THE SECOND CHANCE LOVE

So Annoying

Since yesterday, Alyssa and Brent's relationship has grown more distant. They rarely communicate when alone. Alyssa often ignores Brent, and Brent, with his naturally cold and taciturn nature, remains silent. Five days had passed, and they still remained silent towards each other.

Today they will return to their respective routines. Tomorrow Alyssa has to finish her work at the office and attend an important meeting with clients. Considering this, Alyssa becomes even more annoyed, especially because she has to sleep in Brent's unfamiliar place instead of her comfortable home with her father.

While packing her belongings into her bag, Alyssa continues to mutter, venting her frustration. She doesn't need to bring a suitcase as part of it has already been taken by Brent's assistant, and now it must be at Brent's house.

"Ugh! Such an annoying husband," Alyssa hisses, "Insensitive. No effort at all. He knows I'm angry. Instead of trying to soothe me, he just stays silent."

Alyssa keeps grumbling until suddenly her bedroom door is opened. Alyssa startles as she sees Brent enter, staring at her with a blank expression.

"What are you looking at? I'll poke your eyes out!" Alyssa scolds inwardly. Nevertheless, she doesn't dare to do it directly, considering how influential he is. She doesn't want to take the risk.

"Finished packing?" Brent asks, standing in front of Alyssa.

"Does it look like it?" Alyssa retorted curtly.

Brushing his black hair back, Brent asks again, "Until when are you going to be mad at me?"

Alyssa moves to sit in front of the vanity table, pretending to be busy applying makeup to her already beautiful face. "As long as I want," Alyssa answers.

"Okay," Brent says, then leaves.

Alyssa gapes, unable to believe that's all. "Seriously? That's it?!" she exclaims in frustration.

Ah, what does Alyssa expect from Brent? They don't even love each other. Alyssa is sure Brent doesn't feel responsible for making her happy. So, it's understandable that Brent doesn't care about her condition now. This reality crushes Alyssa's heart. Now she feels very unlucky.

"I haven't even fallen in love before. I don't know what it feels like to fall in love. But now..." Tears start to wet Alyssa's cheeks, depicting deep sorrow.

In other matters, Alyssa can still act normal, pretending to be strong and resilient. But, when it comes to matters of the heart, Alyssa suddenly becomes a sensitive girl.

Realizing her tears are continuing to flow, Alyssa quickly wipes them away. However, she doesn't want to make Hiro, her colleague, sad if he finds out she and the man who is now her husband are currently in a Cold War.

Bowing her head, Alyssa's hands twist together in her lap. "Forgive me, Father..." she whispers.

Alyssa only hopes to be happy, so her father doesn't have to worry or regret marrying her to Brent.

...

After traveling for several hours, Alyssa finally arrives at Brent's residence. According to the agreement, from now on Alyssa will live with Brent. They enter a minimalist house dominated by black and gray colors. The living room of the house is neatly arranged, minimalist, and quite pleasant to the eyes. The furniture is not excessive.

Alyssa looked around, examining every corner of the room. Her gaze falls on two doors in front of the living room, positioned side by side. Surely those two rooms are bedrooms, she thinks.

"Ekhm!"

The sound of Brent's footsteps halted Alyssa's wandering thoughts. Now, the girl stared at Brent standing beside her.

"There are two rooms, right?" Alyssa asked flatly. It was clear that Alyssa was still sulking.

"Yes," Brent replied with the same flat tone.

"Which one is yours?" Alyssa asked again.

"The one on the right," Brent answered, staring at the door of the room on the right.

"So, that means my room is the one on the left," Alyssa exclaimed, then hurried to that room.

Brent remained in his place, his brow furrowed as if digesting Alyssa's words.

As Alyssa was about to open the door, Brent finally asked, "So, you want to sleep in that room?"

"Yes. Why?" Alyssa asked, reaching for the door handle.

"It's fine. Your things haven't been arranged yet and are still in my room. Just take them yourself!" Brent said.

Without saying another word, Brent entered his room, leaving Alyssa pouting in front of the guest room door.

"So annoying," Alyssa muttered.

After waking up as usual, Alyssa prepared breakfast for herself and Brent, even though it was just fried rice and fried eggs. But what happened was completely unexpected. After finishing cooking, Alyssa went to Brent's room. She knocked on the black door several times, but there was no response. Finally, Alyssa dared to enter.

"Huh?"

The sight in the room stunned Alyssa. Brent's room was tidy, with no signs of life there. His laptop, work bag, and car keys were also nowhere to be seen. It could be concluded that the man had already left.

"What time did he leave, anyway?" Alyssa asked, trying to contain her irritation.

Although Alyssa had painstakingly cooked breakfast for them, Brent had left without saying goodbye. Alyssa's annoyance skyrocketed. Without hesitation, she slammed Brent's door, then rushed to the kitchen and threw away the fried rice and fried eggs she had cooked so hard.

"Even though he knows I have to go to the office today. Our destination is the same, but he left first. And didn't even say goodbye," Alyssa grumbled.

Alyssa was truly annoyed and hurt by Brent's behavior. He could sometimes be very sweet, but often succeeded in making Alyssa angry with his cold and indifferent attitude.

"So annoying! You're so annoying!" Alyssa shouted, venting her frustration.

Tears started to well up in her eyes, a sign that her feelings were really not okay.

After throwing away the breakfast she had prepared, Alyssa felt her heart tightening even more. She returned to her room, sat on the edge of the bed, and tried to calm herself down. But thoughts about Brent's behavior kept bothering her.

"Why can't he just care a little bit?!" Alyssa said to herself, her voice filled with escalating anger. "I've tried to adapt, but he's just like that. What's so hard about saying something or saying goodbye before leaving?!"

Alyssa stood up, pacing back and forth in her room, trying to distract herself from the burning anger. However, her mind kept spinning. "He doesn't even care where I live, even though he's the one who insisted I live with him," she muttered, her voice growing louder. "Does he think I'm some kind of puppet that can be controlled at will?!"

The more Alyssa thought about it, the more hurt she felt. Her feelings were a mix of anger, disappointment, and feeling unappreciated. "He never makes an effort to understand me," she said, her voice trembling. "I worked hard to prepare breakfast, but he just left like that."

Alyssa sat at the vanity table, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. Her face looked tired, and her eyes were red from holding back tears. She tried to wipe away the tears that started flowing, but they wouldn't stop.

"I have my limits too," she whispered softly, staring at Brent's image in her mind. "I'm tired of always having to give in. I'm tired of always trying to understand without ever being understood."

She slumped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling of the room with a hollow feeling. "What's the point of living together if we're like strangers?" she thought. "He's always busy with his business, as if I don't exist in his life."

Alyssa remembered the reasons they got married, the pressure from her family, and the promises made. However, it all felt futile. Brent never showed the slightest bit of care or effort to build a better relationship.

"Why did we have to get married if we don't love each other?" she asked herself. "I know it's all for my father's health. But... isn't there any happiness for me here?"

Alyssa knew she had to be strong, but this time it felt very difficult. She felt alone in this marriage, without love and without support. "I'm not a robot who can keep going without feelings," she thought, tears continuing to flow down her cheeks.

She grabbed her phone and called Hiro, her colleague who always knew how to comfort her.

"Hiro, I need to talk," she said, her voice hoarse.

To be continued...