Regrets Of A Second Male Lead

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

Chloe found a letter from her husband’s first love in her study.

[I wish your partner was Chloe.

If you would stay by Chloe’s side, I would be so relieved.

P.s. Did you notice that the child likes you too?]

Chloe, who spent happy days with her sweet husband and lovely son.

The day she found her old letter from her husband’s first love, Leila, in the library.

Her happiness is shattered.

It turns out that Leyla had persuaded her husband, Gerard, to marry Chloe.

Chloe, who deeply loves her husband, is desperate for her truth, which she has learned after 8 years.

In the end, to find out the full story of her case, she heads to the north where Leila lives…

“Madam, I was wrong. I was really wrong…”

The late Marquis Gerard Blanchett prayed to his wife on her knees.

The experience of being driven to the very end of grief had already left him out of his mind.

He doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he just clings to his wife and asks for forgiveness.

“So… Don’t throw it away, okay? Chloe, please…”

This man cries and cries.

What the hell is his truth?

Associated Names
One entry per line
외전: 서브 남주의 후회
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Refusing Your Ex-Husband’s Obsession: A Guide (1)
Come and Cry At My Funeral (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. my fav grovel novels
  2. Choose me, love me. (Angst)
  3. Favourite Novels
  4. I wait for you to update everyday
  5. rae's bunnies

Latest Release

Date Group Release
03/11/24 RainOfSnow c89
03/06/24 RainOfSnow c88
03/06/24 RainOfSnow c87
01/12/24 RainOfSnow c86
12/02/23 RainOfSnow c85
12/02/23 RainOfSnow c84
11/21/23 RainOfSnow c83
11/21/23 RainOfSnow c82
11/14/23 RainOfSnow c81
11/14/23 RainOfSnow c80
11/10/23 RainOfSnow c79
11/06/23 RainOfSnow c78
10/25/23 RainOfSnow c77
10/25/23 RainOfSnow c76
10/18/23 RainOfSnow c75
Go to Page...
Go to Page...
Review
12 Reviews


Skite
Skite
Apr 28, 2023
Status: c84
Very emotionally honest and nuanced to the point where I wonder if the author has gone through a divorce and then years of unpacking what happened in therapy.

I enjoy the creative structure the narrative has taken: it is non-linear, so we are getting both the present day, adult conflict, and the past events which serve as their root cause at the same time, without having to sit through hundreds of chapters of them as children to get to the juicy bit, which is resolved in an instant (*cough*"I am trying... more>> to divorce my villainous husband, but we have a child"*cough*)

We also get the events from different perspectives, showcasing how far apart the couple actually is.

The "Isekai" part is handled creatively: all of the people are full members of their world, but dream of a "book" which shows them possible futures in the form of a narrative. Interestingly, each person has a different book, implying both that everyone is the main character of at least someone's story, and that the universe is taking an active influence. These dream books can also play out alternative narratives and "what if?" scenarios.

At its essence, this story is about people protecting themselves, and the disastrous harm which happens when it stops being self interest or self preservation, and starts being selfishness. And how ignoring a problem simply makes it grow.

Each of the characters has a selfish little dream they carefully guard and protect just for themselves:

Leila:
Spoiler

Leila wants to have her cake and eat it too. She wants her big, epic romance with her husband, Frederick, but she wants her long time best friends to always be there for her, too. She wants nothing to change and for everyone to be in a perpetual state of youthful happiness.

Leila starts harming others when she ignores and avoids Gerard because his confession of love means things need to change, and she wants to live in denial that nothing will ever change. She inadvertently strings him along and causes him significant anguish by her lack of answer, and by her forcing him to play act at being nothing but friends. Her obsession with keeping all of her friends together exactly the same also hurt Chloe, because Leila prioritized her own selfish desires to keep them all close over her friend's well-being and happiness, treating Chloe like a thing, not a person.

Leila's obsession with an idealized, unchanging past does significant harm on her present.

