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?"

want to dodge responsibility. At the end of the

years of marriage, everything had finally settled down. No one would bring up

expected things to fall

Timothy started to say Sheila wasn't to blame, but Vince's words from earlier echoed in

reaction, but the moment Sheila mentioned Daisy looked like Jessica, Vince had responded?

Sandra sounded exasperated. "Can you

Please, don't get involved. Sheila is

Jessica

only abnormal moment started after Sheila visited The Gilded Whisper Estates. That was when Jessica left home, and he hadn't taken it

Timothy felt a sharp,

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

wasn't at home, he

dam collapses from a

harder, maybe things wouldn't have come to

him—she had given him

the very next day at the hospital, Henry called Jessica the housekeeper and said Sheila was away on

to him for help, he'd dropped everything

had it all fallen apart

handle it, but look where it's gotten you," Sandra said, her voice weary but gentle. "Things have only gotten worse. And

and Herbert-it's not what you think. She's not that 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.

reasoning made sense, and