Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Yes."

That's exactly how suffocating it felt.

If they could part on good terms, maybe she'd remember the good in him.

The failure of their marriage-she knew it was the result of her own bad choices. She wasn't about to pin all the blame on him.

But this relentless pressure-this was what she truly hated.

All Jessica wanted was a small slice of life that belonged to her alone, but even that tiny wish, he insisted on denying her.

Jessica Greene looked at him, sorrow weighing in her eyes. "You're not a fool, Timothy. You know exactly what's become of our marriage. There are only a few weeks left-what's the point in dragging this out?"

"Jessy, most marriages fall apart because of cheating, family issues, or lack of communication. Now you want a divorce-shouldn't we at least sit down and talk about what went wrong? If we can fix it, let's fix it. If we can't, then we'll end it. That's how a marriage should be-beginning to end. Why can't we just talk?"

Jessica let out a bitter laugh. "So you do understand."

He knew everything, yet acted as if he didn't know a thing.

"I've been thinking it through, Jessy. I'm sorry. We've been married seven years—I thought everything was normal. If you want to go home tonight, that's fine. But can we please sit down and talk?" Timothy gestured to the chair across from him.

Jessica remained standing. "We're way past the talking stage."

"We still have a few weeks, don't we? How is it too late?"

"Because any feeling I had left for this marriage is already dead."

nothing could bring back the woman she'd

argued. She used to be the quiet one, unable to speak up; now that she finally could, Timothy had

almost gentle. "So what you're saying is, you actually did have some hope

most people

cigarette in Timothy's hand burned down to the filter. He stubbed it out, grabbed his cane, and walked over to

was still devastatingly handsome-his presence undiminished, his

divorce. I agreed to it just to buy myself thirty more days. Time is slipping away-one week's already gone. I don't want to waste what's left. Can you give me these last three weeks? Can you try to see me with fresh

expression wavering between tension and resignation. "Did you lie

to verify it? There's a saying-even what we see with our own

Jessica fell silent.

was nothing left

her retreat into silence, Timothy pressed on. "If you're leaving me, at least let me know

back, "Don't you already

You mean about me and Sheila Howard. But is there

wanted to settle it all at once. Better to face the whole ugly truth now than to have it drag out, piece by

it. We don't see the world

mention Sheila again. Bringing her up made

jealousy, and she was long past

away, unable to look at him

"So

a chance to explain?"

Sheila showed up, I decided to hand the title of Mrs. Lawson back to you. From start finish, this was

this marriage of

free