A Second Chance At Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1503

Peterson had always harbored a bit of resentment towards Starry. He could sense that she had feelings for him, yet she married someone else. The guy she chose was nothing but a silver-spooned layabout, whose only redeeming quality was his family's wealth. Peterson could never wrap his head around what Starry saw in him.

But now, he understood. Starry was drawn to the man's talent for sweet-talking women, and his darker side that Peterson had never wanted to see. In a moment of bitter reflection, Peterson scoffed at the mess Starry had gotten herself into. He thought she had made her bed and now had to lie in it.

Yet, deep down, Peterson was troubled, especially when haunted by dreams at midnight. He would see Starry with a bruised face, begging him for help.

Sleep would elude him, and he'd find himself standing by the window, gazing at the room across the yard where Starry lived before her ill-fated marriage.

His memories were filled with the dream version of Starry, clutching his hand, pleading, "Peterson, save me, I'm dying... please come save me..."

He couldn't fathom what these nightmares meant until he heard the news of Starry's suicide attempt. That's when he realized the depths of despair she had been living in.

Since marrying Alan, Starry had been enduring domestic abuse. When it became unbearable, she would seek refuge with the Sharp family, but Peterson’s mother, citing familial bonds, would urge her to endure, to avoid divorce, and explicitly warned her not to tell Peterson.

Starry had no choice but to suffer in silence until Alan's behavior escalated. Not only did he have affairs, but he also grew more violent, accusing Starry of meddling and then beating her, starting with fists and escalating to weapons. Their eight-year-old daughter was not spared either. After a particularly brutal beating that left the child convulsing, Starry mustered all her strength to resist Alan.

In the struggle, Starry decided she'd had enough and pulled Alan towards the balcony, intending to end it all. But Alan, with his superior strength, grabbed the railing and stayed up, while Starry fell, breaking her leg.