Goodbye, Mr. Regret

That night, during the Harvest Moon Festival, Jessica couldn't hide how much she minded what had happened between Timothy and Sheila.

Ever since Sheila returned to the States and started making waves, it was obvious—Jessica was jealous, plain and simple. She wanted to prove herself, to compete with Sheila head-on.

Timothy's anger over Jessica breaking his mother's keepsake had faded quite a bit. What a foolish girl, he thought. He'd even told Sheila before that Jessica had the marriage certificate-she was his legal wife. If having the marriage certificate couldn't give her a sense of security, then she really was being naive.

Women, he thought with a sigh, always get stuck on the smallest things. She had him; why bother fighting Sheila for his attention?

Timothy handed his phone to Jessica.

As soon as she took it, Timothy's voice was calm but firm. "You planned to go abroad without even talking to me about it?"

Jessica's fingers trembled.

The air suddenly turned tense.

Ines, on the other hand, didn't press Jessica about her designs. She had faith in Jessica-if Mr. Smith had already approved her work, there was nothing to worry about.

Before Jessica could speak, Mr. Smith interjected, "Tim, your wife is an incredible talent in animation. Trust me, even if she comes to Aetherion, I'll make sure she's safe. I'll mentor her, help her shine on the international stage."

At Larkin's birthday gala, Mr. Smith had already been taken with Jessica's potential. If Timothy agreed to let Mr. Smith take care of her, what kind of man would he be?

"She didn't discuss this with me. For now, I'm not letting her leave the country."

With that, Timothy stood up, walked over, gripped Jessica's wrist, and pulled her to her feet. His voice was cold, leaving no room for argument. "You're coming home with me."

"Timothy!" Ines rose as well, taking a deep breath to calm herself, her tone gentle but firm. "Jessy has devoted the last seven years to your family. Your son is six now; there's not

much left at home that needs her constant attention. Why can't you give her a chance to return to her career and excel? Do you really want her to spend her whole life as nothing more than your shadow? She deserves the chance to prove herself."

Jessica wanted to leave. She didn't need Timothy or their son she was on her own now, with nothing tying her down.

Tonight, she'd gathered all the evidence of Timothy's emotional affair. She had a lawyer, too—someone who could dig up even more, and when the time came for court, she'd be ready.

Timothy didn't love her. At first, she thought divorce would be simple, so she'd poured all her energy into it, figuring she could start fresh once she was free.

But when it came down to it, she realized how powerless she was after seven years as a stay-at-home mom. Worse, with only a few months left to live because of her cancer, she didn't even dare to dream about restarting her career.

Not anymore. She refused to keep living for others. Even if she only had a few months, she'd face her work and her illness head-on. She wasn't going to wait around for death.

Once abroad, she could get better medical care at Aetherion-maybe even a second chance at life.

The feeling of being trapped was suffocating.noveldrama

Jessica tore her hand away from Timothy, her eyes glinting with icy resolve. She raised her hands and signed clearly, "All these years, have you ever asked for my opinion about anything you've done? What right do you have to control me? Where I go is my business, not yours."

Her hands stiffed for a moment, her gestures and her gaze growing even more resolute. "Let me make this clear: I want a divorce. I don't want you anymore. I wish I could get rid of you this instant! Stop clinging to me like some kind of lee' shake you off, no matter how hard I try!"