Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica made her way to Timothy's hospital room, opened the door, and walked over to his bedside. She signed, *"You should go."*

Timothy had never been dismissed like this before-no one had ever asked him to leave before he'd made the decision himself.

Jessica was the first.

A wave of bitter laughter rippled through him.

His dark eyes locked onto Jessica's face. "What happened was my fault. Didn't you see how guilty and sorry I was afterward? We've been married seven years— other than that one incident, when have I ever let you down? Don't you think you've been unreasonable lately?"

He spewed the words out in anger, and saying them only deepened his frustration. His voice grew even colder, harsher. "Think about it—if you hadn't pushed me away over and over, would I have done that to you?"

Jessica stared at him, stunned, her lips curling into a frosty smile.

He was actually trying to blame her.

By his logic, was every girl who'd ever been hurt just at fault for being attractive or vulnerable?

Wasn't it the aggressor who chose to ignore the law-to trample on basic decency?

And how could he have the nerve to claim that, apart from that incident, he'd never wronged her?

It was all so infuriating.

ounce of emotion on this. Her time was running out, and she still needed to get her health

her spirits up. Problems with her liver, he'd said, were closely linked to

wearily, *"Fine, it's all my fault. You're blameless. You make perfect sense. Now,

He had

take up your time. I just want to get to the point, and

Jessica almost laughed.

just come by wanting to talk, and

want to

on, unless it's about the divorce, I have nothing

about her signing made his heart sink with

to boil over-he'd been patient enough. Jessica

to care at all that he

his lips together, his dark eyes

picked up her bag from the entryway, slung it over her shoulder, and walked out-without even glancing

he wouldn't leave, then

expressionless as the elevator

that had happened them, she

he had the