Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Timothy sat in the car, lips pressed together in silence.

He couldn't blame everything on Henry Lawson. The truth was, he'd overestimated himself.

He'd thought taking Sheila to the parent-and-child event wouldn't change anything.

But when they got home that day, Jessica was visibly upset. Still worried Sheila might be getting the cold shoulder from his wife, he'd chased after Jessica, leaving Sheila behind. By the time he returned, Jessica was inconsolable.

Maybe that day was the tipping point-the final straw that broke what they had.

Or maybe, there'd been something on her mind for a long time. Maybe she'd tried to tell him, but he had never really listened.

And by the time he wanted to talk, she wouldn't hear a word.

But what mattered most now was the birthmark. He needed to know-how did Herbert find out about it?

He'd agreed to the divorce out of fear, worried she'd do something reckless. It wasn't what he wanted.

Jessica was supposed to be his, and his alone.

"Timothy, I'm talking to you. What are you thinking about?" his grandmother's voice broke through his thoughts.

Timothy blinked, snapping back to reality. "Sorry, Grandma. What did you say?"

"Sallie said all this happened because of Sheila. Is that true?"

responsibility. At the

seven years of marriage, everything had finally settled down. No one would bring up his past with Sheila

never expected things to fall

say Sheila wasn't to blame,

many times with no reaction, but the moment Sheila

Sandra sounded exasperated. "Can you

involved. Sheila is just a side

Jessica for

family. The only abnormal moment started after Sheila visited The Gilded Whisper Estates. That was when

all this, Timothy felt a sharp,

morning, he'd thought it through— Sheila's hotel allergy wasn't a big deal. If he just explained

wasn't at home, he hadn't

collapses from a

harder, maybe things wouldn't have

told him—she had given

really listening to him. But the very next day at the hospital, Henry called Jessica the housekeeper and said Sheila was

to him for help, he'd dropped everything and flown

had it

gotten you," Sandra said, her voice weary but gentle. "Things have only gotten worse. And what were you thinking, saying those things about

kind of person If there really was something going on, would they have waited until now? And anyway, Yates came with both of them and has been staying with the Zimmermans. If Jessy and Herbert were together, the Zimmermans would be supporting her, not

sense, and Timothy's fists