A Second Chance at Love

POV Roberta

There he was, standing in the university hall—the man who had left me at the altar.

I watched him through the crowded academic setting, my mind drifting between the professor’s lecture and Leonard’s familiar face, which still haunted my nightmares. My hands shook. I couldn’t quite name the emotion surging through me as I saw him again after all this time. Leonard kept his eyes glued to the chalkboard. He hadn’t noticed me yet, standing only a few yards away, enrolled in his same major, destined to share this campus for the coming semesters.

When I heard we were getting a new student, I never imagined it would be him.

Three months ago, the man who claimed to love me abandoned me on our wedding day. He lacked the decency to look into my wounded eyes, choosing instead to flee to a place where I couldn’t find him. For three months, I searched for him tirelessly, desperate for an explanation, comfort, or some kind of relief. And now, here he was, in my class, smiling as if he hadn’t shattered my heart into a thousand pieces.

The bell echoed through the halls, breaking the silence as laughter and hurried footsteps filled the air. My gaze, however, remained locked on him. I wanted to march over and demand an explanation, but my feet froze just as the air escaped my lungs.

A deathly chill invaded my body until a hand gripped my shoulder and a familiar voice pulled me back to reality.

“Roberta!” I looked at Vivian, my vision completely blurred. “I have someone critical to introduce to you today. Remember, I mentioned my boyfriend?”

My eyes flickered back to Leonard. He remained distracted, looking everywhere but at me, as if I had never existed. Vivian’s hands gripped me tighter this time, trying to pull me toward him.

I would rather not meet Vivian’s fiancé—whoever he was—especially not if he was standing anywhere near Leonard. I pulled back, trying to draw her attention away. Vivian and I had become friends after Leonard left me; consequently, no one knew my secret, and I had kept it safe until that very moment.

“Wait, what are you doing?” I attempted to stop her, but my voice was so faint I knew she could barely hear me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my cheeks flushing and my arm burning where Vivian touched me as she dragged me closer to Leonard. When I opened my eyes, I was standing right in front of him. The smile he wore moments ago vanished the second his eyes finally met mine.

“I want you to meet my boyfriend,” Vivian said, her tone melodic and proud as her fingers slid possessively over the shoulder of his white T-shirt. “This is Leonard. We’re so in love we just couldn’t wait… Our engagement party is tomorrow.”

Engagement? Tomorrow?

The blood drained from my face. My cheeks felt stiff and cold, matching the sudden mask of Leonard’s expression. He had left me at the altar three months ago, yet Vivian claimed they had been in love for at least seven.

Did he leave me at the altar just to be with her? The world spun slowly as the loose ends of my heartbreak began to weave together. I should have slapped him right then and there, but I clenched my fists with unnatural speed as soon as the thought crossed my mind.

“Leonard, this is Roberta, my friend,” Vivian continued, acting as if this meeting were the highlight of her day.

The only part of Leonard that moved was his gaze, which he pointedly kept away from mine. For months, I had sought an explanation for his sudden disappearance. Life was so ironic it had brought him to my university. Did he really think I’d never discover his dirty little secret?

“You’re getting engaged?” I widened my eyes, feigning total surprise. “How long have you two been dating, Vivian?”

“Seven months. How could you forget?” She smiled, and I forced myself to do the same.

Vivian opened her purse and pulled out an envelope, handing it to me. At that moment, I should have spoken up. I should have told her that the man she was about to marry was a traitor who had jilted me to be with her. But the truth felt so shameful that I couldn’t utter a single word.

“This is the invitation to my engagement party,” she said, holding it out.

As Vivian extended the envelope, Leonard intervened. His voice—the same one that used to whisper promises in my ear—was now cold and sharp.

“I don’t think Roberta can make it,” he said, still refusing to look at me. “I don’t want too many strangers at our party.”

That was the breaking point. Did he want to erase me? Turn me into a “stranger” in the very story he had destroyed? I snatched the envelope so hard the paper nearly tore.

“I’ll be at your party, Vivian,” I said, cutting him off. I forced a pleasant smile that felt more like a grimace. The lie escaped my lips before I could stop it: “And I’ll be bringing someone. My wealthy boyfriend.”

Leonard’s smile faltered.

“Wealthy? A boyfriend? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Vivian laughed loudly, the sound echoing down the hall.

“He’s a very prominent business executive in New York. The heir to a massive fortune,” I continued to lie, my stomach churning. I needed Leonard to feel at least a shred of doubt.

“Really?” Incredulity etched lines into Leonard’s face as Vivian spoke. “I can’t wait to meet him!”

For a moment, Leonard stood there, frozen. He was trying to process the idea that I might actually have something—or someone—of value. Then, Vivian spun on her heel and walked away with him, ready to spread the news across campus.

I knew what would happen next. Within seconds, the entire university would be buzzing about my “rich boyfriend.” It would be far worse if they were talking about Leonard’s betrayal.

I had to make the lie real. Vivian and Leonard set their engagement, and I had no man to support my story. Desperation forced me toward a radical solution: I had to find a fake boyfriend, and I had to do it fast.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked once more at the man I still loved. His gaze was so cold that a death sentence would have felt less painful than his contempt. Leonard laughed; he didn’t believe I could have a boyfriend. No one did, but I was ready to prove them wrong.

I retreated to my room to try to focus, but my phone flickered with a new notification: “Premium Escort Services. Find your perfect match for exclusive events.”

I grabbed the device. I had registered for it only minutes earlier in a peak of desperation. Immediately, I noted down the address and prepared myself. I grabbed my purse and shoved in the card containing all my savings. I didn’t research references or check for safety; I looked only at the address and the money I was about to invest. It didn’t matter if I spent fifteen thousand dollars—I needed to end this. I had to prove to Leonard that I was not a woman someone simply abandoned at the altar.

I walked out of the campus, surpris