Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
“That’s impossible. She didn’t look like a bad person. Is there a misunderstanding between you two? If there is, why don’t you resolve it with her face-to-face? You’ll be implicated too if you take revenge on her like this, don’t you think?” Tess tried to persuade the woman so she could save her, Flossie, and herself.
“I’m fine with it. After all, I died once. My only wish now is to see Flossie fall into hell even if I go down with her.” The woman said and laughed bitterly. She took off her hat and pointed at the scars on her face.
“Look at my scars—it’s all because of her. Do you know what it feels like to fall off a hundred-meter cliff and get internal bleeding and bone fractures?” She pointed at her crippled left leg and her right hand which was also scarred.
Coldly, she elaborated, “I experienced it once. It was very painful, both body and soul. I even wanted to kill myself… but I soldiered through it. I won’t let her have it easy. If I die, I would’ve suffered for nothing.”
Jessanna’s eyes were bloodshot as she recalled those painful memories. She had wanted to push Flossie off the cliff, but Flossie had accidentally pushed her off the cliff instead. She thought she was doomed, but a fisherman had come along and saved her. After that, she had to stay in bed for half a year to let her body recover.
She didn’t know if that made her lucky or not.
During that half a year, she bided her time until she could finally make Flossie experience hell.
After falling into the pond and being bitten by a sea snake, Leia suffered from temporary shock and was hospitalized. She was lucky that she survived, but the show had to be paused. The netizens had many discussions about her love triangle with Xavier and Santiago-some liked her, some hated her, and some kept a neutral stand. Some liked Xavier, some liked Santiago, and some liked Leia, and those three groups had endless fights on the Internet, making the three people very famous. Leia was practically a superstar.
After being rescued, Leia suffered from a temporary sequela-she lost her voice and couldn’t speak. During her hospitalization, both Xavier and Santiago took turns taking care of her, creating a strange battlefield in her ward. That day, Xavier went to Leia’s ward early after settling his company’s affairs, but Santiago was earlier than him. The generally quiet and handsome superstar behaved like a comedian, telling jokes while peeling fruits for Leia and making her laugh. “Lei, eat this apple. I’ll tell you another joke.” Santiago gently cut the peeled apple into pieces and put some toothpicks on them before handing them to Leia.
Leia nodded, looking at Santiago eagerly. Since she couldn’t speak, her expression was soft and sweet as she smiled at Santiago. It was vastly different from her usual casual and rough behaviour.
“I met a priest once. He told me that ghosts are fiercest after midnight every Sunday. Do you know why?” Santiago asked Leia with a mysterious smile.
Leia used her phone to type out, “Why? Is it because of opposing forces or the five elements? Tell me!” Leia was a fan of metaphysics and fortunetelling, so she was very interested in Santiago’s questions.
“Because then it’d be Monday, and the ghosts don’t want to go to work!” “The ghosts… don’t want to go to work?” Blinking, Leia’s mind processed his words, then she broke out into an amused grin and punched Santiago’s arm playfully. “What a corny joke! Mr. Dalton, you told such a bad joke.” “Haha! Isn’t it interesting? I’ve got a lot more. Do you want to hear more?”
Santiago had almost exhausted all his jokes. He was used to others trying to please him, so he never had to come up with things to say, but this was different. Since Leia couldn’t speak, he wanted to lighten the mood and take care of her, so he bought a book on jokes to amuse Leia every day. Soon, he realized he’d become more light-hearted and funny too.
“How boring!”
Xavier happened to hear their conversation outside the ward, and he rolled his eyes as he walked in with a golden velvet cake he had just bought.” What’s the good of eating apples? They’re cold and bad for your teeth… This, on the other hand, is a golden velvet cake I bought for you after much effort and lining up.” Xavier stood between Santiago and Leia before handing the cake to Leia.
Although Leia scowled at Xavier, she had actually been craving that famous golden velvet cake, so she didn’t reject it. Besides, the chef that made the golden velvet cake only made three of them a day, and they could only be bought if the person was sincere enough. Leia had tried lining up several times and begged the chef for ages, but hadn’t managed to get it. Somehow, Xavier had managed to get it, which meant he had probably put a lot of effort into it.
