Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 430

Jessica had grown up and changed so much that Hollis didn't recognize her at first-but she knew him right away.

When her mother jumped to her death, he abandoned her without a second thought.

Now, even after all these years, Jessica still couldn't quite bring herself to call him "Dad." She'd hated him, blamed him, wondered a thousand times why he didn't want her. Her grandmother had worked herself to the bone raising her, and when she passed away, Jessica spent more than three years utterly alone.

Hollis never came back.

But he was still her father. She couldn't just call him by his name. In the end, she managed a quiet, "Dad."

Only then did Hollis snap out of his confusion. "Jessy? Is that really you?"

"You can talk now?" he asked, as if seeing a ghost.

“Yeah, I'm finally better,” she replied softly.

Jessica had something she wanted to say to Hollis alone, so she turned to Vince. "Vince, would you mind waiting for me outside?"

Hollis took a good look at Vince-well-dressed, obviously well-off. His estranged daughter was turning into a beautiful woman, and judging by the parade of men coming to see her, she didn't lack for admirers.

The last man who had come by claimed to be her husband. So who was this one?

visitor, Hollis felt a chill down his spine. He turned back to Jessica, lowering his voice. "Are

was. But we're officially divorced now just waiting out the cooling-off

was

friend,"

she might see her father again someday. But as she got older, she gave up hope, learned to live as if he'd

why, seeing him now, she felt

wanted to ask. "Dad, why did Mom jump?" Hollis's

ill. She struggled with her mind," he

mother's arms-even though she was already six or seven, her mother

voice trembled as she pressed on. "After Mom died, why did you leave me? You never looked back-not

money. Even after I sold the house, it wasn't enough. I had to disappear. If I'd gone

made Jessica's

You only went to prison ten years ago. What about the eight or nine years before that? You just disappeared to dodge your debts? You couldn't have sent a single

much. She'd always hoped that one day, he'd just suddenly show up, take her

truth. Timothy had already promised him: as long as he kept quiet, he'd be released early and sent abroad,

I just... I met someone else, you know? Got busy with my own life, got distracted. I figured your

father be so shamelessly irresponsible? In that moment, any last shred of hope she'd held

it. I won't bother asking about the past anymore. But I do

to tell him about her cancer diagnosis or the liver transplant

you might be getting out soon. I'll see if there's anything I

"I've been on good behavior. The warden