[collapse]

Chloe:
Spoiler

Chloe desperately wants to be loved for being an "equal". She is surrounded by amazing people: one sister is an Empress, the other a genius artist, her best friend is the "main character", and the men are likewise extraordinary. Chloe, calm, gracious, Chloe, wants at least her husband to view her as being on-par with these amazing women, and love her like she is his and their equal. She does not want to be pitied or doted on: she wants their respect, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with them all and be included as a full member of the in crowd, not as their cheerleader, secretary, or support system.


She starts harming others when her desire to protect herself causes her to flee rather than discuss how hurt she is, and to hide her insecurities, which she does with many characters besides Gerard. She so desperately wants Gerard to say he loves her first, and for him to make the romantic efforts for her which she saw him make towards Leila, that she will not make the first move, and has spent 8 years in stasis, waiting behind the screen she shows others, and staying only on the surface of her emotions like a water bug and avoiding going any deeper.

She does not allow herself to do things she enjoys, because she is afraid she will not measure up to someone else who can do that same thing better, then despises herself for it and hates them for making her feel this way.

She has become so used to hiding her wants and worries that she doesn't know how to communicate anymore, and people cannot see her honest self, and, in turn, she cannot see theirs. They don't know she has begun to resent them, or that she has begun to twist and warp, making her interpret their gestures in negative lights. She doesn't tell people when there is something broken to fix, so they never fix things, and her resentment grows that they did not notice and have not come to save her.

[collapse]

Gerard:
Spoiler

Gerard wants the beautiful surface with none of the messy underside: all the benefits without the costs, as he always, always, always looks in control and nothing touches his bottom line. He wants to be loved, and feel safe and secure. He wants to believe everything is perfect and comfortable and he's fixed. He doesn't want to be hurt again, and he doesn't want to deal with mess or unpleasant emotions, so he remains polite and amiable, always.

Gerard harms others when this translates to him wanting to receive all the love, without having to do the messy, ugly work. He is happy to sit back and be unconditionally adored by Chloe, and thinks being polite and pleasant back is enough. His refusal to delve into the mess of human emotions means he never faces his significant childhood traumas and therefore never resolves them, becoming constipated with his issues until his sh*t leaks onto others. His desire to never be harmed again means that, after he tried the big romantic thing once with Leila, he won't try again with Chloe, and doesn't realize how badly he hurts his wife when she compares his treatment between the two. He prioritizes maintaining his calm over all else, causing him to shut down or be dismissive and patronizing if people are not interacting in the exact way he is most comfortable with.

[collapse]

They are all sad, twitchy, flawed, little squirrels, hoarding their little acorns and hoping the others won't steal them, while desperately wanting someone to come over and share, which they will never do themselves.

Definitely not for everyone. Each character is both good and bad, likable and dislikable. There are many flaws, and you will vacillate between identifying with and being frustrated by each and every one of them. Not a simple fluff read. Maybe give it a chance when you're feeling nostalgic remorse over a failed relationship and want to hash out what went wrong. Not a good choice when you want clear good vs. Bad and simple resolutions. <<less
32 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Nightkiss49
Nightkiss49
Nov 12, 2022
Status: prologue
This is a pretty good novel, especially for people who love reading something on the actual marriage-based problem novels

It's the novel between the married 2nd male lead and the side/extra character after the novel is over a lot of things were not spoken about and started to get clear out.
17 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Leebadeeb
Leebadeeb
Mar 02, 2023
Status: c60
This is my absolute favorite web novel right now, and I've read a lot. I am a fan of regretful male leads (like yeah dude, you better f*cking cry) and this is at the top of my list. It portrays the characters well and more realistically than other series. Also, the female lead isn't a total pushover that's willing to stay with an unchanging piece of sh*t.

It is really well written and the juicy bits are just the right length; sometimes authors don't get the regret bit right but this... more>> one has just enough groveling that it's satisfying. AND IT'S TRANSLATED SO WELL; it doesn't matter if it's written well if none of the grammar makes sense but the translators did a great job on this. They also update frequently which is a cherry on top.

