Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Enough!" Sandra's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, as she turned on Sallie. "You're her older sister-how can you say things like that? They're husband and wife, and they're equals. She can't speak, so as her sister, shouldn't you be protecting her? Standing up for her?"

“Grandma, I...” Sallie faltered, caught off guard by the rebuke. "Forget it. I won't say anything else."

Timothy's eyes darkened. He looked up at Sallie, his tone cold. "How many times have I warned you about this? Why can't you just let it go?"

Sallie's cheeks flushed with frustration. First her grandmother, now Timothy- everyone seemed to be piling on her. Unable to sit still any longer, she shot to her feet. "Fine! I'll go to my room. I won't bother any of you."

With that, Sallie stormed off.

She'd always thought Jessica was nothing but a mute, not nearly good enough for Timothy. That was the real issue-nothing else mattered. As the eldest daughter of the Lawson family, she'd seen every luxury there was. Even when Sandra had gifted Jessica the Royal Pearl Cuff, she hadn't felt the slightest envy.

After Sallie left, Sandra's gaze softened. She reached over and patted Jessica's hand gently. "No wonder you want a divorce, sweetheart. If Sallie's always spoken to you like this, I can see why you'd feel hurt. Don't worry, I'll make sure to set her straight. She won't dare treat you this way again."

Jessica slipped her hand from Sandra's, then quietly typed out a message on her phone:

"Sandra, my decision to divorce Timothy isn't just about this. There's no way back for us, not anymore. I appreciate your kindness, truly, but my mind is made up. I have other things I need to take care of today, so I'll be going now."

She showed Sandra the message, then stood up. Out of respect for her elders, she gave a polite bow to both Sandra and Abell before turning to leave.

"Jessy," Sandra called, rising quickly. "Isn't there any way you two can work this out? Does it really have to end in divorce?"

Abell stood as well, concern etched into his face. "She's right. Let's talk this through. Your daughter is already six years old can you really just walk away?"

If anything, mentioning Sheila only made things clearer for Jessica. After all, she'd only seen her daughter once, and even then, the family had looked down on her for being mute.

Jessica allowed herself a brief, indifferent smile, then looked over at Timothy. She typed out another message and handed the phone to Vince, who read it out loud on her behalf.

"There are things Jessy doesn't want to discuss further. If you have questions, you should ask Timothy. This marriage really is over. Goodbye."

With nothing more to say, Jessica turned and walked away.

Timothy's hands gripped the arms of his wheelchair so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line He couldn't believe how resolute she was how easily she could walk away.

A moment later, he maneuvered his motorized wheelchair after her and caught up as she was about to get into the car. Reaching out, he

grabbed her hand, his expre

full

of longing, as if he couldn't bear to

let her go.

Sheila, standing beside Sandra and Abell, watched the scene play out, a strange ache twisting in her chest.

"Jessy..." Timothy began, his voice strained.

But before he could say more, Vince gently pried his hand away. "You asked menoveldrama

to bring her here, and I've done that. Let's talk about the rest another time."

Right now, even if Timothy said what was on his mind, Jessy wouldn't want to hear it.

He'd hoped that if she came, they might have a real conversation. But it was clear now-she had no intention of talking things through. She'd only come to spare Vince any trouble.

How had things between them fallen apart so completely?

At last, Timothy let go of Jessica's hand.

Without another glance, she climbed into the car, not a hint of regret in her

movements. Timothy felt as if the blood in his veins was turning to ice.

Vince started the engine and slowly pulled away, and Timothy watched helplessly

as Jessica slipped further and further out of his world.