Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Too bad-she only caught air.

The necklace box slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the ground and striking the edge of a stone trough nearby.

The necklace popped out of its case, bouncing once before landing inside the trough.

Her childhood home was a cozy little courtyard house. Right inside the front door, beneath the eaves, sat a long stone basin where her grandmother used to plant pennywort. Kept under the overhang, the trough would fill with rainwater on stormy days, and even though Jessica rarely visited over the years, the pennywort still thrived, lush and green.

Unfortunately, hidden behind the diamond pendant was a tiny speaker-an electronic device. Herbert had warned her: it mustn't get wet.

Now that it had fallen into water, it was sure to be ruined.

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as she stared at Timothy in despair.

She only had six months left. There was no way she could travel to Zurich for treatment for her aphasia.

For someone trapped in a silent world, that necklace meant everything. At the very least, it helped her communicate with others.

Timothy must have noticed how much it mattered to her, because his hand shot out, gripping her chin.

"I'd remind you, you're still Mrs. Lawson. How could you so casually accept jewelry from another man?"

Jessica wanted to say she was done being Mrs. Lawson. But no sound came from her throat, not even a whisper.

Timothy seized her wrist and dragged her outside, shoving her into the car. He yanked the seatbelt across her and snapped it into place.

Finally, her hands were free. She signed frantically, "Timothy, what are you doing? You never cared about anything I did before."

"You really don't know what you've done?"

Jessica realized he must have seen Herbert give her the Voice Emitting

Necklace just now.

He'd thrown it away right in front of her.

That meant he was furious.noveldrama

But Jessica was even angrier.

Not that she wanted to explain herself.

Timothy slammed the car door shut and slid into the driver's seat. His features remained cold and impassive.

"Who was that man?"

Jessica's heart squeezed tight. She was dying anyway-she didn't care what Timothy might do to her.

But Herbert... She didn't want to drag him into this. He'd given her the Voice Emitting Necklace out of pure kindness, knowing she couldn't speak.

"He's my neighbor. He's been living abroad for years. He just came back and brought me a gift, that's all—"

Timothy cut her off, eyes icy. "You're good at changing the subject."

Jessica frowned, frustrated.

He pressed on. "You've refused to come home these past days. Were you staying with him?"

Jessica signed quickly, "It has nothing to do with him. If you have a problem, take it out on me."

Timothy snorted, then fell silent, turning his gaze away and starting the car.

Jessica didn't want to explain anymore.

She'd planned to wait until he returned from Oakwood, then talk to him about a divorce.

The car ride was oppressively quiet.

Before long, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes again, Timothy had parked the car.

They were at The Gilded Whisper Estates.

It was deep into the night-almost two-thirty in the morning.

Jessica headed for the master bedroom.

Timothy followed, heading straight for the bathroom.

A minute or two later, the sound of running water echoed from inside.

He was taking a shower.

Jessica leaned quietly against the headboard, lost in thought.

When Timothy emerged, he wore only a white towel slung low around his hips. Damp black hair clung to his forehead, droplets tracing paths down his sculpted chest and defined abs. As his Adam's apple bobbed, shadows deepened in the hollow of his collarbone. The lines of his hips-sharp and unmistakable-peeked out from beneath the towel's folds, and a haze of steam clung to his skin, radiating heat and the scent of aftershave.

With a body like that, Jessica had once been utterly captivated.

After their wedding, their physical relationship had been passionate-almost overwhelming. If anything, it was Timothy who'd always seemed to crave more. But ever since she got pregnant, their intimacy had dwindled. He was away on business trips more and more often.

Timothy rubbed a towel through his hair, then strode over to her, voice cold and clipped. "Why are you just sitting there? It's late-go shower and get some sleep. We're going to my parents' place tomorrow."

Jessica stood and walked into the bathroom.

She was only halfway through her shower when the door opened.

Timothy appeared in the doorway...