Goodbye, Mr. Regret

When Timothy got home and didn't see his parents anywhere, he turned to Mabel and asked where they'd gone.

Mabel shook her head, uncertain.

Seeing Sheila there put her in a foul mood. Mrs. Zimmerman had already been gone for so long. Only now, with Sandra and Abell visiting, had Mabel learned that Sheila was actually the Zimmermans' adopted daughter-making her, officially, Timothy's aunt. You'd think, with that kind of relationship, Sheila would know to keep her distance. Shameless, really.

But as a housekeeper, Mabel knew her place. She kept her mouth shut-her opinion wouldn't matter anyway.

The young master was hopeless too, fawning over Sheila as if he'd forgotten about his real mother. The more Mabel thought about it, the more she pitied Mrs. Zimmerman.

That night, only Timothy and Sheila sat at the dining table. With Sandra and Abell out, Sheila finally had the chance to cozy up to Timothy, fussing over his injuries and asking after his health. Mabel couldn't stand the sight and retreated to the kitchen to busy herself with chores.

Meanwhile, Sandra and Abell were having dinner with Larkin. Delighted to see old friends, Larkin was all smiles and laughter. The three of them caught up, none of them eager to dive straight into serious conversation-after all, it had been years since their last visit, and it would have been rude to jump right to business.

After dinner, Larkin invited them to his study for tea. The room was decorated with Jessica's art-delicate paper cuttings framed on the walls. Larkin couldn't help but boast about Sandra and Abell's daughter-in-law.

"Timothy's a lucky man to have found such a talented wife," Larkin beamed, gesturing at the intricate paper art. "Just look at that her work is more lifelike than a painting!"

Abell smiled. “She gave me one, too. She really is gifted."

"I'll say," Larkin agreed. "At my birthday party, she crafted a paper cutting of our old family

estate captured every detail. It was even more vivid than the photograph the Zimmermans took all those years ago. I donated the original artwork to the mansion, but I kept a photo. Here, let me show you."

He pulled out his phone and scrolled to a picture of Jessica's birthday gift.

Sandra and Abell leaned in, awestruck. This piece was even more intricate, yet every detail was so lifelike.

"She's the granddaughter of my

dearest, most unforgettable friend

Alfreda," Larkin went

her grandmother's skill, and

honestly—surpassed her. After Alfreda passed, I always thought my grandson Vince would marry

Jéssica, take care of her Never

expected your Timothy to beat him

to it-and now they even have a son!noveldrama

All I can do is envy you both."

Sandra and Abell exchanged awkward glances. There wasn't much to envy- Jessica was on the verge of leaving Timothy.

Even so, Sandra forced herself to broach the subject. She sighed. "We only just met her for the first time, and already she's determined to divorce Timothy."

Larkin's smile faded. He snorted, "Well, can you blame her? That boy has only himself to blame."

Jessica hadn't gone into detail, but she'd told Larkin enough to fuel his anger. The gist was: Timothy had first gone public with their relationship, but when Jessica wanted to return to work, he'd blocked her at every turn. When an old childhood friend tried to help Jessica find a lawyer, Timothy retaliated against the friend's company, forcing them to back off. Jessica wanted a divorce, but no lawyer in town dared take her case-not with Timothy's influence

looming over them all.