Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 296

The weather had turned crisp after the harvest moon, a lingering chill in the air.

The water was colder than in summertime-a fine, relentless spray that left Jessica shivering in the tub, goosebumps rising on her skin. She couldn't stop trembling, no matter how hard she tried.

Timothy held her firmly in the bath. Jessica struggled, but he was unmoved, his eyes alight with an angry fire, as if determined to scrub her clean of something he couldn't bear.

Her whole body shook from the cold, damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead and tangling in her lashes.

At last, the water warmed, and Jessica's shivering eased a little, the heat seeping into her limbs. But nothing could reach her heart; it remained frozen.

Noticing her resistance had faded, Timothy seized her wrist, squeezing tight. He pumped liquid soap into his palm and began to scrub her hand, rough and unyielding.

His lips, usually soft and inviting, were pressed into a hard, thin line.

He scrubbed until the back of her hand burned, then grabbed the showerhead and rinsed away the suds.

Suddenly, the bruised, purplish marks around her wrist came into view, glaring against her pale skin. Even the back of her hand was flushed raw.

Timothy's movements stilled.

did he realize

tub, expression blank, her beautiful eyes

Timothy's hand, clattering against the porcelain. He reached for her, pulling her into

"I'm sorry... I”

laid a hand on a woman before. There had been times when Jessica's words pushed him to the edge,

he'd hurt

He'd left marks.

Jessica remembered her necklace

eyes as she fumbled to unfasten the chain at her throat. As she cupped the necklace in her hands,

thrown her necklace away. It ended up in the drain,

racked

be repaired, and now, because of Timothy, it was ruined

had softened Timothy's temper vanished in

necklace Herbert gave her. He hadn't even confronted her about it yet—and now, here she was, clutching Herbert's

seized her chin with a cold, iron grip, his voice low

seemed to

long since he'd touched her that