Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Jessy, from what I see, he doesn't really want a divorce. Are you sure there's no way back for you two?"

"There's no going back, Ines. He's already got someone else in his heart. The only reason he won't sign the papers isn't because he wants to save our marriage, but because..."

Jessica hesitated to tell Ines about Timothy and Sheila. She certainly didn't want Ines to know she was nothing more than a human shield for their relationship. Admitting it would only make her humiliation complete.

She paused, then added, "Anyway, he doesn't love me. And I've lost any hope I had for this marriage."

Ines didn't press further. They'd just arrived outside The Silverthread Eatery. Ines offered to drive Jessica home, but Jessica insisted she wanted to walk for a while and told Ines to go ahead.

After watching Ines drive away, Jessica stood by the curb, flagging down a cab. As she waited, a Bentley glided past her, its back window rolled down. She caught

a glimpse of a face she recognized instantly-a face she could never forget.

The cab arrived. Jessica quickly got in.

"Please, follow that car up ahead," she told the driver, her voice urgent.

Eyes fixed on the Bentley, she pulled out her phone, snapping a photo of its license plate. After all these years, she'd finally seen him again.

She had no idea where the car was headed. The taxi followed for half an hour, weaving through the city. At a busy intersection, the Bentley slipped through a yellow light just as theirs turned red, forcing them to stop. The light dragged on, and by the time traffic moved, the Bentley had vanished.

She told the driver to turn around and take her back to The Gilded Whisper

The Silverthread Eatery. Noticing she wasn't heading home, he decided to follow her, only to realize after a while that

just gotten home when Timothy

got out, catching up with her at the door, still favoring his

in front of her, blocking her way. She didn't

his arm around her,

and as Timothy breathed in her familiar scent, the restless ache

Jessica quickly pushed him away with a shove-he

you see how much I can't stand you? If it weren't for news about Vince's sister, do you honestly

him out. "What I want to know is, why do you hate me so

time he tried to talk, she'd either ignore him or storm off before he could finish. Tonight, he was determined-he wouldn't let her

back, exasperated. "Haven't I spelled

tried to

nothing between me

years ago, I

she lost her

She was afraid

I didn't have any plans for the future at the

eyes widened. "That fire seven