Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Jessica."

Timothy's voice brushed against her ear, low and warm, his breath stirring the air between them and making her head spin.

"Try to get some sleep."

His hand moved gently over her lower abdomen, soothing her.

Her heart fluttered and ached at once.

He didn't even realize how seductive his tenderness was.

Before long, she drifted off, lost in a hazy, comforting drowsiness.

The next morning.

Jessica opened her eyes to find the bed beside her empty. From the bathroom came the soft sounds of running water and the clink of toiletries.

She slipped out from under the covers. To her surprise, the cramps she'd suffered the night before had vanished completely.

Timothy stepped out of the bathroom.

He looked impeccable-dressed in a crisp suit, hair neatly combed, clean-shaven and radiant. Handsome to the point of perfection.

"Why aren't you sleeping a bit longer?"

Jessica glanced at the clock. It was already nearing nine. Not exactly early.

She was just about to stand up when Timothy strode over, scooping her effortlessly into his arms.noveldrama

For a split second as her feet left the ground, her heart nearly gave out.

His eyes, dark and unreadable, flickered with concern. "Save your strength. I'll carry you to get washed up."

Timothy set her down in front of the sink, grabbed her pale blue electric toothbrush, squeezed out a perfect stripe of toothpaste, and handed it to her.

If my heart isn't stronger, she thought, I'll never survive his gentle side.

Jessica took the toothbrush. As she started brushing, Timothy lounged against the wall, half-lidding his eyes. His voice was soft and casual. "I cleared my schedule for the next few days. I'll be home on time every night. I'll make arrangements for you to start working at Ines' firm."

Jessica rinsed her mouth and put down the toothbrush, then signed to him, "Can I handle things with my supervisor myself?"

She didn't want to give her supervisor hope only to let them down later.

Really, she'd brought this up as a pretext to negotiate their divorce.

And yet, Timothy still hadn't tried to find a way for Sheila to become the supervisor's student. Always so unpredictable.

If he stepped in, it would only make things more complicated for her down the line.

Timothy studied her for a moment. "Alright," he said finally. "You know Ines better. Once you've talked it over, let me know. I'll make sure you're placed in Riverside City."

He was willing to compromise, clearly wanting to keep things stable at home.

Sending her away for work was out of the question; nothing could be allowed to disrupt the family.

Jessica said nothing more. She would wait and see. He cared about Sheila too much—surely he wouldn't just ignore her career.

After she finished getting ready, Timothy called her to breakfast.

Surprisingly, Henry and Sheila were nowhere to be seen. Jessica didn't ask.

After the meal, Timothy fetched a sun hat that matched her outfit and placed it gently on her head.

"Henry couldn't wait this morning-he begged to go to the amusement park as soon as he woke up. You weren't feeling well last night, so I told him not to wake you. The driver's already taken him. We should get going too."

He really wanted her to come along?

Jessica hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

For her, it was too late for this.

Still, Timothy took her hand and led her outside.

At the car, he thoughtfully opened the door for her.

Jessica's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and unease.

She couldn't risk falling for him again. She was afraid that, if she did, the

heartbreak would be unbearable.

She raised her hand. "I'm not feeling well. I don't want to go."

Her cramps were gone, but she still felt drained from her period. Timothy's eyes narrowed.

She'd been so obedient last night; he'd thought maybe she was done fighting him.

And taking her to the amusement park today-he'd hoped it would make up for missing the last family outing together.

He couldn't have made his intentions clearer. He wanted everyone to know she was his wife. So what more did she want?