Goodbye, Mr. Regret

She couldn't believe she'd loved a man like that for eleven whole years.

"Jessy."

Vince called her name softly, concern in his voice.

She looked up, offering a small smile. "Thank you, Vince. If it weren't for you and Grandpa, I don't know how much longer the divorce would've dragged on."

"Actually... about Timothy..."

Vince hesitated. He wanted to mention that when he'd arrived, Timothy had already been prepared for the divorce, the property settlement already finalized.

What Timothy didn't know was that Vince had accidentally discovered Jessy's true identity as Salome. Yet, Timothy had been the one to call him, asking Vince to pick up Jessica and bring her home to meet her birth family.

Vince still couldn't figure out what had changed Timothy's mind.

"Let's not talk about him," Jessica interrupted. "Is Grandpa back?"

"He's home. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant and Yates are here too." Vince took her gently by the wrist, guiding her into her room and closing the door behind them. He lowered his voice. "There's something I need to tell you."

She nodded. "Go ahead."

"When you were a kid, you and Yates were engaged an agreement between the families. It wasn't just something made up for fun. The Bryants even sent an official engagement gift."

Jessica's eyelids fluttered with surprise.

Yates? That Yates?

vaguely remembered meeting him three,

Timothy had tried

his ground against both

she knew, Yates and Timothy

cautiously, "Is it possible to call

"I'll see

it were simple, Vince would

divorced now, I'm not thinking

because they do,"

"Mr and Mrs. Bryant

off the engagement so Yates could move on, but the Bryants refused. They finally agreed that if Yates met someone and wanted to

in disbelief. "They're that insistent about

said they don't care if you've been married before or have a child. If you want custody, the Bryants would treat your child as

was devotion,

work out that way-some people cross paths and, even with only a fleeting meeting, the connection just sticks and you want to look out

Vince. But Yates and

reassuringly. "That's fine. There's no rush. Just meet with them for now -they really do want to

younger generation, it wasn't his place to negotiate with the Bryants

Jessica added, "maybe Yates isn't

was too loyal to go against them directly.