Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Herbert, you don't need to worry about me. I've made it to Aetherion, but..."

Jessica's hands stilled mid-sign.

Herbert knew all too well how much she'd suffered with Timothy, and he'd been hoping for the day she could finally break free. Yet, now that she was here in Aetherion, he didn't feel as relieved or overjoyed as he'd imagined.

He remembered Timothy's threats, written all over his face that day-he'd made it clear he wouldn't let anyone take her away. For her to escape Timothy's grasp, Herbert could only imagine what it had cost her.

He didn't know the details, but the evidence was there: bruised fingerprints on her cheek and a small split at the corner of her mouth.

Jessica noticed Herbert watching her in silence, and continued signing, "My throat hurts..."

Herbert snapped out of his thoughts, concern sharpening his voice. "Is it bad?"

Jessica nodded.

"All right, turn on a lamp and use your phone to take a picture of your throat for me. Let me have a look. And what happened? Why does it hurt so much all of a sudden?"

Jessica's expression faltered. The memory of that night-the humiliation-made her chest tighten. She'd barely had the strength to seek out Vince afterward. As for anyone else, she could never bring herself to say a word.

She signed, "I strained my voice too much. That's all."

Herbert frowned. She'd always followed his instructions, doing her vocal rehab exercises as prescribed. She'd wanted so desperately to speak again, but he hadn't expected her to push herself to this point.

He didn't press her. Instead, worried she was in pain, he said, "Okay, I'll let you go. Send me the photos as soon as you can."

When the call ended, Jessica searched the room, eventually finding a small flashlight. She tied it to the vanity mirror with a scarf, opened her mouth, and leaned in.

Her jaw ached where the bruises lingered. It took a moment before she could manage to open wide enough, snapping several photos and picking out the clearest ones to send to Herbert.

She wasn't a doctor, but even she could tell-the blood-red streaks and swelling in her throat looked serious.noveldrama

Herbert's reply came quickly, his worry evident in the terse set of his messages.

This was bad. From the looks of it, her throat had suffered more than just vocal strain.

No way this was just from overdoing her exercises.

He hurried to prescribe medication, not letting his thoughts spiral any further for now. Once the prescription was ready, he messaged Jessica, asking for her address so he could have the medicine delivered.

Jessica quickly sent him her location and room number.

A few minutes later, Herbert called again.

"Little Mute, I've arranged for someone to bring you the medicine. For now, you need to stick to a soft mild diet soups, purees, nothing too hot room temperature is best. I've seen the pictures-there's more than just vocal cord irritation. You're hurt, aren't you?"

Jessica's face flushed with embarrassment. She looked away, unable to meet the camera.

She didn't want to talk about what had happened.

From the angle, Herbert caught sight of the marks on her cheek, his gaze darkening.

"I can't be sure until I check your

with

throat myself. I'll message you instructions on how to use the medicine. I'm booking a flight now. I'll come to you, and we'll get you proper treatment here."

Jessica thanked him quietly.

After the call, she sat for a while, thinking. Aetherion was a big city; no matter how influential Timothy was it was unlikely he could reach this far. Haying Herbert come here was still better than staying trapped back in Riverside City.

She wondered if Timothy had really gone through with his threat-the one about costing him millions with a single blow. She'd have to ask Herbert when he arrived.

Herbert booked the earliest flight he could find, leaving with barely a bag packed.

Deep down, he could already imagine what Little Mute had endured.