“Apples are nutritious, and that cake is too sweet. Lei is recovering now, so she can’t have too much sugar.” With a cold expression, Santiago stepped in front of Xavier and reached out to Leia. “Lei, be good and watch what you eat. If you recover fast, you can be discharged early.” Leia held the cake and swallowed nervously. She didn’t dare to eat it.
“It’s just a cake; the doctor didn’t say she couldn’t have it. And cakes can bring her more happiness than your corny jokes, so stop butting in,” Xavier snapped at Santiago.
“If you want what’s best for Lei, you should consider her health first. Yes, she may be happy now, but who’s going to take responsibility if it affects her recovery?” Santiago said firmly, refusing to let Leia indulge in the cake.
“Of course I’m going to take responsibility for her life. She’s my girlfriend, and we’re going to get married in the future. We don’t need comments from a superstar like you…” Xavier scoffed and turned to Leia. “Don’t worry, you can eat it. It’s just a cake.”
While they were arguing, Leia’s attending doctor entered the ward. Immediately, Leia waved at the doctor and pointed at the cake before pointing at her mouth eagerly.
“You can eat it.” The doctor smiled and said, “Your body can process a bit of sugar. Plus, eating a cake isn’t a big deal if it brings you joy. It’ll even help with your recovery.”
Xavier turned and shrugged at Santiago. “Did you hearthat? Stop controlling Lei’s choices with your self-righteous opinions. What you think may not be right for her.”
Santiago ignored Xavier and said to Leia, “Go ahead and eat it since the doctor said it’s okay.”
At first, Leia was full of eagerness, but suddenly, she stopped and put the cake aside.
Frowning, Xavier asked, “Why aren’t you eating it?” “I can’t eat it because I’m trying to slim down.” Leia typed a few words on her phone and showed them to Xavier, trying to control her expression. She had been craving the cake for a long time, but she didn’t want to disappoint Santiago.
Xavier’s expression turned cold because he was hurt. “Do I mean so little to you? Are you really forcing yourself to give the cake up even though you want it?”
Xavier’s words made the atmosphere tense, and Leia felt like she was going to go crazy with the two men constantly fighting over her. Furious, she typed a message on her phone and showed it to Xavier and Santiago.” You two don’t have to come and take care of me from tomorrow onwards.
I don’t want to see either of you.” “I’m sorry, Lei, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have forced you.” Santiago immediately apologized to Leia. His innocent gaze made him look like a college student, and it could soften any woman’s heart.
The brash Xavier knew he couldn’t win against that boyish face. He gritted his teeth and glared at Santiago, muttering, “Sissy boy!”
However, Santiago didn’t get mad, and just hung his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stuart. I know I should be friendly towards people who love Lei sincerely, but I’m very much into her. My possessiveness got the better of me and I said something rude. I’ll go now; I don’t want to make Lei unhappy.
“Stop pretending! You’re just faking it for brownie points.” “Take care, Lei. I don’t want my love to burden you. Goodbye.” Santiago stood up to leave, and his words made Leia feel bad.
Leia tugged on his shirt and shook her head at him. “You stay. He goes!” Leia pointed at Xavier and typed out on her phone.
“What?” Xavier protested incredulously. “Leia, can’t you see that it’s all just an act? He’s pretending, and I’m sure his intentions aren’t right! I’m the only one who’s sincere towards you, and you’ll be in danger if I leave. Don’t you realize that?”
Leia shook her head. “He means well, and you’re being short-tempered and rude. Please go!”
Frustrated and aggrieved, Xavier stormed out. After all, he had a temper and couldn’t accept being driven away by Leia so many times. Once he was gone, the ward was peaceful again.
Santiago kept trying his best to tell Leia jokes, but she seemed distant.
When he realized it, he picked up that cake and said to her, “Eat it if you want to. Don’t hold back. Yes, Xavier is a scumbag, but he was right about this… It’s fine as long as you’re happy.” “I’m sorry, Mr. Dalton. I still can’t forget about him.” Leia’s eyes were watery as she typed the words on her phone gloomily. The reason she had chased Xavier out was because he was annoying and had offended her idol.
