Goodbye, Mr. Regret

She'd been tricked into this cage.

If she'd known, back then, why he really wanted to marry her-

No matter how much she loved him, she would never have agreed.

She would have fought her way out, no matter what.

"I don't want anyone else."

Jessica's gestures were firm, her expression steeled. "That's your problem, not mine. You heard Vince just now-he said he'd go look for his sister himself. Don't think you can threaten me with that. You know perfectly well what you did to me that night. For the sake of our son, I don't want him to be shamed by all this. But if you push me, I'll take you down with me. I have nothing left to lose."

Timothy had never seen her like this before.

She was always gentle, always smiling softly, her manners impeccable.

So when she first asked for a divorce, he thought she was just making a scene.

He never imagined it would come to this.

Some things, deep down in a person's bones, never change.

As a child, she'd always been obedient, mild-mannered, willing to yield on most things.

But when it truly mattered, she stood her ground.

Like that time in preschool, when a little girl from an ordinary family was being bullied by a rich boy. Jessica saw it happen and insisted the boy apologize. She wouldn't back down.

No compromise.

“The hearing is tomorrow. If you don't show up, I'll call the police."

Her hands dropped. She turned on her heel and walked away, her posture resolute, not a hint of hesitation in her stride.

waiting outside for Jessica, surprised to see her come out

typed a message on her phone: "He still refuses to tell me where

trying to force you to go back. Once he's out of options, he'll talk to me. We won't fall

Jessica, but he was really

at the Zimmerman house, Jessica video-called

realized she needed to start speaking

that she was living away from her family, with so many new people and situations around her, being unable to

not at

the room behind her and immediately

I'm at the Zimmermans',"

hadn't told Herbert she was returning,

hadn't asked her exactly when, assuming she'd let him

that maybe Jessica trusted

for

signed, "I think I can

"Really?"

hadn't expected her recovery to be so fast. It had only

I got emotional. I tried again, and I can talk. I'll

hands and, slowly and carefully, called out,

was slow, the pronunciation a little off, her voice strained, but there

you

feels uncomfortable when I talk,"

keep up your exercises. Wait for me-I'III

come see you after the hearing tomorrow. For now, I'll keep practicing like before and keep taking the meds

as soon as you

to wait. If he left now and missed her, it

to wait until she arrived and hope

rush speaking, to avoid straining her vocal cords, and to stick to her regular rehab

said their

got ready for bed. She