In "Second Chances," Kristen Vog thought she had found her forever love in Alex Janvier, until betrayal shattered her world. Years later, their paths unexpectedly cross, reigniting buried emotions and unresolved tensions. As they navigate the complexities of forgiveness, redemption, and the revelation of a secret child, Kristen and Alex must confront their past mistakes and vulnerabilities to embrace the possibility of a second chance at love. Set against the backdrop of a modern urban environment, this contemporary romance explores the power of forgiveness, the depth of redemption, and the beauty of seizing second chances.
Chapter 1 The book launch
It was a cool evening in NYC. The sun had just set, casting darkness upon the city.
Noises echoed from within the walls of an event hall. Tiny whispers and mumbling filled the room, all in honor of the launching of the book "REKINDLED HEARTS".
The crowd went quiet, and standing on the hall's podium was Kristen Vog, a well-known remarkable author. She had written multiple books and had made a huge sum from them.
Tonight, Kristen welcomed the huge crowd for the launching of her new book "Rekindled Hearts."
The book was dedicated to love which was lost but now found again. She stood on the podium, hands sweating and her throat dry.
Although this wasn't her first book launch, each time always felt new to her and made her anxious. She didn't like big crowds.
Everyone's attention was on her. Well, at least most people's attention was on her. She cleared her throat, tapped the mic for a check, and then began to speak.
"Good evening everybody," She greeted the audience. "It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the launching of my new book 'Rekindled Hearts'."
She took a short breath, gathered herself, then walked over to the table that was placed at one side of the desk, with copies of her book.
She picked up a book and walked back to the mic. "Rekindled Hearts is a story of a young couple who were once in love, and, due to rising issues, fell out of love, but found that love again," she explained.
She chuckled lightly before continuing her speech, "Excuse me. As I was saying, the book was inspired by my experiences, which I shall not speak of."
There was an eruption of laughter from the crowd at Kristen's statement. She went on with the speech and engaged in a question-and-answer session.
After the session, she gave a shout-out to her team. The team that helped her publish the book. Then she dismissed the crowd.
"I'll be available for book signing at the entrance of the hall. You can also get copies of the book there," she said, "Thank you once again for your support. Have a wonderful night."
As soon as she was done speaking, the room overflowed with applause and a heartwarming standing ovation.
Kristen smiled at the crowd and made her way down from the podium. She needed to rush to the restroom to fix herself.
Kristen left the hall and located the restroom. She made use of the toilet and decided to touch on her makeup.
As she was just about to leave, she heard a flush and the sound of a stall opening, and relief washed over her when she saw the being that had just walked out.
It was Sally, her best friend of 4 years now. Sally and Kristen met at the hospital when Kristen had taken her daughter Emma, for a health check.
Sally had been the doctor assigned to Emma that day and has been ever since.
Sally joined Kristen in the mirror with a smile plastered on her face. "How are you feeling babe?" She asked, washing her hands.
Kristen let out a long sigh, detangling her curly hair that hung right above her shoulders. "I'm anxious as hell!! It went well though. I got the reactions I wanted. But overall I can't wait to go home."
"You did good babe," Sally reassured Kristen with a kiss on her forehead, and they exited the restroom and headed back to the event hall.
On reaching the hall, there was already a sizable queue at the book signing and coping area. They were waiting for Kristen to return.
Kristen took her seat at the signing desk, and Sally followed Suite. Sally's job was to handle the coping of the books, while Kristen was to sign on the books or wherever.
Kristen began signing, there were about 50 people in that queue. She was anything but excited.
All through the signing and entertaining, Kristen couldn't help but think about her daughter Emma, who was home with the nanny.
Though it wasn't her first time working with a nanny, she still wasn't so comfortable leaving her daughter alone with a stranger. So she wanted to be as quick as possible, so she could return to Emma.
Just as the last person in the queue was done occupying her, another person called for Kristen's attention.
However, the policy was 'no signing after 50' due to Kristen's haste. But the person who had called out for her attention was a teenage girl of about 17 years of age.
Kristen couldn't ignore her, because looking at her, she only thought about herself at that age. The age when her life took a turn.
Fuck my life. She cursed inside her head. With a reluctant sigh, Kristen plastered a fake smile on her face, signed the book, and took a picture with the girl.
"Thank you so much," the girl squalled, giving Kristen a tight hug. She groaned out of the tightness and was relieved when the girl finally let go.
"You're welcome honey," she gave a rehearsed smile before leaving the area to head back into the hall for the rest of the event.
Sally had long gone before Kristen was done with her part. The books sold out quicker than she had thought.
She made her way to the punch table where she spotted Sally. On reaching there, she took a plastic cup from the stack and served herself some cold punch.
She let out a pleased moan at the contact of her tongue with the cold liquid. Sally giggled at the noises she made.
At age 28, Sally still looked and sometimes behaved like a teenage girl. Kristen found this adorable because their energies matched.
They both believe it because they share the same birthday, and so they were destined to meet and bond. They are sisters now.
Kristen stood admiring Sally's warm features with a smile on her face. Her long brunette hair was packed in a sleek ponytail, and it complimented her slim, tall figure.
At 5'9, Sally stood taller than Kristen's 5'6 body, her freckled nose and rosy cheeks. Kristen couldn't express how grateful she was to her best friend.
Kristen was about to go for another round of punch. She noticed Sally froze in her position and was focused on something behind her.
Kristen did not like the look on her best friend's face. She was hesitant to turn around when a deep voice spoke from behind her.
"Hello, Kristen." On hearing the voice, Kristen abruptly spun around. She stared at the human that had interrupted her punch break.
She stood there staring at the man, mouth shut tight and her eyes gleaming with shock and disbelief.
Standing before her was her first love, the man who had turned her life around for the worse, the man who had shattered her and left her a single mum.
Let a rock fall on me already. She thought internally.
"Mr. Janvier," she said through her teeth. Her heart sank to her stomach.
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