A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

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..."

suicide attempt. That's when he realized the depths of despair she had been living

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,

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

enough and pulled Alan towards the balcony, intending to end it all. But Alan, with his superior strength, grabbed the

the Sharp family realized the torment Starry had endured. Peterson, upon learning the truth, went to Alan's house with an iron rod and his face set in stone. Without a word, he let his bodyguards restrain Alan and proceeded to shatter Alan's legs and, in a pretended accident, castrated him. After delivering this retribution, Peterson warned Alan that this was

imprisoned for domestic violence. Peterson himself spent a short time behind bars before being released. Once free, he hunted down Alan's family business like a mad dog until he

the courage to visit Starry in the hospital. Coincidentally, he overheard a

as the head of

ended up in the hospital from the stress, and Derrick, realizing the advice Yates Sharp had given him before his death, began to persuade Peterson's mother to let Peterson be. Peterson, who had decided to be single, found his heart aching unbearably at the sight of Starry's desolate figure in the hospital bed, staring out the window as if