The portrayal of the misunderstandings is spot on; not too much drudgery or cliché but it feels like a legit miscommunication.

You can actually root for the characters to end up together without feeling like you're encouraging a toxic relationship (eww). There is so much room for character growth because the characters aren't flat.

I really recommend this series because it's well written... and did I mention that he's crying on his knees. Just saying.

P.S. Thank you so much translators for doing such a good job!

Edit: The series is still good but the updates are a lot less frequent which is sad : (

Still highly recommend. <<less
14 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Justpassingthrough
Justpassingt
Apr 12, 2023
Status: c11
This story can basically be summed up as self-inflicted suffering.

Yes, the friend should not have asked ML to marry her but the ML didn't have to do it. And the FL definitely didn't have to accept his proposal. It's not like the friend held them at gunpoint and forced them to get married. At the end of the day the two of them made their own choices and the friend shouldn't be held responsible for the results. The FL in particular married a man whom, she clearly knew was in... more>> love with someone else. I honestly don't feel much sympathy for her. She's one of the weakest characters I've ever come across. She refuses to speak out when she is wronged then resents the fact that others don't notice she has been wronged. And is always ready to blame anyone but herself for everything. I have no interest in continuing to read this. <<less
10 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
kookerist
kookerist
Feb 21, 2023
Status: c45
I'm an angst wh*re so I dove headfirst in this novel knowing full well how sad it is and I, quite ironically, enjoyed it and ended up binging all 45 chapters (at the time of writing this) in one night. It reminds me of the Unwelcome Guests of House Fildette, without the cheating and political scheming. The kind of story where you can't help but hate the situation, and not the characters. Plus points cause ML isn't an abusive/cheating piece of shit, ... more>>
Spoiler

although it is spoiled that in a different timeline, he was neglectful to her which is 🤮 so that's a big f*cking minus,

[collapse]
and both the leads just repressed their feelings because of trauma. But that being said, I can see why this novel is lowly rated. It's because only baddies can handle such a tragic storyline (jk).

Also, to those a**holes who sh*t on Leila for being a white lotus, she's not even bad fr??? She's naively selfish but she's good at heart, she was friendly and nice to Gerard, it was him who took her words romantically when she meant them platonically. Y'all are just hating on her cause she's a woman, but cream your pants when a man does the same thing like stfu. <<less
8 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Springning
Springning
Apr 28, 2023
Status: c59
Unlike the usual Korean novels, even if the plot is cliche but the writing is so beautifully done that you are hooked. I don't know if it's the author or translator or both.

Any good plot can be badly written. Any ordinary story can be well written.

This is a ordinary story, beautifully written that it is captivating. Characters are believable. Their actions make sense once you read the flashbacks.

The annoying saints, priests and magic are thankfully absent. Even if the novel take place in a novel, the character doesn't try to... more>> intervene. So it's not irritating.

If you read without much expectations and judgements, its worth spending a weekend.

Spoiler

only plot hole I found is that ML doesn't seem to Horrace in the Initial chapters but in the flashbacks, he knows him very well. If the author or translator notes this, I don't think its too late to change. Just pointed out.

[collapse]
<<less
6 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
mc373415
mc373415
Feb 11, 2023
Status: c43
TL;DR if you don't like angst I do not recommend, however if your okay with it, it's soooo good and you should definitely give it a shot!

I don't know how to describe or recommend this novel other than saying that it is just really compelling. I have the attention span of a gerbil, I lose interest in things real quick and have a tendency to drag out reading novels. However I read up to chapter 43 in one day, and I'm already ready for more. It just hooks you in.

