All Chapters of A Thousand Second Chances: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Shirley said calmly into the phone, "Ms. Dittman, I don't care what your relationship is with her, but anyone who thinks they can boss me around has to go, especially when it's someone on your payroll."Ivy hadn't expected Shirley to be so bold. She was about to argue when Astrid hung up the phone.She tried calling back, but no one answered.Shirley let out a soft laugh. "Stop calling. Astrid doesn't scare me that much. Ivy, right? Are you going to wait for your lawyer, or are you handling this yourself?"Ivy glared, fuming."This isn't over. You'll be begging me soon enough!"Then, she spun on her heel and left.Shirley followed her downstairs, passing by staff who peeked nervously at her.They had all heard the confrontation between Ivy and Shirley. Everyone was curious—the lounge had a new owner, and it was this unassuming woman.She reached the bottom, and Ivy was still lingering, deliberately addressing the employees."We can't stay here anymore. I've trained every sing

"I get out of the hospital, and you don't even show up? Has that woman been feeding you some kind of love potion?" Paulina spat."If there's nothing else, I'll be going now." Matthew turned to leave.Paulina was furious. "Stop! Did I say you could go?"Matthew looked back, his eyes dark as midnight. "I was in the hospital the same time as you. I didn't have time to come get you."Astrid quickly tried to smooth things over. "Matthew, Mom just cares about you. She wanted you back to celebrate a little. She knows you love a crowd, so she set up the fireworks outside just for you."Paulina's voice softened, full of pride."Astrid even cooked a full dinner for me to celebrate my discharge and had the fireworks prepared. She's been so attentive these past few days. That's the kind of daughter-in-law I want. Not that rude, unsophisticated Shirley—"Before she finished speaking, Matthew suddenly kicked the chair in front of him. It flew several feet across the room.The enormous living

Now that Shirley didn't love Matthew anymore, his presence felt dark and suffocating. Even the little patience she had was gone.Matthew swallowed the ache in his chest and the tension in his stomach. Holding a small, delicate box about the size of half an arm, he stepped forward."I'm sorry I made you mad again."Shirley kept a straight face. "It's fine. I've gotten used to it already. Did you look at the divorce agreement? There's room to negotiate."Matthew reeled in his temper, lowering his voice as he tried to soothe her. "Can we not talk about divorce right now?""Why? Are you thinking about backing out?"Matthew shook his head. "I can change. I don't think we should end things without trying.""No. I've had enough. I want to divorce you as soon as possible.""What did I do to make you hate me this much?""You tell me."Little things had piled up, and even Shirley couldn't pinpoint exactly when it became unbearable. But she knew she couldn't take it anymore.Her icy ga

Noelle smiled faintly."Mr. Ray, I heard you once spent tens of thousands at Astrid's lounge, swiping your card without even blinking. Shirley, the last time you were buying clothes at the market, you even asked me to bargain for you. You two are really something. All that money Mr. Ray has… I guess none of it went to you, huh?"Matthew's face darkened. He reached out to take Shirley's hand on the table, but she instinctively shrugged it away.Matthew shot Noelle a glare. She raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying herself.That was what he got for crossing her—a broken marriage!Matthew seemed to understand why Shirley had been so furious after leaving the lounge. He took a deep breath and tried to explain everything patiently."It would look bad if the Rays run tabs at lounges. Besides, I don't just drink at one place. Business outings cost money everywhere. From now on, with Shirley running the lounge, we can raise the prices a bit. Our company reimburses it, anyway. No need to le

Astrid had just taken a bath with rose petals and rubbed in some essential oils—a delicate, indulgent routine.After bowing and scraping at the Rays' house for so many days, Tony was finally giving her a little bit of attention. She expected to have an unforgettable night.Unlike Matthew, who was straightforward, Tony was impossible to read.Seeing him slipping on his pajamas and lifting the covers to get out of bed, Astrid panicked and wrapped her arms around his lean waist."You have to believe me. It really wasn't me. I don't know how this happened…"Tony's movement was deep, deliberate, and controlled as he put his belt on. A man like him—a top-tier elite bred by his family—would never let his emotions show. He wouldn't lash out or yell.He simply touched her hair lightly."Rest for now. I'll go to the study to handle some paperwork."The excuse was effortless, and he even lowered his voice politely as he closed the door.Astrid's face drained of color. She spent the night