Goodbye, Mr. Regret

She'd been tricked into this cage.

If she'd known, back then, why he really wanted to marry her-

No matter how much she loved him, she would never have agreed.

She would have fought her way out, no matter what.

"I don't want anyone else."

Jessica's gestures were firm, her expression steeled. "That's your problem, not mine. You heard Vince just now-he said he'd go look for his sister himself. Don't think you can threaten me with that. You know perfectly well what you did to me that night. For the sake of our son, I don't want him to be shamed by all this. But if you push me, I'll take you down with me. I have nothing left to lose."

Timothy had never seen her like this before.

She was always gentle, always smiling softly, her manners impeccable.

So when she first asked for a divorce, he thought she was just making a scene.

He never imagined it would come to this.

Some things, deep down in a person's bones, never change.

As a child, she'd always been obedient, mild-mannered, willing to yield on most things.

But when it truly mattered, she stood her ground.

Like that time in preschool, when a little girl from an ordinary family was being bullied by a rich boy. Jessica saw it happen and insisted the boy apologize. She wouldn't back down.

No compromise.

“The hearing is tomorrow. If you don't show up, I'll call the police."

Her hands dropped. She turned on her heel and walked away, her posture resolute, not a hint of hesitation in her stride.

Vince was waiting outside for Jessica, surprised to see her come out so quickly. "He didn't give you a hard time?"

Jessica nodded, then typed a message on her phone: "He still refuses to tell me where your sister is. I'm sorry, I couldn't help."

"It's okay. He's just trying to force you to go back. Once he's out of options, he'll talk to me. We won't fall for his tricks. Don't worry about it."

Vince was trying to comfort Jessica, but he was really reassuring himself.

Back at the Zimmerman house, Jessica video-called Herbert.

She realized she needed to start speaking again, soon.

Now that she was living away from her family, with so many new people and situations around her, being unable to speak made everything so much harder.

"You're not at your apartment?"

Herbert noticed something was different about the room behind her and immediately recognized it.

"I came back home. I'm at the Zimmermans'," Jessica signed.

She hadn't told Herbert she was returning, not wanting him to worry.

He knew the court date was coming up but hadn't asked her exactly when, assuming she'd let him know.

Now, seeing her back home, Herbert was suddenly struck by the thought that maybe Jessica trusted Vince more than him—and felt a pang of jealousy.

"You're back for the hearing?"

Jessica nodded, then signed, "I think I can speak again!"

"Really?"

Herbert hadn't expected her recovery to be so fast. It had only been a few days.

"I made a sound by accident when I got emotional. I tried again, and I can talk. I'll show you."

Jessica lowered her hands and, slowly and carefully, called out, “Her-bert.”noveldrama

Her speech was slow, the pronunciation a little off, her voice strained, but there were no major problems.

Herbert was elated. "At this rate, you won't even need the second surgery."

"My throat still feels uncomfortable when I talk," Jessica signed.

"That's normal at first. Don't worry. Just keep up your exercises. Wait for me-I'III book a flight and come help you."

"No, no need. I'll come see you after the hearing tomorrow. For now, I'll keep practicing like before and keep taking the meds you prescribed."

"Alright, but call me as soon as you get here."

Herbert decided to wait. If he left now and missed her, it would be pointless.

Better to wait until she arrived and hope everything went smoothly.

He reminded her not to rush speaking, to avoid straining her vocal cords, and to stick to her regular rehab routine.

After they said their goodbyes,

Jessica got ready for bed. She was

exhausted the jet lag was catching

up

her, her body was still weak,"

she hadn't rested all afternoon.

She lay in bed, scrolling through her phone.

Because she was back in her home country, her feed was full of local news and updates.

It wasn't long before she stumbled across a video about The Wheeler Group.

She learned that Herbert had been forced out-cut off from the Wheeler family inheritance, disowned by them completely.

Jessica sat up, searching for more details, and soon found confirmation: Herbert did indeed have an older half-brother, Inman Wheeler.

Inman's mother's family, desperate for him to inherit The Wheeler Group had agreed to merge all their assets into the company but only Herbert was exiled from the family,

stripped of any claim to the O inheritance.

The entire Wheeler family agreed, putting the company's interests above everything else. Herbert's father had no choice but to give up his younger son.

Jessica stared at the screen, frozen.

That couldn't be the whole story.

Herbert had told her more than once that he wanted to leave the Wheeler family, he left imothy would have no leverage over hing he wouldn't be able to threaten Jessica anymore.

He did it all so she wouldn't be used against him.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

What an idiot, she thought.

He'd given up everything-his own family-for her.

Mrs. Reynolds must be heartbroken.