Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Defeated again.

Sheila lowered her hand and turned away, her graceful composure never

wavering. The three of them-Timothy, Henry, and Sheila-stood together, their silhouettes perfectly matched, as if they belonged to a world Jessica could never enter.

Jessica had thought she was strong enough to feel nothing. But seeing that scene with her own eyes made her chest tighten painfully. After all, Timothy and Henry were the two people she cared about most in this world.

Sheila looked gentle and poised, but she clearly had no qualms about challenging Jessica—the real Mrs. Lawson. What gave her that boldness? Timothy's favoritism, of course.

And Jessica? She had nothing to fight back with. She couldn't argue, couldn't speak up. She had lost everything that once made her special. Years as a housewife had dulled her skills in animation—the only thing she'd ever been proud of. If her mentor tried to help, she could very well end up like the Wheelers: crushed by Timothy's power.

Timothy left her no room to breathe, no way out.

Of course, she had brought this on herself by angering him that morning. What awaited her now-besides her illness-might be even more than she could bear.

They say marriage is a woman's second life. For many, it's a chance to change their fate. For Jessica, it had become a dead end.

She bent down and picked up her phone from the floor. A new message had popped up.

It was from her mentor.

"Jessica, your husband told me you've made up your mind to focus on your family and won't be returning to work. Is that true?"

Jessica's grip tightened until her knuckles turned red. So all Timothy's promises to support her had been nothing but lies. Without even asking, he'd gone behind her back and contacted her mentor himself.

What more was there to say? Maybe this was for the best. She didn't have much time left anyway, and eventually she would have to turn her mentor down.

Now, Timothy had answered for her. At least she could use his decision as an excuse, save herself the pain of explaining why she was giving up when even her husband "supported" her. Otherwise, how could she possibly hide her cancer?

She typed back, "Yes, he's busy with work and I don't feel comfortable leaving my son with a nanny. I'm sorry, I really appreciate everything you've done for me."

A reply from Ines appeared almost immediately.noveldrama

"Actually..."

A moment later, Ines deleted the message. The typing indicator blinked beneath her name. Even through the screen, Jessica could sense Ines's hesitation.

Finally, another message arrived.

"Jessica, something's come up and I need your husband's help. He told me you're not able to work right now, and that Sheila―your sister-in-law-would be available instead. So I agreed to take Sheila on as a trainee."

Jessica nearly laughed out of sheer frustration. Timothy had made the decision for

her, as always. She was being forced to play the dutiful wife.

As for Ines's "emergency," Jessica could only guess it was just another one of Timothy's schemes-a way to help Sheila at Jessica's expense. No wonder Sheila had flashed that smug little gesture at her just now, calling her the loser. She must have known all along.

Timothy certainly moved fast.

Another message popped up from Ines.

"Still, I've only agreed to a six-month trial period for Sheila. See if you can get things settled at home, Jessica. I need you. I'll be waiting for good news."

Jessica's eyes stung with tears. Even those six months-Ines must have fought hard for them. With Timothy involved, nothing was ever simple. Even the Wheeler Group hadn't dared cross him; how could her mentor hope to push back?

Mrs. Reynolds had already made her stance clear, as tactfully as possible. And yet, Ines refused to give up on her.

It was Jessica who had failed. Twenty-seven years old, and still needing her mentor to shield her from the world.