As I stared at my youthful face in the mirror, I struggled to process the surreal revelation in front of me. My skin glowed with a vibrancy I hadn't seen in years, and my emerald green eyes sparkled with a sense of youthfulness that felt foreign yet exhilarating.
I lifted my hands to touch my cheeks, half-expecting the reflection to shatter like a glass mirror, revealing the reality of my forty-year-old self. But the image remained intact, and as I took a deep breath, my phone rang, jolting me out of my daze.
Blackpink's "Kill This Love" blasted through the air, vibrating my very core. I fumbled for the phone, still trying to comprehend my reflection.
Without glancing at the screen, I answered, my mind still caught in the confusion of the moment.
"H-hello?" My voice trembled, unsure if I was ready for any more surprises.
"Hello, Miss Arisa! I'm Michael, calling from Second Chance at Love. We received your application for an overhaul in your love life. Thank you for believing in our service!" His cheery tone felt like a jolt of caffeine straight to my bewildered brain.
"W-wait? What did you say?" My heart raced as the pieces fell into a jumbled mess. Second Chance at Love? An overhaul? What the hell is this nonsense?
"I'm Michael from Second Chance at Love." He continued, oblivious to my disbelief. "Well, we have verbal records that you did apply. If you want to withdraw your application, I'm afraid it's currently impossible, Miss. Rest assured, we have received 100% satisfaction reviews with our service."
Stupefied, I tried to grasp the situation. "Verbal records? What are you talking about? I didn't apply for anything!"
There was a brief silence on the line before Michael chimed in again, his voice unyieldingly chipper. "I just sent you the verbal records of your application. You should receive it right about now."
As if on cue, a notification chimed on my phone. "Hold on…" I said, my voice shaky as I opened the message. "Sure, Miss Arisa. I will hold the line," Michael replied, still exuding enthusiasm.
When I checked my messages, I saw a notification from last night that I had ignored. Curiosity piqued, I opened the voice message file and pressed play. My voice came through, echoing my words from last night—my thoughts of wanting to overhaul my love life. My heart dropped into my stomach.
What's going on? I thought, trying to wrap my mind around the impossible.
"Hello? Michael, is it?" I asked, needing confirmation that this wasn't some elaborate prank.
"Yes, Miss Arisa! Are you ready to move forward with your first blind date?"
"Wait! Wait... I'm confused right now."
"Oh, not to worry! That's normal. Most of our clients are like that," he assured me, his cheerful tone now bordering on condescending. I could almost picture the sympathetic smile plastered on his face.
"We have an app that can help speed things up and get you started," he added, his excitement palpable. "This is why I was calling—to walk you through the app and the little intricacies of our services. Tell you what—why don't you give our service a try first and then decide later? We do offer a free seven-day trial for the app."
I hung up the phone, my mind still spinning. This had to be some kind of bizarre prank or a sick joke. But the persistent idea that perhaps I was experiencing a second chance at life whispered at the back of my mind.
Sitting down on my bed, I checked the App Store to download the app suggested by Michael. When I searched for Second Chance at Love, a heart icon adorned with cupids appeared. I hesitated for a moment, eyeing the app's five-star rating and countless rave reviews. What kind of service is this?
First, the ice cream lady, then the weird ads, now this phone call and app. Was I living in some fantastical parallel universe? My heart pounded in my chest.
Yes, this must still be a dream, I told myself, gripping the edges of my bed as if it might anchor me to reality. But I didn't go back in time. The date is still 2024. What is going on?
Deciding to roll with it instead of dwelling in confusion, I focused on the workday ahead. As a fashion mogul, I owned a consultancy that helped women dress with confidence. My designs graced the runways, and I had built a brand that stood tall in the fashion industry.
After a quick shower, I dressed in a chic, tailored blazer that emphasized my newfound youth, accompanied by a sleek pencil skirt that hugged my curves just right. I admired my reflection for a moment longer, still grappling with the peculiarity of it all.
As I made my way to work, I felt a sense of purpose creeping back in. But that was swiftly interrupted by a traffic roadblock up ahead.
Ugh, just my luck, I thought, rolling my eyes. The police officers seemed to be conducting inspections on motorists. When it was finally my turn, I rolled down my window and encountered a stern-looking officer.
"License and ID, please," he instructed curtly.
I fumbled through my bag, the contents spilling out like a chaotic reminder of my life. As I handed over my license, I noticed the officer's puzzled expression as he checked my ID multiple times, alternating between my youthful visage and the woman in the photo who was clearly past forty.
"This should be interesting," I muttered under my breath, feeling the weight of awkward silence press down on me. I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment, and I could almost hear the clock ticking down the seconds until he would ask the inevitable question.
"Miss, could you please move over to the side?" he finally said, breaking the tension.
"What? Is there something wrong?" I stammered, panic rising in my throat. "My license isn't expired. I just renewed it this month!"
"It's not that, Miss," he replied, his tone implying I should have understood. "Please park at the side so we can further verify you."
Verify me? Why? It hit me like a ton of bricks: my face! My ID and driver's license showed a picture of my forty-year-old self. I cursed under my breath and obediently parked my car to the side, my heart racing.
As I sat there, I could feel the seconds stretch into hours. My smartwatch buzzed, indicating that I had half an hour before my client arrived. I took a deep breath and tried to maintain some semblance of calm.
Would this day ever end? Just when I thought I was ready to embrace the new opportunities of my life, the universe decided to throw me another curveball. I leaned back in my seat, my thoughts racing.
What on earth is happening?
Suddenly, the officer approached my window, and I prepared for the worst. He leaned down, looking directly at me with an eyebrow raised. "Miss, can you explain why there's a discrepancy between your ID and your appearance?"
Taking a deep breath, I gathered my thoughts. "Well, you see... I—"
Before I could explain, a commotion erupted from behind me. A car horn blared, a couple of pedestrians shouted, and I turned my head to see a child chasing a soccer ball into the street.
"Hey! Watch out!" I called, instinctively lunging forward, but the officer was already moving toward the child, his serious demeanor shifting to that of a concerned protector.
The momentary distraction pulled attention away from me. I seized the opportunity, my heart pounding as I considered my next move. Was this a chance to escape or a sign that perhaps fate had other plans for me?
As the officer redirected his focus to the child, I glanced at my phone. A notification lit up the screen, and I opened the app from Second Chance at Love.
"Sign up for your free trial," it prompted. A rush of exhilaration surged through me. Maybe this was the universe's way of nudging me forward. What if I really was meant to embrace this second chance?
With a flick of my thumb, I registered for the trial. The app required a profile photo. I glanced in the rearview mirror, my youthful reflection looking back at me with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. I took a selfie and uploaded my pic.
"Maybe it's time for something new," I whispered to myself, the weight of the day's events settling into the background.
The officer returned, his expression softened. "Miss, sorry for the delay. Everything checks out, but we need to be vigilant."
"Of course, officer," I replied, my heart racing. "Thank you for keeping the community safe."
I felt a surge of gratitude. Maybe today was the day I'd finally embrace change, and I would let my past fade into the background, just like the car behind me.
As I drove away, my heart thudded with possibility. This was just the beginning of something extraordinary.