Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica couldn't go on.

Back at the Oakwood Comic Con, when Ines showcased her painting-The Grand Canal, Venice-she'd told everyone she'd married for love. Jessica had been standing at the entrance, overhearing people whisper about how she'd thrown away a golden opportunity to build a career with Ines. What a shame, they said.

And yet, for all that, her so-called love had left her utterly defeated.

"What was it, Jessy? Tell me everything, will you?" Vince's voice was gentle, but insistent. He wanted to know it all, every part of her story-only then could he hope to give her what she truly wanted.

Jessica let out a bitter laugh. "Because I chose love, and I lost. Ines believed in me, wanted to mentor me, and I walked away from it-for seven years. When I finally tried to pick up where I'd left off, I was already sick. Seven years without work, without standing in the world. Just trying to get a divorce from Timothy was hard enough, let alone anything else."

Her voice was calm, but Vince could feel the weight pressing down from deep within her.

Still, she faced it all with such composure.

"Jessy, did it ever cross your mind to fight back? To scream at him, to tell the Lawsons exactly how unfairly they treated you? To lay it all out for Timothy?"

"It's not that I didn't want to," Jessica said quietly. "It's just, half the time I couldn't get the words out. Sometimes I'd get angry, the words would be on the tip of my tongue, but then something else would happen and I'd let it go. But really, the truth is... the moment I decided to get a divorce, I understood something."

understand?" Vince's heart

when he came in, and now, as Yates stepped out of his room and caught their voices, he paused in the hallway, leaning against the wall,

explain himself. And honestly, even if I said something,

any more. The past doesn't matter now. Let's look ahead. If you want to

and seeing the Lawsons treat her so cruelly made Vince all the more determined he would give her nothing but the best from

was suddenly right there. He quickly ushered Yates into the guestroom and shut the

out there?" Vince asked in a low

I think," Yates answered, not meeting his

"You heard everything?"

"Pretty much."

hands

your room all

exasperated. "You're a grown.

room all morning

you have gone out for a