Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Quitting smoking comes with withdrawal, just like quitting a person.

Jessica knew she wasn't ready to erase him from her life completely, but she was determined not to let these feelings grow any further. She would do her best to cut them off. To forget.

"If that's your decision, then I won't tell him," Herbert said quietly. "There's no need to add any more ties between you two. Little Mute, when your divorce is final, there's something important I want to tell you."

She smiled faintly. "Honestly, you don't have to say it-I already know."

She was twenty-seven now-no, twenty-six.

Salome was twenty-six this year.

She had no idea why her age had suddenly become twenty-seven. Hollis still refused to explain what had happened.

Maybe the confusion over her age was why the Zimmerman family never found her.

But whether she was twenty-six or twenty-seven, at this age, she understood what went on between men and women. She wasn't naïve.

Herbert's heart skipped. "You really know?"

"I do. I know everything. So..."

For a second, she didn't know how to continue.

"Don't," Herbert cut her off, gentle but insistent. "Let me say it first. I'll wait for you. I'll tell you after your divorce."

Something like this-he wanted to be the one to say it first.

From the way she reacted, Herbert felt hope stirring inside him.

That tiny seed called love suddenly took root and blossomed.

"Alright. I'll wait for you," Jessica replied softly.

Her answer left Herbert a little shy; for a moment, he couldn't quite meet her eyes. Knock, knock, knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Vince stepped in.

"Jessy, Timothy's awake. He's asking for you."

No one expected the surgery to go so well-Timothy had barely left the operating

table and already regained consciousness.

"I won't see him."

There was nothing left to say.

She'd already decided not to look back. Meeting again would only make things harder.

"I'll go tell him."

Vince withdrew, closing the hospital room door quietly behind him.

Even so, Jessica's eyes clouded with sadness at the mention of Timothy.

Vince returned to Timothy's room.

It was empty now. Before, everyone had crowded in, but Timothy had sent them all out.

Now, everyone waited outside.

When Timothy saw only Vince return, disappointment flickered in his eyes.

"She won't see me?"

Vince nodded.

Timothy had nearly died saving her, and yet she didn't show the slightest sign of softening.

He'd never felt this kind of pain before.

Did she really not love him at all anymore?

How could it be?

He couldn't accept it.

He forced himself to sit up. If she wouldn't come to him, then he'd go to her.

"Timothy!" Vince grabbed him, pushing him gently but firmly back onto the bed. "Are you crazy? Do you know how hard Herbert fought to save your life? You're covered injuries-do you really not care about your own body?"

Timothy's eyes were red, his voice hoarse with grief. "She doesn't want me

anymore. What's the point of this life?"

"I'd rather die than go on suffering like this.”

"Let me got need to see her. I want

to beg

her forgiveness. I want

know I've loved her for seven

and

I'm sorry I'm so late."

Vince's

to usenoveldrama

tightened. "So you want

You think if she sees you like this, she'll give in?"

r life as leverage ago. Het

"Timothy, I'm going to be blunt: this is exactly where you fall short of Herbert."

"He risked everything to save your life!"

"And he'd never use what he's done for Jessy to pressure her."

"What about you? When will you learn to be that selfless?"