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?

him three, maybe

stood out most in her memory-it was at the Zimmerman family's birthday celebration. Timothy had tried to stop her from going in, claiming she would embarrass him, but

the end, Timothy couldn't hold his ground against both Yates and Vince, and stormed off

she knew, Yates and Timothy were close

it possible

hesitated. "I'll see

were simple, Vince would have just said

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 with this

because they

"Mr and Mrs.

waiting all these years Since they couldn't find you, Mom and Dad 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

"They're that insistent

Jessy. Today at the Lawsons in front of Phelps, they even said they don't care if you've

stunned. That was devotion,

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

But Yates and I...

with them for now -they really do want to see you. Tonight, we'll go see Mom and Dad, and let them handle

knew that as a member of the younger generation, it wasn't his place to negotiate with the

Jessica added, "maybe

loyal to go against them directly. Otherwise, he