Goodbye, Mr. Regret

She couldn't believe she'd loved a man like that for eleven whole years.

"Jessy."

Vince called her nsoftly, concern in his voice.

She looked up, offering a small smile. "Thank you, Vince. If it weren't for you and Grandpa, | don't know how

much longer the divorce would've dragged on."

"Actually... about Timothy..."

Vince hesitated. He wanted to mention that when he'd arrived, Timothy had already been prepared for the

divorce, the property settlement already finalized.

What Timothy didn't know was that Vince had accidentally discovered Jessy's true identity as Salome. Yet,

Timothy had been the one to call him, asking Vince to pick up Jessica and bring her hto meet her birth

family.

Vince still couldn't figure out what had changed Timothy's mind.

"Let's not talk about him," Jessica interrupted. "Is Grandpa back?"

"He's home. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant and Yates are here too." Vince took her gently by the wrist, guiding her into her

room and closing the door behind them. He lowered his voice. "There's something | need to tell you."

She nodded. "Go ahead."

"When you were a kid, you and Yates were engaged an agreement between the families. It wasn't just something

made up for fun. The Bryants even sent an official engagement gift."

Jessica's eyelids fluttered with surprise.

Yates? That Yates?

She vaguely remembered meeting him three, maybe four times.

The second tstood out most in her memory-it was at the Zimmerman family's birthday celebration. Timothy

had tried to stop her from going in, claiming she would embarrass him, but Yates had stepped in to defend her.

In the end, Timothy couldn't hold his ground against both Yates and Vince, and stormed off in frustration.

As far as she knew, Yates and Timothy were close friends.

Jessica asked cautiously, "Is it possible to call it off?"

Vince hesitated. "I'll see what | can do."

If it were simple, Vince would have just said so.

Jessica pressed on, "We were just kids back then. And I've already been married and have a child. Even though

I'm divorced now, I'm not thinking about getting married again anytsoon. Would the Bryants really still want

to go through with this engagement?"

"It's actually because they do," Vince

replied. "Mr and Mrs. Bryant liked

you from the moment you were little. They've been waiting all these years Since they couldn't find you, Mom and

Dad tried to call off the engagement so Yates could move on, but the Bryants refused. They finally agreed that if

Yates met someone and wanted to marry, and you still hadn't been found, then it would be called off.”

Jessica blinked in disbelief. "They're that insistent about this?"

Vince nodded, "They really are. They adore you, Jessy. Today at the Lawsons in front of Phelps, they even said

they don't care if you've been married before or have a child. If you want custody, the Bryants would treat your

child as their own."

Jessica was stunned. That was devotion, pure and simple.

But then, sometimes life does work out that way-speople cross paths and, even with only a fleeting

meeting, the connection just sticks and you want to look out for them.

"I understand, Vince. But Yates and I... it's just not possible."

He smiled reassuringly. "That's fine. There's no rush. Just meet with them for now -they really do want to see

you. Tonight, we'll go see Mom and Dad, and let them handle this."

Vince knew that as a member of the younger generation, it wasn't his place to negotiate with the Bryants about

breaking off the engagement.

"And honestly," Jessica added, "maybe Yates isn't interested either."

Vince hesitated to tell her the truth-Yates might not want the engagement, but his parents did, and he was too

loyal to go against them directly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have confided to Vince that if Salwas found, he'd

need help getting out of the arrangement.

Vince gave her arm a comforting squeeze. “Don't worry about it. This is something

for the families to sort out. Mom and Dad would never force you into anything you don't want."

Besides, Vince was well aware there was a Herbert waiting in the wings. If Jessica ever did choose, Herbert

seemed a far likelier candidate than Yates.

"Alright," Jessica agreed. "Let's go downstairs."

In the living room, Larkin and the Bryant family were chatting and laughing together, the mood light and joyous.

Finding Salwas a huge blessing for them.

As Vince led Jessica down, the Bryants all looked up, eyes bright with anticipation.

Mrs. Bryant's eyes practically sparkled.

She really has grown into a beauty, Mrs. Bryant thought. She was a lovely child, but she's only becmore

graceful over the years.

There was a gentle, quiet elegance about her just what Mrs. Bryant wanted in a daughter-in-law. The only thing

missing was a bit more warmth in her smile. Middleton's tastes and temperament matched his wife's; he was

grinning from ear to ear, thoroughly satisfied.

Yates, meanwhile, looked at Jessica with a complicated expression.

Before, knowing she was Timothy's wife, he'd felt nothing special beyond friendship—he wasn't the sort to covet

his friend's wife, unlike Vince, who was her brother and thus above suspicion.

But now, knowing she was Salome... seeing her again, Yates couldn't help the tangle of emotions welling up

inside him.