Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Larkin's brow knitted in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Timothy just

acknowledged you in front of everyone at my birthday party, and now you're talking about divorce?"

Jessica could only type out her response and show it to Larkin: "I've been asking him for a divorce for a while now."

Vince stepped in, trying to ease the tension. “Grandpa, Jessica hasn't had dinner yet. Why don't we eat first and talk afterward?"

Divorce wasn't a trivial matter, and it certainly couldn't be settled in a few words.

Larkin nodded. "Alright, let's eat first. We'll talk after dinner."

The Zimmerman family's feast was abundant, even if only the three of them sat at the table. With so few people, the meal didn't last long.

Afterwards, Larkin had the housekeeper bring out a platter of fresh fruit and laid it out on the coffee table in the living room. The three of them sat together as Larkin brewed a pot of tea and poured steaming cups for Jessica and Vince. Then, he took out a carefully wrapped package and handed it to Jessica.noveldrama

"Sweetheart, I meant to give this to you at my birthday party, but you left early and

I never got the chance. Go on, open it."

Jessica took the small album from him and opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise. Inside were delicate silhouettes, paper cuttings with a smoky tint-her grandmother's handiwork, unmistakable from the familiar technique.

Larkin's voice was gentle and warm. "You recognize them, don't you?"

Jessica nodded silently.

He sighed. "I managed to collect these after your grandmother passed. They were among her keepsakes. From the look of it, they're some of her earlier

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pieces—she didn't do much with this style later on, so they're rare. You have real talent with paper cutting, and in your hands, these will truly come to life."

Larkin had clearly made up his mind about giving them to her, and Jessica felt no

need to protest. She simply thanked him with sincere gratitude.

Only then did Larkin turn to the matter of Jessica's divorce from Timothy.

Jessica didn't go into detail. She just gave a brief explanation: for seven years, she and Timothy had been married in name only-her presence in his life was optional at best. To keep the family together, she'd sacrificed so much, swallowing her príde and her words. No matter what she did, they always found her lacking.

She'd tried to keep quiet, tried to keep the peace. But when she finally brought up divorce, Timothy did everything he could to block her, and his influence was so great that no lawyer dared touch her case That alone made it clear to her there was no way forward in this marriage.

She'd poured all her time and energy into the family, and now she had nothing left -nothing, except the knowledge that Timothy would always have the final say. She was done compromising. She needed to fight for herself, even if it meant making a fresh start from nothing.

Larkin didn't know all the details, but Vince understood a bit more than most. Sallie's attitude toward Jessica said everything about how the whole Lawson family treated her.

Jessica's words were already more than tactful.

Even as she spoke of divorce, she barely said a negative word about Timothy.

Larkin's face darkened with anger. "If that's the case, then you're better off without him. Sweetheart, don't be afraid. If no other lawyer will take your case, the Zimmerman family's legal team will!"

He turned to Vince, his voice firm. "Tomorrow, I want you to get our lawyers on this. The Lawsons think they can treat Jessica this way? Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Right on cue, Vince's phone buzzed. Timothy was calling.