Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica made her way to Timothy's hospital room, opened the door, and walked over to his bedside. She signed, *"You should go."*

Timothy had never been dismissed like this before-no one had ever asked him to leave before he'd made the decision himself.

Jessica was the first.

A wave of bitter laughter rippled through him.

His dark eyes locked onto Jessica's face. "What happened was my fault. Didn't you see how guilty and sorry I was afterward? We've been married seven years— other than that one incident, when have I ever let you down? Don't you think you've been unreasonable lately?"

He spewed the words out in anger, and saying them only deepened his frustration. His voice grew even colder, harsher. "Think about it—if you hadn't pushed me away over and over, would I have done that to you?"

Jessica stared at him, stunned, her lips curling into a frosty smile.

He was actually trying to blame her.

By his logic, was every girl who'd ever been hurt just at fault for being attractive or vulnerable?

Wasn't it the aggressor who chose to ignore the law-to trample on basic decency?

And how could he have the nerve to claim that, apart from that incident, he'd never wronged her?

It was all so infuriating.

But Jessica refused to waste another ounce of emotion on this. Her time was running out, and she still needed to get her health checked.

Her doctor had only recently told her she needed to keep her spirits up. Problems with her liver, he'd said, were closely linked to her emotional state.

She signed wearily, *"Fine, it's all my fault. You're blameless. You make perfect sense. Now, will you leave?"*

Timothy didn't budge. He had no intention of going anywhere.

"I'm not here to argue, Jessy. I won't take up your time. I just want to get to the point, and then I'll go."

Jessica almost laughed.

Sheila had just come by wanting to talk, and now Timothy was here too.

She didn't want to hear another word.

"If you want to talk, talk to my lawyer. From now on, unless it's about the divorce, I have nothing to say to you."

Something about her signing made his heart sink with hopelessness.

Timothy could feel his temper threatening to boil over-he'd been patient enough. Jessica had turned his life upside down.

She didn't seem to care at all that he was hurt, didn't even ask about his injuries.

He pressed his lips together, his dark eyes growing even stormier.

Jessica picked up her bag from the entryway, slung it over her shoulder, and walked out-without even glancing at Timothy.

If he wouldn't leave, then she would.

Jessica's face was expressionless as the elevator doors closed behind her.

After everything that had happened them, she honestly didn't

b he had the audacity!???

show up in front of her again.

There was a time when she'd thought she couldn't live without him.

But pain, heartbreak, and disappointment had worn down every bit of love she thought she'd had for him.

Timothy, meanwhile, was seething with frustration.

nex

He couldn't help but think of Vince. If Vince hadn't insisted on getting involved, Timothy wouldn't be lying in this hospital bed, helpless to stop Jessica from walking out.

He sent Vince a message:

*Come to Jessica's apartment.*

Then he called for the nurses to wheel his bed into Jessica's bedroom.

At her vanity, he spotted a wooden hairbrush with a few stray hairs tangled in the bristles. He plucked them out and sealed them in a clear plastic bag.

He placed another bag—already labeled, containing a few strands of Vince's hairnoveldrama

-next to it, and stuffed both into his pocket.