Disclaimer:... more>> Okay normally I like to have finished or read at minimum half of a novel before I rate something but seeing the low rating is criminal. I think some people don't like angst, and thus rated it low. This novel is really good and the translator is amazing. Will update my review later <<less
4 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
prettylittlelies
prettylittle
Oct 12, 2023
Status: Completed
It's a disappointing story. How difficult are these people having to talk? Everything, absolutely EVERYTHING could have been resolved with a conversation. FL has an absurd inferiority complex and this is reflected in her actions, which are s*upid and childish. It's not the guy's fault if the voices in her head said he was still in love with his friend when his actions clearly said otherwise.
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
MusicFromMiles
MusicFromMil
Feb 20, 2023
Status: c45
This is really different from what I used to read. But nonetheless I like the change, the angst is just right, lots of misunderstanding but not the kind that will make you flip a table in frustration. It's the angsty kind. Overall I like it, the main problem is simply not being able to express their own feelings leading to misunderstanding.
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
May_07
May_07
Feb 14, 2024
Status: Completed
It's the first novel that I've read so far. I love how the story was flowing, the main point was Chloe, she was a real 'person' with a lot of insecurities, she wasn't the perfect FL - she was driven [by his mistakes] to create that 'misunderstanding' and he pretend to be perfect and unapproachable for her.

... more>>
Spoiler

He was completly in love with Leila at first, however he started to notice Chloe by the time they spent togheter - He was alrealy going to propose to her before Leila send that letter to him - He thought that Leila was direspectful by sending him that mensage (SO WHY DIDN'T HE PUT ON FLAME THAT??)

[collapse]

The ML is kind of boring, like he didn't do the right thing when he had the chance, didn't say the words when she needed to hear them.

Spoiler

He wanted to be the best husband of all the fairy tail for her, didn't want another child with her afraid that she'd suffer from childbirth again (But he didn't say anything to her) - I know that he didn't receive the love and didn't know how to give it but??

[collapse]

Their surroundings was like OK, they din't do anything at all

Spoiler

Leila is ridicoulous, so self-centred, like all she was worrying was about herself all the time, like "how could they stopped to love her like they did before?" - I loved how the ML (after so many years) put a limit on her. Chloe's sister was an important caracther, but the main story didn't need that arc, like the feeling of betrayal, how trust each other again, was enough

[collapse]

I think that everyone should give an opportunity to this story <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
woddyleia
woddyleia
Nov 05, 2023
Status: c78
ah honestly at first I liked the angst when Chloe found out about the letter and started questioning her whole marriage with Gerard. ... more>>
Spoiler

I understand how the letter can be misunderstood esp knowing that Chloe is actually an outsider who knows the supposed futures of the main characters to some extent. I think Chloe acted appropriately for someone in her place by feeling guilt over making major changes to the story and feeling anxious to face the consequences of having done so

[collapse]
.

However it is a bit frustrating seeing both Chloe and Gerard going in circles by not communicating how they truly feel and then end up hurting themselves and the other person. For one, Chloe can't seem to accept the possibility that Gerard has moved on from his feelings for Leila. She just keeps dismissing the counterarguments of both Gerard and Leila and can't help but keep to herself. It doesn't help that Gerard doesn't directly profess his love and concerns for Chloe but the same goes for Chloe. Both of them also have low self esteem, thinking that neither of them deserve to be with the other person (and that leaves us where?? 😭).

I think the biggest gap here is that Gerard and Leila don't see the letter as of much importance as Chloe who is reminded again of her feeling of regret and anxiety over having interfered with the lives of the people in this story. While the other two are trying to clear up the misunderstanding, Chloe's mind is in panic and isolation mode and neither Gerard nor Leila actually know the real reason why...

On another note, I feel bad for Leila who I think genuinely wants to keep save her friendship with Chloe and Gerard. It's just that the couple she's dealing with is so stubborn. I've read some comments that find her annoying but I can tolerate her actions and simply see it as a person simply wanting to reason with another friend. <<less
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Kaff
Kaff
Oct 31, 2023
Status: prologue
The story kinda cliche but I read it because how good the author is. The words are beautiful. Author's writing style really impressed me. The translator do a great job. But this story was angst. Many misunderstanding there, the conflict maybe will end fast if they were in a good communication, but there's an unexpected plot that makes this story makes sense.
0 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Leave a Review (Guidelines)
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.