Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Sheila sprang to her feet, stumbling over to Timothy. She dropped to her knees in front of him, clutching his hands so tightly her knuckles turned white, tears streaming down her face as she cried out his name. "Timothy, please, don't leave me. Please, I'm begging you. I don't care that you have Jessy, I don't even care if I stay in the shadows. Do you have any idea how much I think about you every single day? I'm almost thirty, Timothy, and you've built a life with Jessy. You should know how hard it is for someone my age to hold all this in. Please, just give me one chance. I'm begging you."

Her sobs were raw and desperate, and guilt twisted inside Timothy.

But all he could offer her was regret-and, perhaps, some hollow attempts to make up for it in other ways. He couldn't give her what she wanted.

"Sheila, please don't-this isn't something we should even be discussing." Sheila collapsed against his legs, leaving dark stains of tears on his suit pants.

"But Timothy, I want my first time to be with you. Please, I'm begging you. Take me, please?"

"Timothy..." She looked up at him, eyes brimming with longing and sorrow, her face so heartbreakingly vulnerable.

In the end, Timothy pushed her away and got to his feet. "You need to calm down. Everything you said today—I'm just going to pretend it was a dream, alright? Don't ever bring it up again. I have a wife and a child. There is nothing more between us. There never will be."

Ever since he got married, the idea of something more with Sheila had never even crossed his mind-not once.

He gripped his cane tightly. "Save your first time for your future husband. He'll cherish you more than I ever could."

He turned and walked away.

"Timothy!" Sheila scrambled after him, grabbing him from behind, arms locked desperately around his waist, her voice breaking as she sobbed, "I don't want anyone else I only want you. Seven years ago, you were the one who wanted to marry me. How can you be so cruel and just walk away?"

Timothy pried her arms off him, his voice edged with finality. "When you gave up back then, I never got a word from you. I assumed you'd made your choice. That was my mistake. But I'm being clear now: this is over. Don't ever bring it up again."

"This ends here."

He steadied himself on his cane and strode away, not looking back.

Sheila collapsed to the ground, howling, sobbing so hard it was as if she wanted

to pour out seven years of heartbreak and frustration all at once.

How could that mute girl he picked up-someone from nowhere-replace the bond she and Timothy had built since childhood? That little tramp, Salome Zimmerman, had been flirting with Timothy since they were kids. And now, she'd stolen his heart for good.

Sheila couldn't accept it. She wouldn't. Timothy had to be hers.

***

After getting in the car, Timothy called Secretary Allen, instructing him to send someone over to collect The Grand Canal, Venice.

He knew Sheila was devastated, but he had to take back the painting. He couldn't risk losing Jessica. He couldn't lose his wife. He couldn't lose the girl who'd always said she'd marry him, ever since they were little.

On the way home, Timothy stopped at a pharmacy, bought some medicine, then returned to the house.

He went into the master bedroom, poured the medicine into the cup Jessica always used for water, filled it with a fresh bottle, and set it back on the nightstand.

Jessica and Herbert had spent the whole day with Daisy, even having dinner out together.

Later, Vince called Jessica to say Daisy needed to go to school the next day and asked her to send Daisy back to the Zimmermans' that evening.

I'll

Daisy clung to Jessica, not wanting to leave. Jessica knelt down and spoke gently, "I don't want to say goodbye either, sweetheart. But you need to go to school, okay? Winter break is coming up soon and pick you up after your last class. We'll spend the whole holiday together, and once I sort out a few things, I'll talk to your uncle about moving you to a day school so you can live with me. Would you like that?"

Daisy nodded obediently.

Herbert drove them back to the Zimmerman home and then took Jessica to her apartment at The Gilded Whisper Estates.

Before she got out, Herbert reached into the glovebox and pulled out a small, wrapped gift. "Merry Christmas, Jessy."

It was a Christmas present-there was no reason to refuse, so Jessica accepted it with a smile. "Thank you."

"Little Mute, if you ever need anything, call me, alright? Remember, no matter what, I'll always be here for you. Just like when we were kids-you only have to ask, and I'll be there."

Jessica smiled, stepped out of the car, and closed the door gently behind her.

She understood how Herbert felt, but right now, friendship was all she could offer. Anything else would have to wait until after the divorce.

Timothy might not care about the boundaries of marriage, but she did. She refused to cross that line. At the very least, she had her own standards.

ed her go inside

Herbert watchednoveldrama

before turning the car around and

driving away, silently hoping that this

time, Jessica's divorce would go

through. When it was finally over, he

promised himself, he'd tell her the truth that he'd love her

her for as long

as he could remember.

Jessica entered the house and found Timothy there, but he said nothing.

She walked past him into the

bedroom, took a shower, and drank from her water cup as she dried her

hair After tidying up the shipped into bed, exhausted from the long day. She fell asleep almost instantly.

Timothy rolled into the room in his wheelchair. He gazed at her sleeping face, softly calling her name. "Jessy..."

He called her name for a long while, but she didn't stir.

Finally, Timothy breathed a sigh of relief. He lifted her from the bed, cradled her in

his arms, and settled her on his lap, steering his wheelchair out of the room.

He carried her to the car and gently placed her inside.

Watching her sleep on, unaware, he murmured in his heart, Forgive me for taking you away like this.

The driver came to help him into the front passenger seat, stowing his cane in the trunk.

The car disappeared into the depths of the night.