Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Vince, I went to bed early, so I woke up early too. When I saw how beautiful the snow looked, I just had to come outside," Jessica said, her voice soft in the morning stillness.

A few snowflakes landed in her hair. Vince reached out and gently brushed them away, his eyes warm and full of affection as he gazed at his little sister. She was lovely-gentle, almost ethereal, her spirit as pure as the falling snow. He wanted nothing more than to gather her up, shield her from the world, and bring her every happiness she'd missed out on over the years.

"Jessy, let me build a snowman with you. When we're done, I'll head to the hospital. I promise I'll save you. I'll make sure you live," he whispered.

Jessica threw herself into his arms. The air was sharp and cold, turning her nose a rosy pink.

"Vince, I feel so happy right now. I never realized how many people truly love me," she murmured.

The truth was, Jessica had always longed for love.

Her adoptive mother died young, her father disappeared, and her grandmother's kindness faded when Jessica turned thirteen. The only person who'd quietly cared for her when she was young, Herbert, had moved abroad before her grandmother passed away.

Later, she met Ines, who gave her a warmth she'd never forgotten. Jessica was always grateful for that.

And then there was Timothy.

At her lowest point, he appeared out of nowhere-almost like a guardian angel. He draped his coat over her shoulders and pulled her into the car, holding her close as if she were something precious.noveldrama

Scents linger in memory the longest. Even now, she could recall the cedar scent of his suit that day, the strength of his embrace. She'd never been held by a man before; only then did she realize how fiercely warm a man's arms could be.

She craved love. She wanted to give it and to receive it.

She poured so much of herself into Timothy, believing love would flow both ways.

But it hadn't.

Love, she realized, isn't always reciprocated just because you give it. The people who truly love you can't bear to see you give everything without return—they warm you with their own love, without conditions.

Her brother, her mother, her father, her grandfather-no matter how far she drifted, no matter if she failed to respond, their love for her never stopped. Now, the moment she stepped back into this house, their affection wrapped around her like a blanket.

Even on a day like this, with snow swirling and cold biting at her skin, Jessica didn't feel chilled at all. She was loved those feelings flickered inside her like little flames, chasing away the cold and filling her heart with gentle heat.

If your heart is warm, it can drive away even the sharpest cold. If it's frozen, even sitting by a fire won't help.

Vince let go of her shoulders and smiled, his gaze soft. "Because you deserve to be loved."

"Come on, let's build a snowman."

He went inside and returned with a pair of garden shovels, usually used for turning the flower beds. He handed her one, and together, the siblings began to build snowmen in the yard.

Upstairs, Yates stood by a window, a cigarette between his fingers, watching Vince and Jessica from above. Their laughter echoed up to him, bright and genuine.

He found himself smiling involuntarily.

But after a moment, the smile faded, and his brow furrowed. He remembered the first time he'd seen her at the Red House. Why hadn't he stepped forward, the way Vince had? Why hadn't he simply walked over to help her, without a second thought?

He regretted it now.

If he had, would she be smiling at him the way she smiled at Vince?

Come to think of it, he'd rarely seen her smile since they met.

She was beautiful when she smiled. Even after all she'd been through-marriage, motherhood, twenty-six years of life-she still looked like a girl untouched by sorrow. Neither pain nor time nor hardship had left any visible mark on her.

Vince had planned to make just one snowman, but Jessica insisted on four. Two large, two small.

Two men, two women.

As the snowmen took shape, Vince suddenly understood, feeling a sting behind

his eyes.

This was his sister, through and through.

When they were kids, every time they built snowmen, she'd make four.

No-five.

The fifth was always Timothy.

He remembered asking her, "Why not make one for Yates? He'll be part of our family one day."

She'd answered, "Yates already has

parents who love him. But Timothy doesn't have a mother-he's alk

alone. Let's make him part of our ofour

family, so our parents can love him

too."

It was hard to believe, but her childhood wish had come true. She'd married

Timothy. He'd become part of their family.

But now...

All that was left was bittersweet regret.

Vince felt as if a thorn was lodged in his throat.

How could Timothy be so cruel? Even after learning who she really was, he used her own identity to threaten her, forcing her to stay.

One of the maids brought out some carrots. Jessica whittled four noses, large and small, and stuck them onto the snowmen's faces.

"Vince, can you take a picture for me?" she asked.

She stood beside the snowmen, her smile radiant and gentle. Vince captured the moment a beautiful, perfect image.

He needed to leave for the hospital. Once in the car, he sent the photo to Jessica, then posted it to his social feed.

Caption: The most amazing girl I know.

*

Timothy stepped off the plane and

slid into Secretary Allen's car. As they pulled away from the airport, he looked out at the city, surprised to see snow falling over Riverside Snow before New Year's-almost unheard of.

sŵnovel

Night had already settled in.

Timothy sat quietly, scrolling through his phone, when a photo of Jessica appeared on his screen.

The most amazing girl I know.

Jessica stood in a red, fur-trimmed coat against the snowy backdrop, her skin glowing, her smile lighting up the whole frame.

He remembered how she smiled just like that when they first married. When had her laughter started to fade?

His hand trembled as he tapped on the photo, his finger tracing the curve of her smile.

Four snowmen.

He wasn't one of them.

Riverside didn't get much snow. Whenever it did, and she built snowmen, there

were always five.

Suddenly, the taste of iron filled his mouth. He coughed, blood splattering over his hand and onto the seat.

He felt utterly drained, collapsing,

back, eyes fluttering shut. For a

elnet

moment, he thought he saw droplets of blood staining Jessica's face. He reached out, desperate to wipe them away- '

Secretary Allen slammed on the brakes. He turned, startled, to see Timothy's hand fall limply, his phone slipping from his grasp and clattering onto the floor.

Timothy slumped, motionless.

"Mr. Lawson!"