Besides, she was afraid she might fall for him again if she spent more time with him.
“You don’t have to apologize. It’s normal that you can’t forget about him because you’re a loyal and loving person. If you do forget about him, I’ll feel like I’ve fallen in love with the wrong person.” Although Santiago was disappointed, he wasn’t angry. Gently, he touched Leia’s head. “Well, you chose him when you woke up after the surgery. I’m just lying to myself and refusing to accept it.” “What do you mean?”
Leia broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly typed out, “I heard that people will do bizarre things when they wake up from general anesthesia. How did I embarrass myself that day? I can’t remember a thing.” “Do you really want to know?” Santiago smiled and asked.
Leia quickly nodded.
“Forget it. I’m worried you’ll get embarrassed if you know.” Santiago had recorded Leia’s reaction with his phone that day because he found it very memorable. After meeting so many insincere people, he found a simple and honest woman like Leia to be rare. Even if her cuteness was not because of him, he wanted to keep it as a memory for the rest of his life.
“No, tell me how crazy I was!” Leia put her hands together and pleaded with Santiago, hoping he would tell her. She had watched such a video before and found it very funny. Maybe she’d learn about her inner self.
“Okay, I’ll show you.” Santiago fished out his phone and showed Leia the video he took that day.
Eagerly, Leia clicked on the video. She saw both Xavier and Santiago hovering beside the gurney as she was pushed out of the surgery room. After that, she behaved like a crazy woman and grabbed Xavier’s hand.
Crying and laughing, she hugged his neck and kissed him endlessly. Then, she hugged him and started sobbing while digging in his hair for something.
“I… What was I looking for?” Leia immediately turned off the video and covered her face awkwardly as she typed.
“The doctor said people will look for the people they rely on the most when they’re muddle-headed after waking up from anesthesia. I guess you must have imagined yourself as a female chimpanzee looking for a mate, and Xavier was the male chimpanzee for you. You’re looking for… Haha! You’re looking for fleas for him.” At that point, Santiago burst out laughing, unable to hold himself back any longer. As Leia’s admirer, it was rather heartbreaking to see her depend on another man, but her actions were really funny, and he’d laugh every time he thought about it.
“Oh gosh! Hurry up and delete it!” Her cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment, and she desperately wanted to delete the video.
“No, you were so cute! I’ll keep it as a memory.” Santiago snatched the phone back, stopping her from deleting it.
“You… aren’t bothered by it?” Leia bit her lip and typed out, peeking at him guiltily.
“Of course I’m bothered by it, but it just means that I’ve got to try my best to replace him as the number one person in your heart,” Santiago said amiably.
Leia left the hospital after she had recovered a week later, and the first person she wanted to see was Flossie. She still couldn’t speak because her throat was recovering, so she had been texting Flossie, but Flossie hadn’t replied to any of her texts. This worried Leia, so she wanted to go to Flossie’s house the instant she was discharged. As Leia left the hospital, Santiago and Xavier were right by her side. “Let’s go. I want to go to Flossie’s house too. It’s on the way.” Xavier immediately took Leia’s luggage as if he were her boyfriend, but Leia snatched it back, typed something on her phone, then showed it to Xavier angrily. “Didn’t I ask you to stay away from me? I don’t want to see you.”
“Just close your eyes if you don’t want to see me.” After that, Xavier shot a snide look at Santiago. “You don’t have to go since they’re our friends; it’ll only be awkward if you go.”
“Leia should be the one who decides that. It’s not up to you, Mr. Stuart.” Santiago ignored Xavier and looked at Leia pointedly.
Leia rubbed her temples as the two men sized each other up, then typed, “I’ll go alone.” After that, she took her luggage and strode out of the hospital. She wanted to meet Flossie so they could catch up, and it would be awkward if those two came along and constantly bickered with each other. It was easier to go alone. Leia tried to hail a cab, but it was tough since there were a lot of people in front of the hospital.