Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Thankfully, he hadn't held her too tightly.

Jessica quickly turned away, dodging his attempt to kiss her again.

Her fingers were still trembling.

Before she could react, Timothy pressed her down onto the bed, his knees bent and elbows braced on either side of her, completely enclosing Jessica beneath

him.

The heat in his gaze made his intentions unmistakably clear.

Jessica felt utterly helpless.

It wasn't that she didn't want to resist.

She had tried to fight him off many times, but it was always pointless.

She simply wasn't strong enough.

Timothy lifted his free hand and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, his voice low and soft. "Shaking like this, yet still so stubborn."noveldrama

Jessica's cheeks burned with shame. Men always seemed so much more unashamed, so much more at ease with these things than women.

She tried to turn her face away, but his warm palm cupped her cheek, his eyes narrowing with a faint, teasing smile. "Go wash up first. So, is it you alone, or should we go together?"

She wanted nothing more than to escape him. She quickly raised her hand, gesturing that she'd go first.

Timothy didn't press her. He rolled onto his side without argument, and Jessica shot out of bed, hurrying to the wardrobe for her pajamas.

He was stubborn as ever, determined to linger here, but she needed to find a way to get rid of him.

After all, they were getting divorced. She wasn't about to let him seduce her again or drag her into anything she'd regret.

Last time, she'd thought about asking Ines to take Sheila on as her student, but before she could use that as leverage to discuss the divorce, something else had happened. She never did find out what underhanded method Timothy had used to get Ines to come to him for help. Meanwhile, Jessica's cancer diagnosis forced her to turn down Ines's invitation, and just like that, Sheila became Ines's student. This time, she needed to act faster and talk to him as soon as possible.

Instead of heading straight to the bathroom, she draped her pajamas over her arm and faced Timothy, signing her words:

"If you care so much about Sheila's future, about getting her Ines as a mentor, I'm guessing she's hit some kind of wall in her design work. If you agree to one thing for me, I'll teach Sheila everything Ines and Mr. Smith see as my strengths in animation."

Sheila's career clearly meant everything to her, and Jessica knew she'd keep working in the animation industry. A mentor always needed someone who could carry the torch.

As a mentor's student herself, Jessica was willing to give back to the industry however she could.

Sheila was talented. If it had been anyone else, Jessica would have shared her knowledge just as generously, as long as they were willing to learn.

It was only because it was Sheila that Jessica felt so much resistance, but if it meant she could finally cut ties with Timothy, she could swallow her pride.

Timothy lounged back, his tone lazy. "So you're trying to use this to threaten me?"

Jessica pressed her lips together, not hesitating as she signed back, "Yes."

Timothy rose to his feet, approaching her with slow, quiet steps, but an unmistakable force radiated from him.

She instinctively retreated.

She didn't stop until her back hit the wardrobe.

He planted one hand against the wardrobe above her, gazing down with narrowed eyes.

"Good. Very good." He hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her face. "Since you're so capable now, tell me do you really think you can threaten me?"

Jessica ducked under his arm, slipping out from his trap to put some space between them.

Timothy let his hand drop from the wardrobe, turning aside with his hands on his hips. The warmth in his eyes had faded, replaced by a much colder glint.