Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Back when they used to have dinner together, Jessica's mother would always peel the shrimp and place them in her father's bowl.

Tonight, as Jessica quietly offered Timothy the plate of shrimp, inviting him to peel them for her, he found himself oddly pleased.

Suddenly, Sheila set down her fork and said, "Timothy, I'm finished eating. I'll head home now."

Timothy just nodded lightly.

But before Sheila could leave, Henry grabbed her hand, his voice plaintive: "Miss Sheila, you promised you'd stay with me until I fell asleep tonight."

Jessica put down her fork and signed to Sheila, "Grown-ups shouldn't break promises to kids. Miss Howard, you should stay."

Timothy frowned slightly. Hasn't she always disliked Sheila staying here? Had she changed her mind? Was she ready to go back to the way things were?

This was the first time Jessica had ever spoken to Sheila on her own accord. Sheila, curious about Jessica's sudden change, decided to stay and find out what was going on.

"Alright then, I'll go play with Henry for a bit," she agreed.

Henry beamed and tugged Sheila upstairs.

Timothy picked up a shrimp, about to peel it, when Jessica signed, "I'm done too, you don't need to peel any more. I'm going to take a shower."

She stood up and left the dining room.

In her bedroom, she grabbed her phone from her bag, picked up fresh clothes, and locked herself in the bathroom.

Her phone screen was filled with unread messages.noveldrama

One was from Vince Zimmerman, asking if she needed him to step in and help.

Another was from Ines. Ever since that day's incident, Ines had been feeling guilty and wanted to know if Jessica and Timothy were really getting divorced.

The rest were all from Herbert.

[Little Mute, you honestly don't need to worry about The Wheeler Group... If you're thinking about giving up your future just because you're afraid you'll drag them down, I'll feel terrible.]

[I'm not afraid of Timothy at all. I've decided I'll cut ties with my family. Tomorrow, I'll go abroad with you.]

[If Timothy locks you in the house, just tell me. No matter what it takes, I'll get you out.]

[Little Mute, please text me back.]

Jessica clutched her phone tightly.

She'd known Herbert since they were children.

After her mother passed away, her father abandoned her and disappeared without a trace.

Herbert had grown up in a single-parent home too; his mother had him out of wedlock.

He was always getting into fights, and once, after getting scolded and beaten by Mrs. Reynolds, he ran away. Worried, Jessica followed him.

He went to the lake, tossing stones into the water, mumbling about why he didn't have a father-how much he wished he did.

No one else knew this, but Jessica did: he desperately longed for a real family. Truth was, so did she.

That's why, after she finally found a new family, she cherished it so much. Unless she had absolutely no choice, she could never bring herself to let it fall apart.

How could she let Herbert break from his own family because of her?

She quickly replied to his messages.

[Don't even think about it. I'll figure things out myself. It might take some time, but you don't need to worry. Timothy won't do anything to me.]

Herbert finally received her reply, but he knew she was just trying to reassure him.

She'd suffered so much with Timothy, and now that she'd returned, who knew what she'd face?

[Little Mute, stop pretending to be strong. If I leave the Wheeler family, Timothy won't be able to threaten me anymore. I can help you get treatment for your mutism, and I can connect you with people in the animation industry. You don't have to keep living like this.]

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone rapped on the bathroom door.