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Dennis’s life glittered outside like a diamond. Every morning it was suit and tie, a big office with glass walls, a car shining under the city lights, and a mansion not too far from the town center. Society called him “the perfect man.”

But inside, Dennis carried a heavy chain. Loneliness kept him company, and sometimes silence was louder than a generator. His heart never rested.

Flashback

One night, memory rushed him like thunder. Jenny. The woman who once was his coworker and girlfriend. The scar still burned.

That evening years back, Jenny walked into his cabin with a smile. Talk started normal — office gist, small laughter. But an argument rose like fire.

“Dennis, you don’t even see me anymore. Only work is in your eyes,” Jenny’s voice cracked.

Dennis snapped a reply. “If not for this work, would you even be here with me? I’m the one carrying all the weight, Jenny.”

Her eyes turned red, with pain in her. She dropped the file on the table and moved out. That was the last time she looked at him.

The Reunion

Years passed. Dennis still sat in the top chair, but inside his soul leaked. Pressure from work, fake smiles, everybody praised him — but the emptiness refused to leave.

It was at a corporate seminar he saw Jenny again. She had changed. More confident, elegant, time polished her like wine.

Dennis’s chest beat like a drum. At first, silence tied both of them. But inside his heart, one voice shouted: “This is a second chance. Don’t miss it.”

The Twist

Later that evening, as the crowd cleared the hall, Dennis finally walked to meet her.

“Jenny,” his voice was low, almost begging.
She turned, eyes sharp but calm. “Dennis.”

Small talk started — work, family, life gist. But silence still sat between them. Finally, Dennis opened up.

“I can’t carry this burden again. That day, I hurt you. I was blind, too proud. I didn’t fight for us.”

Jenny sighed. “You broke me that day. I moved on, Dennis. In fact…” she paused, twisted her ring finger, “…someone is in my life now. He wants to marry me.”

Dennis’s heart froze. The world spun a little. Fear entered him — the second chance could die before it even started. But Jenny added:

“…still, I won’t lie, seeing you today stirred things I thought were gone. You look like a man who regrets deeply.”

The Conflict

Dennis’s voice shook. “Jenny, if I have only one chance to prove I have changed, I’m ready. Success without you is empty. I won’t beg for your love now. I’ll beg for you to see the real me first.”

Her eyes grew wet. “Are you sure this isn’t another pride hiding under big grammar?”

Dennis bowed his head. “This is me raw. No image, no title. Just a man still sorry.”

The Healing

Jenny didn’t rush an answer. But she stretched out her hand and touched his arm. “We will start small. No promise. No rush. Just truth.”

From that night, Dennis dropped the mask. He began to show her the tiredness, the fear, the weakness. Jenny listened, sometimes challenged him, sometimes held him close. Step by step, the wall began to fall.

The Ending

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Society still called Dennis “the perfect man,” but he no longer chased that shadow. The mansion, the car, the title all were decoration. The real victory was that Jenny agreed to give him a small light of forgiveness.

As they walked out of that hall side by side, Dennis felt the heavy chain on his chest begin to melt.

And so he learned: a second chance does not come twice, and true love waits only for a patience heart

I invite @imohmitch @calculuseyo1 @promisezella to participate in this contest.