Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Vince."

Left with no other choice, Phelps called out for Vince. But Vince didn't answer either he simply walked away with Jessica.

Everything was upside down now. Sallie was furious. She stormed after them.

Jessica and Vince had just reached the car when Timothy's sedan pulled up and parked right beside theirs. He got out slowly, leaning on a cane.noveldrama

Jessica shot Timothy a cold glance and opened the car door.

"Jess." Timothy pressed his hand against the door, keeping it closed. "Come home, just this once. If you're worried, Vince can come with you."

His voice was low and rough, with a hint of pleading. These days, he'd become nothing more than a man waiting for his wife to come home.

Vince stepped forward. "Timothy, after what you did today, there's no going back. Don't you see that?"

Sallie, watching Timothy's defeated posture, remembered the promise she'd made to treat Jessica better for his sake. But seeing her brother hurt like this- she just couldn't stand it.

She marched over and slapped Vince hard across the face.

Jessica's eyes widened in shock. She instinctively jumped between them.

Trying to spare Timothy's feelings, Sallie simply pulled Jessica aside and fixed Vince with a glare.

"You shameless creep! Jessica isn't even divorced from Timothy yet. You're thirty, aren't you? Don't you know you don't mess around with your friend's wife?"

"Sal!" Timothy reached out, dragging Sallie back to his side. "What are you doing?"

This was only making things worse.

Sallie looked at Timothy, her expression full of pain. "I can't just stand by and watch them bully you."

Sandra, Abell, and Phelps hurried out and saw the scene unfolding. They looked ready to intervene, but Sheila held them back. "Let Timothy handle this. If we get involved, it'll only make things messier, right?"

Sandra and Abell could only sigh in frustration.

"It's not their fault. If anyone's to blame, it's me. Take Grandma and Grandpa home," Timothy said quietly.

Sallie called out anxiously, "Timothy-!"

His eyes hardened. "I said go!"

Sallie stamped her foot, exasperated. "Fine! See if I care. Let's see how you like being pushed around!"

Sallie hadn't held back. Red marks stood out on Vince's cheek.

Jessica stared coldly at Timothy, raising her hands to sign, *"You saw for yourself how your sister acted There's nothing between me and Vince but she's determined to see the worst in us, In all these seven years, if

thee'd ever stood up for me,

would she dare treat me this way?"*

*"It's not just her-your whole family, even Henry. In a marriage, a woman's place depends on her husband's support. I was foolish to think my patience would ever earn your respect. Now tell me, what's left for me to hold on to in this family?"*

"Let me handle this. Trust me, just this once, okay?"*

*"Too late."*

Jessica's gestures were brisk, without a trace of longing. *"I'm going to the police station. Move aside."*

Timothy had cornered her too many times. She couldn't do this again.

"Mr. Allen!" Timothy called out.

His secretary climbed out of the car, a folder in hand, and passed it to Timothy. "Divorce papers. I've already signed."

From a distance, Sheila let out a deep breath of relief and got into the car with Sandra and Abell.

Timothy held out the document. His signature was right there. "You can go to the police if you want. But if I end up with a criminal record, who do you think will suffer?"

Jessica had always known this, which was why she hadn't reported him in the first place.

Never mind that Henry clung to Sheila and barely acknowledged her as his mother, breaking her heart time and again. Still, a mother's love is unconditional, and she couldn't gamble with her son's future.

She'd never wanted things to end in all-out war.

"If you really don't care what

happens to Henry, I have nothing to

say. But do you honestly think

can send me to prison? Mylawye are the best you can find. Even in the worst-case scenario, do you think Izor my legal team-would let me serve time in a cell?"

"You just want this divorce done and over with. After all this back-and-forth, I can delay things now and I can keep delaying them. But if you want the quickest way out, we can go to the courthouse and file right now. After the one-month waiting period, it'll be over."

Vince stepped between them. "Jess, don't fall for it."

Timothy ignored him and pressed on. "A month from now, I'll even send Vince's sister back to the Zimmerman family myself."

Vince's eyes were red as he gripped Jessica's shoulders. “Jess, he's using your kindness against you. He knows you'll hesitate because of Henry, because of my sister. But listen to me-don't give him what he wants. We're not in a rush. Divorce can wait."

Maybe she could wait, but could Vince's mother?

Jessica gently pushed Vince's hands away and faced Timothy. She signed, *"All

right. What are your terms?"*

She knew he would never agree to a divorce without conditions.