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?

meeting him three, maybe four

family's birthday celebration. Timothy had tried to stop her from going in, claiming she

ground against both Yates and Vince, and stormed off

knew, Yates and Timothy

it possible to call it

see what

it were simple, Vince would have

pressed on, "We were just kids back then. And I've already been married and have a child. Even though I'm divorced now, I'm not thinking about getting married again anytime soon. Would the Bryants really still want to go through

actually because

and

tried to call off the engagement so Yates could move on, but the Bryants refused. They finally agreed that if Yates met someone and wanted to marry, and you still hadn't been found, then

in disbelief. "They're that

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

stunned. That was devotion, pure and

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

and I... it's

with them for now -they really do

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

"maybe Yates

loyal to go against