All Chapters of A Thousand Second Chances: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Matthew glanced at the name on his phone. His face softened for a second, but he didn't say a word to Astrid. He just turned his back and walked straight to the elevator.Watching him go, Astrid felt as if she was right back at college graduation. She saw his silhouette overlap with that day years ago, when he had broken up with her.Matthew had worn that same guilty smile, the one that still cut her like glass. He told her the girl he truly loved had shown up, and he wanted to be with her. He had even begged Astrid to forgive him and promised her any kind of compensation she wanted.Astrid had cried until she couldn't breathe, begging him not to leave.He had always been the perfect boyfriend—buying her gifts, opening doors, acting like a total gentleman. But there had always been something missing, as if there was a wall she could never get past. That day, though, he wasn't gentle at all. He had been cold and unshakable as he watched her break down without a flicker of regret.

"Well, Ms. Diamond, I've been trying to find you for days. You haven't answered any of my messages. Can you at least take me off your block list?" Matthew said. Shirley stared at him, furious at how casual he looked, as if nothing had happened. Did he really think he could just sweep everything under the rug again?"The school doesn't even allow outsiders' cars on campus. How did you get in here?"She was ready to take this to the dean's office and campus security if she had to.Matthew twirled a shiny new car key in his hand and smirked. "Your school's running a research project. I just sponsored it. Technically, I'm not an outsider anymore."She lowered her gaze, lips curling in a sharp smile. "Wow. Throwing around that kind of money, huh? Must be doing really well. In that case, how about paying me back what you owe me?"Matthew's expression darkened, his eyes turning cold. "I don't have the money to pay you back."Because paying her back meant cutting ties, and he'd never l

Matthew followed behind, swiping his card for every purchase. Normally, he carried himself as if he were too important to bother with things like shopping bags. Now, he looked almost out of place holding them. Still, he was in good spirits."What about you?" he asked. "What do you want?"Shirley didn't even hesitate. "Nothing. Just give me money."Matthew nodded and went with her back to the car. Once they were settled, he handed her a sleek black credit card."This is the main card. I'll use the secondary one. From now on, you can use this whenever you want."He had tried giving her a card before, but she had refused. Now that she was finally willing to spend, he couldn't be happier.Shirley glanced at the card and smirked. "I don't want the card. I want cash. Just wire me the money."Matthew paused, worried she was bringing up the 7,200 dollars he still owed her. "How much?"She said casually, "Let's start with… 20 million."Matthew actually sighed in relief. "Alright."He

Paulina sneered. "So what? I'm sure she used your card. Like she could ever afford that herself!"Matthew's smile faded.Shirley wasn't about to let that slide. "Ms. Lynch, your last name isn't Ray either. You're a daughter-in-law, just like me. Why is it fine for you to spend family money, but not me? Grandma, tell me—am I allowed to use Matthew's money or not?"Florence raised her eyebrows, squeezed Shirley's hand gently, and said, "Spend it. Spend it all. He earns money for you to use, not for it to rot in a bank account. If you want, you should be the one in charge of the finances. Every dollar he spends should go through you first."Shirley clapped her hands. "That's actually a great idea!"Matthew chuckled low, his voice steady. "I'm fine with that."Paulina's face tightened. "That's ridiculous! She doesn't know the first thing about managing money. She'll blow through everything Matthew has!"Florence gave Paulina a long, meaningful look. "Oh, I see. Since you can't get c

Astrid's tears finally spilled. Fear, relief, and resentment all mixed together.Marrying Tony had been her one shot at crushing Shirley. It was also the Dittmans' safest backup plan.She hated Shirley for stealing Matthew away. And now, more than anything, she wanted Shirley to feel the same kind of pain.-Matthew brought Shirley back to their luxury apartment. His face was stormy, and the two of them stayed silent the whole way.As soon as they got inside, he headed straight for the shower.Shirley ignored his anger. He could get a heart attack and die, for all she cared. If anything, she would be happy to inherit his money.She went about packing up her small things, planning to move back into the faculty housing on campus.When Matthew came out, steam drifted from the bathroom and quickly vanished. His hair was dripping wet, water tracing down his temples. His abs and muscles were sharp and lean—not bulky, just strong. A towel was slung low around his waist, his bare feet