Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Timothy didn't mind the place being small. In fact, once he stepped inside, his restless heart finally began to settle.

He let go of Jessica's wrist and made himself comfortable on an old wooden armchair in the living room, acting entirely at home.

He looked up at Jessica, his gaze dark and unreadable.

"Come sit down. We need to talk."

Timothy made no effort to act like a guest; he was as at home here as anywhere.

Jessica raised her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Unless we're talking about the divorce, there's nothing left for us to discuss."

Timothy's brief calm was instantly shattered by her words.

"Do you realize how annoying it is for a woman to keep threatening divorce? It gets old, you know."

"Then get it over with," Jessica shot back, her patience thinner than his. "I'm even more tired of it than you."

This marriage was a disaster. He could afford to waste a lifetime, but she couldn't.

For her, every single second was a countdown, racing toward the inevitable. She didn't have time to drag this out any longer.

After tomorrow's memorial, she'd go back to Riverside City to find Ines and get back in touch with Mr. Smith, land that role, and start adjusting as soon as possible.

She was running out of time. There were still so many things she needed to do before the end.

Timothy's steadied mood was unraveling quickly, anger flickering in his eyes.

He forced himself to keep his voice level. "We agreed on a month. What's with the sudden drama?"

"Have you even stuck to the agreement?" Jessica's slender fingers danced in the air, her anger barely contained. "How many times have you broken the rules?"

Even angry, her hands were graceful, delicate as they moved.

Timothy's gaze lingered on her hands, remembering how they felt against his skin -how long had it been since they'd touched each other with any real intimacy?

The thought took hold before he could stop it.

He never liked forcing her. In his mind, things between a man and a woman should always be mutual-that's how you got quality, and he demanded quality in everything, whether it was life, work, or love.

He didn't want things to get any more strained between them.

When he spoke again, his voice had softened, losing some of its edge. "Not even a single kiss? Does that count as breaking the rules?"

Jessica raised her hand, ticking off her points with calm precision. "You've broken rule one and rule five."

Rule one: The husband is not allowed to force the wife to perform marital duties. Rule five: The husband must not publicly acknowledge the marriage.

Timothy smirked. "You remember every detail, don't you?"

He'd only agreed to that contract to keep her from leaving. He'd never intended to follow it to the letter. As far as he was concerned, everything between them was his call.

Jessica turned away, refusing to look at him.noveldrama

Timothy stood up and walked over. His long fingers angled her chin back toward him, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"If you remember so well, let's check the facts. During this agreement, have I ever forced you into anything?"

Jessica pushed his hand away, her gestures sharp. "What about rule five?"

"Ah, that." Timothy's lips curled in a lazy smile. "Meant to tell you-when the lawyer drafted the contract, he made a typo. The effective date is actually next month. If you don't believe me, check your copy."

Jessica's eyes widened in shock.

She rushed to her bag, hands trembling as she unzipped it and fumbled for the documents-her receipt, the contract.

It was October now. The agreement was dated the day they signed it, but the month was listed as November.

She wasn't a lawyer; when she'd read it, she'd only checked the terms. She'd trusted Timothy's lawyer to be professional. It had never crossed her mind that there could be a mistake with the date.

Suddenly, she collapsed onto the sofa, every ounce of strength draining from her.