Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Timothy didn't bother to say what would happen otherwise.

But Yates could tell-this time, Timothy really meant it.

He turned to Vince and said, "I warned you. If you'd just given me the address, I would've gone myself and brought her back."

Sallie looked at the three men in confusion. "What are you all talking about? Bring who back? What happened?"

Vince and Timothy exchanged glances, neither willing to break the silence.

No one answered Sallie's question.

Growing frustrated, Sallie glared at Timothy. "Timothy, I'm asking you-what on earth is going on?"

Timothy sat there, stone-faced and silent.

She stood abruptly and marched over to Vince, stepping between him and Timothy, forcing their eye contact apart. "If Timothy won't tell me, then you do!"

Sallie had a sinking feeling something serious was being kept from her— otherwise, why would Timothy have been in an accident?

But Timothy and Vince weren't about to let Sallie in on the truth. Sallie had never been fond of Jessica; if she found out this all stemmed from Jessica leaving, she'd blame her for everything.

"Sal, Yates, could you both step outside? I need a word with him," Timothy finally spoke up, voice low.

Yates figured Timothy and Vince needed to talk, and dragged Sallie away despite her resistance.

She shook him off. "Why is everyone hiding something from me? Timothy's hurt this badly-don't I, as his sister, have a right to know?"

Timothy and Vince remained tight-lipped, and Yates had no intention of getting involved. “You're always so impatient. You'll know soon enough, can't you see Timothy won't talk? Just leave it alone."

"Then you tell me."

"If he won't, why should I? I don't want to set him off. Let Timothy and Vince talk— let's just wait."

Inside the hospital room, Timothy's handsome features were shadowed with cold anger as he stared hard at Vince.

Vince-unmoved, without a flicker of guilt.

Timothy's patience snapped. "Do you even realize what you're doing? She's my wife!"

"Timothy, she's not happy," Vince replied quietly.

He couldn't stand seeing that lost, joyless expression on her face every day.

"Her happiness isn't for you to

decide," Timothy shot back. "We've

been married sevennoveldrama

years everything was fine, until you

people barged in and turned my home upside down."

Vince's brows knit together. "That's not fair. When I first met her, she was already talking about divorce. She's your wife, but she had to sell her artwork just to make ends meet. So tell me, Timothy-which is it? Did we ruin your family, or was it already falling apart?"

Timothy's eyes flickered. "You don't understand the whole story."

He'd only wanted her to come home, but she'd stayed away, and he'd tried forcing her hand.

"I'm not here to defend myself,"

Vince said quietly. "I'm the one who put her on that plane, and by now she's probably somewhere over the Atlantic. But can't you see how unhappy she's been? You're dying in a hospital bed-stop fighting this. Use this time to get better. Maybe it's good for her to get away for a while, clear her head."

Vince's tone was gentle, but it only stoked the fire burning inside Timothy.

Unhappy... of course he knew.

He missed her, but how could he make things right when she was gone? How could he explain everything, set it all straight?

And she was out there alone...

That thought made Timothy's voice drop even lower. "She doesn't speak the language. How is she supposed to manage in a foreign country by herself?"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she's looked after," Vince promised. "She'd better be," Timothy growled.