Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Sandra's voice was sharp and unforgiving. "Do we really need to persuade you? If you have any decency left, you should file for divorce yourself! Honestly, you're infuriating me. If I hadn't come back to Riverside City, I wouldn't have even known about all the appalling things you've done. I'm so disappointed in you!"

Her expression was grave, lips pressed into a tight line.

Timothy turned toward his grandfather and his father-in-law. "So you both think I should be the one to initiate the divorce?"

"That's right," Abell and Phelps answered in unison.

"I'm not divorcing her." Timothy didn't even hesitate.

Phelps's main concern was avoiding a public trial and all the ugly details coming out in court. Sandra and Abell, on the other hand, thought Timothy had gone too far and shouldn't drag Jessica along with him any longer; they wanted him to settle this quietly, out of court.

Different motives, but the same desired outcome.

Yet Timothy still refused.

Phelps's voice was urgent. "Do you really not get what you've done? If you refuse to divorce and this ends up in court, who do you think will look bad? The whole city will be laughing at us. That's the least of it-if you push her too far and she actually sues, do you have any idea what the consequences will be?"

Sandra tried a gentler approach. "You haven't treated her well, Timothy. Why keep dragging things out? End it on good terms. We're not unreasonable people-let her decide about custody, it's the least we can do to make up for everything."

"That's out of the question." Timothy hadn't even opened his mouth before Phelps cut in. "Henry is the eldest grandson of the Lawson family. Custody must stay with Timothy."

"If you elders haven't worked this out among yourselves, there's no point talking to me about it right now. I have things to do—I'm heading out."

discuss custody later. But the divorce-we need to settle that now. Do you really think

study, caught

and Lawson families wanted Timothy to divorce. Timothy, stubborn as

the door, worried the housekeeper might see her and think she was eavesdropping. She slipped quietly into the living room and

Timothy began to suspect he might have made some kind of mistake. Everyone wanted him to get divorced. He didn't want to upset the elders, but he also refused to give up his marriage. After a moment's thought,

mind. But it's clear there isn't much affection between you

if she changes her mind and

to stay, then I won't

Sandra had both spoken privately with

at Phelps. "If Jessy decides not to divorce, how

stays, that's the best outcome," Phelps

Jessica insisting on divorce and dragging everything out

Jessy back, of course

handle this," Timothy said. "I'll sort things out myself. There's no need for anyone else to

would be for them to let it go—and if things got ugly, their health might

managed to

at least