Goodbye, Mr. Regret

He knew he was at fault for the way he and Jessica had been looking at each other.

But part of the problem was also that Jessica didn't want to see him spending time with Sheila.

Timothy hesitated for a moment before finally answering the call.

Some things needed to be said clearly to Sheila, once and for all.

"Timothy, I just heard Sallie on the phone, something about going back home for Henry's testing—what happened to Henry? I'm really worried."

His father had told him to call Sallie, but he hadn't gotten around to it yet.

But now Sheila already knew-clearly, the family had called Sallie before he had.

"From now on, I don't want you involved in Henry's affairs," Timothy said, his tone cold and measured.

Sheila felt an ache in her chest, tight and suffocating.

"So I can't even care about Henry anymore? He and I have always been close. Hearing you say that-it really hurts."

Timothy let out a heavy sigh. All these years, he'd carried a sense of guilt towards Sheila. He was always trying to make it up to her.

In his mind, ever since Sheila refused to marry him, their relationship had gone back to being simply aunt and nephew.

They had grown up together, always close, to the point that he assumed Jessica, his gentle and understanding wife, should trust him—should understand.

He had never considered Jessica's feelings, never thought that, as a married man, he should keep a certain distance from Sheila.

That was his mistake.

He had overlooked the fact that Sheila was, after all, only his aunt in name-there was no real blood between them.

If she truly were a blood relative, Jessica probably wouldn't have worried so much.

Jessica never voiced her concerns, and he never tried to talk to her about it.

That was how the misunderstandings between them had quietly multiplied.

He needed to seriously examine his relationship with Sheila—and she needed to understand that there could never be anything between them.

"It's because we've been too close that Jessy's unhappy. When Henry started calling you 'mom' in public and Jessica found out, she was devastated. Why didn't you ever correct him?"

Sheila froze.

She never thought Timothy would actually say something like this. It wasn't like him-he'd always been considerate of her feelings, the sort who'd rather stay silent than say something that would hurt her.

But now, he was being brutally honest.

He really had changed.

He was in love with Jessica.

"Timothy, I've explained before-1 only did it for Henry's sake. You said it yourself he's older now, he needs his pride. But every time, I've told him to think of his mom's feelings, to treat her well. If you don't believe me, ask Henry yourself. Why do I feel like you're blaming this all on me? It hurts, Timothy, I've honestly said so many good things about his mom in front of him."

"I'm sorry. I was the one who made the mistake to begin with, but my family is falling apart now. This isn't some minor issue—it's huge. I'll have Secretary Allen wire you twenty million. Please, don't contact me again. Stay overseas, live well. That

money should be enough for a lifetime. Consider it my repayment for the time you saved me from the fire all those years ago."

"Timothy!"

Sheila was nearly hysterical. "How can you say this to me? Are you really going to

buy me off, end everything between us, for twenty million?"noveldrama

Timothy's answer was steady, unyielding: "Yes."

Sheila's tears spilled over, a flood of pain and disbelief.

When this man was good to you, he could be unimaginably kind.

But when he decided to cut you off, he could be utterly ruthless.

"Timothy, have you really forgotten everything we've been through?"