Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Herbert gazed at Jessica, his expression uncertain. Was she only thanking him because she wanted to reconcile with Timothy?

"Jess, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Can you explain it a little more?" he asked gently.

Jessica looked down, her voice soft but steady. "What I mean is, I'm about to divorce him. If I suddenly owed him my life, and something happened to him, I'd feel trapped by that debt. Now that he's safe, I can leave him with a clear conscience."

She patiently laid her feelings bare.

"So you're really set on divorcing him?" Herbert asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I've made up my mind. I don't want to waste another seven years, Herbert..."

This morning, he'd been busy saving Timothy. She hadn't even found a moment to talk to him properly.

She had given seven years of her life to Timothy. She knew too well what it meant to pin all your hopes on someone for that long.

Jessica had sacrificed seven years for Timothy. Herbert, too, had spent seven years—for her—trying to cure her muteness.

fool. I never realized there could be someone in this world just as foolish

yourself... for someone

when we were kids, you wrote in your essay that you wanted to be a police officer when you grew up.

you give up on your

you so,

who've lived it can

she gave it up. She stayed home, became his wife, bore his

keep his

just made up to get through the assignment..." Herbert

he didn't tell the truth, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. "Alright,

a breath. "Because you wanted to speak,

our little town, my dream changed. I wanted to be a doctor, because only by becoming one could I help you-my

tears slipped down, silent

not bound to her by blood-who loved her with his whole