Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica couldn't go on.

Back at the Oakwood Comic Con, when Ines showcased her painting-The Grand Canal, Venice-she'd told everyone she'd married for love. Jessica had been standing at the entrance, overhearing people whisper about how she'd thrown away a golden opportunity to build a career with Ines. What a shame, they said.

And yet, for all that, her so-called love had left her utterly defeated.

"What was it, Jessy? Tell me everything, will you?" Vince's voice was gentle, but insistent. He wanted to know it all, every part of her story-only then could he hope to give her what she truly wanted.

Jessica let out a bitter laugh. "Because I chose love, and I lost. Ines believed in me, wanted to mentor me, and I walked away from it-for seven years. When I finally tried to pick up where I'd left off, I was already sick. Seven years without work, without standing in the world. Just trying to get a divorce from Timothy was hard enough, let alone anything else."

Her voice was calm, but Vince could feel the weight pressing down from deep within her.

Still, she faced it all with such composure.

"Jessy, did it ever cross your mind to fight back? To scream at him, to tell the Lawsons exactly how unfairly they treated you? To lay it all out for Timothy?"

"It's not that I didn't want to," Jessica said quietly. "It's just, half the time I couldn't get the words out. Sometimes I'd get angry, the words would be on the tip of my tongue, but then something else would happen and I'd let it go. But really, the truth is... the moment I decided to get a divorce, I understood something."

did you understand?" Vince's heart

stepped out of his room and

to win him back, or force him to explain himself. And honestly, even if I

and hugged her tightly. "Then I won't ask any more. The past doesn't matter now. Let's look ahead. If you want to start animating again, I'll invest. Whatever you want to do,

her so cruelly made Vince all the more determined

suddenly right there. He quickly ushered Yates into the guestroom and

long were you standing out there?" Vince asked in a

while, I think," Yates

"You heard everything?"

"Pretty much."

put his hands on

your room

exasperated. "You're a grown.

room all morning