Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Sallie would rather see Timothy end up with Jessica—the mute-than let him have anything to do with Sheila ever again.

As for the man she'd just mentioned, Sallie had only brought him up out of spite, venting her frustration. Deep down, she still believed in her brother. Jessica wasn't stupid; with a man as remarkable as her brother, why would she bother getting tangled up with someone else? Especially after all these years-Sallie had seen for herself how much Jessica loved Timothy.

Jessica lowered her beautiful eyes.

If she hadn't found out that Sheila was Timothy's aunt, maybe she could have felt a little happy about all this. But now, the truth was clear: Sallie and Phelps only wanted to keep Timothy from rekindling his old flame with Sheila. And Jessica? She was nothing more than a tool to block that reunion.

If anyone ever found out about such an illicit relationship, it would stain Timothy's entire life. How could she possibly be happy? She felt numb-utterly empty.

Even after Sallie finished her tirade, Jessica didn't react.

Growing impatient, Sallie leaned forward, her voice sharp. "What's wrong with you? Didn't you hear what I just said? Your husband and son are about to be snatched away, and you don't care?"

It was infuriating.

Sallie felt that familiar sense of frustration, like she was watching someone squander their last chance.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Jessica typed out on her phone and held up the

screen.

For a moment, Sallie just stared, dumbfounded.

Last time, Jessica had told her, "If someone wants Timothy, let them have him." Sallie had dismissed it as an angry outburst, but apparently Jessica still felt the

same.

"You really don't care about Timothy at all?" Sallie demanded, refusing to believe it.

Jessica's reply appeared on the screen: "I don't care anymore."

Sallie scoffed, her lips curling in disbelief. "Stop pretending. You're just playing hard to get, trying to get Timothy's attention. Instead of wasting time on games, why don't you focus on winning Henry over? If you can get your son on your side, that's your trump card."noveldrama

She paused, then added, "I'm only telling you this because you've been decent to me before. But if you keep going like this, you'll be the one who loses in the end."

Jessica couldn't speak, and Sallie's impatience meant every conversation was an ordeal. With those parting words, Sallie left.

Despite her silence, Jessica was clever and resourceful. If she understood what was at stake, with her son by her side and a real effort, maybe she could still win Timothy back. After all, Jessica was truly beautiful-gentle, graceful, and heartbreakingly lovely. The kind of woman any man would fall for.

But Jessica felt like a ghost as she drifted back to the house.

She poured herself a glass of water, swallowed her medicine, and sank into the rocking chair on the balcony. Sallie's words echoed in her ears, making her feel ridiculous. Had she loved Timothy too much these past seven years? Was that why, now that she was finally ready to let go, Sallie simply refused to believe her?

Jessica took a long, deep breath, then another, and another, until the tightness in her chest eased just a little.

If the Lawsons saw her as nothing more than a tool to keep Timothy and Sheila apart, things would only get more complicated. They'd probably all take turns hounding her.

A tool... just an obstacle in Timothy and Sheila's way...

Suddenly, Jessica's hands clenched the arms of the rocking chair.

Seven years ago, Timothy had suddenly decided to marry her and brought her to the Lawson estate. At first, everyone in the family was against it—until Phelps put his foot down. Then, just like that, the entire family fell in line.