Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Linn gazed at the paper for a while before finally saying, "I don't remember. It was too long ago."

"Alright. You can go," Timothy replied, his tone flat.

As soon as Linn left, Timothy was about to feed the sheet of paper into the shredder when Jessica's words flashed through his mind: how she'd found him at home, scribbling Sheila's name over and over on the page.

That was how she'd discovered their affair.

Was it because of this piece of paper?

Timothy stared at the paper, then maneuvered his wheelchair to the master bedroom and knocked softly.

Jessica opened the door, her gaze immediately falling on the paper in his hand, its surface covered in Sheila's name.

"Was this the one you saw?" he asked.

Jessica remained silent.

"It's not what you think," Timothy explained patiently. "She asked me to help design her signature. The page just has a bunch of fonts and styles—nothing more."

He tried to keep his voice calm. "There's nothing between us-not like you think. I

The door shut sharply with a thud.

Jessica didn't want to hear it.

Whatever was broken between them couldn't be fixed with explanations. Even if he was telling the truth, did it matter anymore? Everything was in the past. It was too late.

Timothy sat in the hallway, utterly lost. He'd tried to clear things up. She'd misunderstood, and he'd tried to explain, but she shut him out all the same.

What did she want from him? Was divorce the only answer?

He wheeled himself back to the study, grabbed the wedding planner's brochure, and picked out a ceremony he thought she would like.

He'd said before he wanted to make things right. He meant it—even if their

marriage was ending, he still owed her a proper wedding.

After making his choice, Timothy called Secretary Allen and instructed him to start arranging the ceremony.

Allen was utterly confused. Mrs. Lawson had been pushing for a divorce for weeks. Even if Mr. Lawson managed to organize the wedding, it was unlikely she'd attend. And the deadline was tight-Henry Lawson's birthday was less than three weeks away.

Meanwhile, Jessica sat at her desk, staring at the necklace she'd just set beside her laptop, lost in the swirl of Timothy's explanation. A tangled mess of emotions churned inside her.

She didn't need him trying to make nice with her. She didn't need any of this. Every gesture, every attempt, only made her feel more trapped.

Unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere a moment longer, Jessica grabbed her purse and left the house.

Outside the villa, she flagged down a cab. As soon as she got in, she texted Sheila.

[Can we meet?]

Sheila had been hoping for this message.

[Where?]

[Are you at Ines's studio? If you're there, I'll come by.]

[I'm here.]

Jessica headed straight to Ines's studio, stopping in first to see Ines herself.

There had never been a good

chance to talk candidly before, but now, there was no reason to keep hiding. She'd chosen her career Her illness had turned a corner. She didn't have to be afraid of facing Ines anymore.

She told Ines everything-except about the cancer.

"Mentor, I'm sorry I let you down. Timothy and I registered our marriage at city

hall. In a month, the divorce will be finalized."

She didn't offer many details about their marriage-just that she'd chosen it recklessly, and it turned out to be nothing like the love she'd imagined.

"Jessy, you're a thoughtful girl. I know you wouldn't make decisions on a whim. Whatever you choose, stand by you. Once you finish

come back to me. I'll teach you everything I know-every resource, every skill."

designing Mr. Smith's character 1. ne

Jessica nodded, guilt welling up inside her. She'd chosen Timothy without looking back. Ines, her mentor, had chosen her just as unreservedly, and still hadn't given up on her even now.

Jessica's hands moved in sign language as tears streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..."

Ines got up and wrapped her in a warm hug. "Oh, sweetheart, don't be. Girls your age are supposed to dream about love. You did nothing wrong. Everyone has to take a difficult path at least once in life."

After their talk, Jessica walked to a nearby coffee shop and messaged Sheila.

Sheila arrived before long, sliding into the seat across from her.

"You wanted to see me?" Sheila asked, reading Jessica's hands with ease.

Jessica signed, "After all this time, I can see it now-you're not Sandra and Abell's biological daughter. There's no blood relation between you and Timothy."

Sheila nodded. "I'm adopted."

Jessica continued, "I know you like Timothy. But last time, you really let me down, so I haven't reached out since. Still..."

She pressed her lips together,

hesitating. "He keeps clinging to me, and it's driving me crazy. You're the only one can turn to. Timothy and I are already registered for divorce-just a month left. Shouldn't you step up your game and give it your best shot?”

Once, Jessica had considered using Sheila to speed up the divorce. She'd givennoveldrama

her the chance that night—but in the end, Timothy had come to her instead.

That was why, in frustration, Jessica had flipped Sheila off.

And now, Timothy had shown up with that sheet of paper, insisting there was nothing between them.

Jessica had no desire to let things drag on any longer. She didn't want to be their scapegoat. They'd forced her to bring things into the open.

The best outcome would be if Sheila won Timothy over soon, taking his attention away-giving Jessica the peace she so desperately needed to get through the next month.