Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Jessy, from what I see, he doesn't really want a divorce. Are you sure there's no way back for you two?"

"There's no going back, Ines. He's already got someone else in his heart. The only reason he won't sign the papers isn't because he wants to save our marriage, but because..."

Jessica hesitated to tell Ines about Timothy and Sheila. She certainly didn't want Ines to know she was nothing more than a human shield for their relationship. Admitting it would only make her humiliation complete.

She paused, then added, "Anyway, he doesn't love me. And I've lost any hope I had for this marriage."

Ines didn't press further. They'd just arrived outside The Silverthread Eatery. Ines offered to drive Jessica home, but Jessica insisted she wanted to walk for a while and told Ines to go ahead.

After watching Ines drive away, Jessica stood by the curb, flagging down a cab. As she waited, a Bentley glided past her, its back window rolled down. She caught

a glimpse of a face she recognized instantly-a face she could never forget.

The cab arrived. Jessica quickly got in.

"Please, follow that car up ahead," she told the driver, her voice urgent.

Eyes fixed on the Bentley, she pulled out her phone, snapping a photo of its license plate. After all these years, she'd finally seen him again.

She had no idea where the car was headed. The taxi followed for half an hour, weaving through the city. At a busy intersection, the Bentley slipped through a yellow light just as theirs turned red, forcing them to stop. The light dragged on, and by the time traffic moved, the Bentley had vanished.

At least Jessica had the license plate. She told the driver to turn around and take her back to The Gilded Whisper Estates.

Meanwhile, Timothy had seen Jessica get into the cab outside The Silverthread Eatery. Noticing she wasn't heading home, he decided to follow her, only to realize after a while that she seemed to be chasing another car. When she finally turned back, he did the same.

Jessica had just gotten home when Timothy pulled up outside.

He got out, catching up with her at the door, still favoring his injured leg. Every step was a struggle.

Jessica headed straight for the master bedroom, but Timothy stepped in front of her, blocking her way. She didn't have time to stop and bumped right into his solid chest.

Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her, holding her tightly against him.

Their bodies pressed close, and as Timothy breathed in her familiar scent, the restless ache in his heart eased at last.

But Jessica quickly pushed him away with a shove-he only had one good arm.

"Timothy, what is wrong with you? Can't you see how much I can't stand you? If it weren't for news about Vince's sister, do you honestly think I'd ever come back here?"

Her anger almost reassured him. At least she was talking, not shutting him out. "What I want to know is, why do you hate me so much?"

Every time he tried to talk, she'd either ignore him or storm off before he could finish. Tonight, he was determined-he wouldn't let her walk away again.

"Are you seriously this clueless?" Jessica shot back, exasperated. "Haven't I spelled it out for you already?"

Timothy tried to explain. "There's

really nothing between me and

Sheila. Seven years ago, I said I'd

marry her because she lost her voice

saving me from a fire. She was afraid no one would ever want her

after that. I didn't have any plans for the future at the time, so said I'd marry her. We're not related by blood."

Jessica's eyes widened. "That fire seven years ago? She saved you?"

He nodded. "We basically grew up

"We

together-qur grandparents were close. Someone started a rumor that we were secretly dating. My grandfather was furious, said he'd do anything to keep us apart even threatened Sheila. That's when they staged the fire. When I heard about it, I rushed over. I couldn't let her get hurt because of me. I ran into the burning house to save her, but I couldn't find her inside. When I finally woke up in the hospital, I learned she'd arrived late, and when she found out I was trapped, she ran in to rescue me. The smoke ruined her voice."

"She saved me—then my family turned around and did that to her. I wanted to protect her, and, honestly, I was moved by what she did. So, I promised I'd marry

her. But in the end, she couldn't handle the pressure from both families. She gave

up."

Jessica let out a cold laugh. "So,

because she couldn't speak anymore, you decided to marry a mute woman out of gratitude? Tell me, Timothy, did you ever actually ask her how she managed to save you that night? Do you even know how you ended up unconscious in there?" noveldrama

Timothy narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"

"I mean, did you ever bother to find out if it was really her who saved you? Or did you just take someone else's word for it? Or hers?"

Timothy bristled at her doubt. "If she hadn't gone in after me, why else would she have lost her voice to smoke inhalation? Jessy, why do you never believe me?"