my face in his chest. And there I saw it… a dark red stain on his white collar. Lipstick.

lena quickly rushed to cover it while touching my face. “Oh my God, Estrella, your lipstick must have smudged when you hugged James. Let me fix it .”

I looked at her foolishly and believed her. I wasn’t even wearing lipstick at my mother’s funeral. It was lena’s lipstick… but my grief blinded me. Or maybe it was my deep love for both of them that made me refuse to doubt them.

And now , this was the result of my blind trust.

“How could you do this to me? You won’t escape me today!”

I shoved lena in rage, screaming hysterically.

lena stepped back in fear . James rushed toward me.

“Estrella, wait , listen to me please ,” he begged.

“Get away from me, you bastard!” I screamed, striking him with all my strength, then turned to lena with hatred. “I will kill you too! How could you do this when you were the one always telling me to be patient and endure whenever we had problems?”

I screamed at the top of my lungs.

James grabbed me tightly before I could reach her .

“Leave her alone! It’s not her fault , it’s yours!” he shouted in my face. “Have you even looked at yourself in the mirror? You’re just an ugly girl who spends her days between work and the kitchen. How could I not cheat on you ? I only tolerated you because you served me!”

His words hit me like a cold slap. The air caught in my throat. For a moment, I almost believed I didn’t deserve love… but I didn’t deserve betrayal either.

I lifted my head toward him, tears burning my cheeks. “What are you blaming me for? For your betrayal? Did you forget I worked hard? That I gave up my position for you, and that I stay in the kitchen because u ... ”

I tried to defend myself, but my voice choked. Every word reminded me of years I had lost for him.

“Enough excuses,” he interrupted coldly. “You didn’t give up anything for me. You failed the interview because you’re stupid.”

His cold smile killed me before his words did. Everything shattered in a single sentence.

I grabbed his collar and lunged at his neck, trying to strangle him with all my rage and pain. He shoved me hard, and I lost my balance, stumbling toward the edge. Without thinking, I grabbed onto him to steady myself—but we both fell into the dark void.

For a moment, I felt freedom… but it was only a brief moment before we hit the ground.

Warm blood surrounded me from all sides. I looked toward the balcony where lena was screaming, then turned to James, who was taking his last breaths beside me.

“If there is another life … i i ... i will never marry someone like you again,” I said, a bitter smile on my face and hot tears running down my cheeks.