Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Both Timothy and Sheila stood up to greet Ines.

Jessica's mind flashed back to the call Timothy had answered earlier. She hadn't realized the guest he invited was Ines-if she'd known, she would have made any excuse to avoid this dinner. Now, with her former mentor right here, there was no way out. Not getting up would look like outright disrespect.

She tried to steady herself, drawing a deep breath before she rose to her feet and turned around.

"Ines, right this way," she said, her voice a little shaky.

Timothy, ever the gentleman, gestured gracefully for Ines to join them.

But Ines paused, her gentle gaze meeting Jessica's eyes, which shimmered with the threat of tears.

For a long moment, teacher and student simply looked at each other.

Jessica suddenly pressed a hand over her mouth, unable to hold back a sob.

Sheila stared, bewildered-she had no idea what was happening.

As for Timothy, his eyes had darkened with complex emotion.

"Jessica," Ines said softly, her expression full of kindness.

Jessica's composure broke entirely. She took a shaky step forward, then threw herself into Ines's arms, silent, unable even to call out for her mentor.

She felt utterly useless.

Ines patted her back, smiling through tears of her own. "Oh, you silly girl, what's all this crying about?"

Jessica pulled away, and Ines quickly reached into her handbag and dabbed at Jessica's tears with a handkerchief. "You're a mother now, you know-no more tears. Come on, let's sit down together."

Ines kept hold of Jessica's hand, leading her to the table and seating her by her side.

Sheila, voice low and brimming with curiosity, asked, "Ines, have you and Jessica known each other for a long time?"

Ines nodded, glancing over at Timothy with a warm smile. "President Lawson, I never would have guessed Jessica married you. At that art convention—the very first stop―I gave your son that animated painting of The Grand Canal in Venice. I had no idea it would end up back with its original owner. What a wonderful twist of fate."

"Back to its original owner?" Sheila's face drained of color, disbelief etched in her eyes.

Timothy's deep gaze lingered on Jessica.

Her eyes were still red, but she sat quietly by Ines's side, resigned. Now that Ines was here, there was no way to keep secrets. She couldn't find the words to explain herself, even if she wanted to.

Ines spoke up. "Yes, back to its original owner-because that artwork was created by Jessica."

For a second, Sheila felt as if the world went blank. Under the table, her fists clenched tight.

Impossible.noveldrama

Jessica, the mute housewife who seemed to have no ambitions or skills-how could she possibly have designed such a remarkable piece? Sheila remembered clearly how, the first moment she'd seen that painting, she recognized the creator's extraordinary talent. That was why she'd been so drawn to it. She just couldn't believe it was Jessica's work.

But if it really was, that would mean Jessica was the student Ines had once cherished most—the one who had given up a promising career for love.

Timothy was just as stunned. He remembered meeting Jessica at Riverside Media Institute, where the faculty had introduced her as a recent graduate who knew sign language, perfect for translating his speech for students with hearing loss. He'd never known she studied animation.

He vaguely recalled—after their marriage, Jessica once said she wanted to work and had mentioned her college major, but the details slipped his mind now.

And yet, seeing the way Ines looked at Jessica, everything seemed to fit together at last.