Goodbye, Mr. Regret

The weather had turned crisp after the harvest moon, a lingering chill in the air.

The water was colder than in summertime-a fine, relentless spray that left Jessica shivering in the tub, goosebumps rising on her skin. She couldn't stop trembling, no matter how hard she tried.

Timothy held her firmly in the bath. Jessica struggled, but he was unmoved, his eyes alight with an angry fire, as if determined to scrub her clean of something he couldn't bear.

Her whole body shook from the cold, damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead and tangling in her lashes.

At last, the water warmed, and Jessica's shivering eased a little, the heat seeping into her limbs. But nothing could reach her heart; it remained frozen.

Noticing her resistance had faded, Timothy seized her wrist, squeezing tight. He pumped liquid soap into his palm and began to scrub her hand, rough and unyielding.

His lips, usually soft and inviting, were pressed into a hard, thin line.

He scrubbed until the back of her hand burned, then grabbed the showerhead and rinsed away the suds.

Suddenly, the bruised, purplish marks around her wrist came into view, glaring against her pale skin. Even the back of her hand was flushed raw.

Timothy's movements stilled.

he realize how rough he'd

expression blank, her beautiful

hand, clattering against the porcelain. He reached for her, pulling her

"I'm sorry... I”

caught, raw and uncertain. He'd never laid a hand on a woman before. There had been times when Jessica's words pushed him to the

he'd

He'd left marks.

remembered her necklace

in her eyes as she fumbled to unfasten the chain at her throat.

thrown her necklace away. It ended up in

racked

be repaired, and now, because of Timothy, it was

remorse had softened Timothy's

morning, he had slipped his promise ring onto her finger, but she'd refused to wear it, choosing instead the necklace Herbert gave her. He hadn't even

her chin with a cold, iron grip, his voice low and dangerous. "Is his gift