Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Vince brushed off Yates's hand. "You're no more reliable than the rest. Let's drop it and go pick up Jessy."

He blinked rapidly, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. With a deep breath, he restarted the car.

At least, from the day he'd met her, he'd always chosen to stand by her side. Even when Yates and Timothy teased that he had feelings for her, he never abandoned her. If he had... he would have never had the courage to face her, never deserve to call himself her brother.

Back at the Howard house, Sheila had just returned.

Sallie was still there. The moment she saw Sheila, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Sheila and Sallie shared a birthday they were the same age. But after Sheila was adopted by their grandmother, she suddenly became a generation above Sallie and Timothy.

"Sheila, come here," Sandra called, beckoning her over.

Sandra had lost her own daughter in middle age. Not long after, she'd found newborn Sheila—who just happened to have a tiny mole on the bridge of her nose, exactly where Sandra's late daughter Hannah had one. Still deep in grief, Sandra saw Sheila as a gift from above-the most precious blessing to help her carry on.

That's why she'd named her Sheila. Over the years, Sheila and Abell Howard, Timothy's grandfather, became her solace and joy. As Sheila grew, she blossomed into a graceful, thoughtful, and gentle young woman. Sandra had always doted on her.

Even after what happened between her and Timothy, and despite both families' objections, it was Sheila who made the difficult choice to step back for the sake of her adoptive parents, putting an end to all the drama.

Sandra had always believed Sheila to be understanding and considerate. Over these past seven years, Sheila and Timothy had settled into the kind of

comfortable, familial relationship that left nothing to question.

"Mom," Sheila said as she sat down beside her, squeezing Sandra's hand affectionately.

The bond between them was as close as ever.

"Are you feeling unwell? Want me to take you to the doctor?"

Sandra smiled gently. "I'm fine. I just missed you, and there are a few things I've been needing to ask. Lately, well..."

Her expression clouded, and she gazed at Sheila. "Jessy... turns out she's actually Salome, the Zimmerman family's long-lost little girl."

Sheila stared in shock. "Are you serious?"

Sandra nodded. "As serious as it gets. The Zimmermans didn't even bother with DNA tests-they just accepted her right away. They must be sure. From what I hear, Timothy knew first but kept it quiet. He's even admitted it himself, so I'm guessing he confirmed it before telling

anyone. He came over, went to see the Zimmermans-it caused quite a stir. And I heard from Sallie that Henry's been calling you 'Mom' in public..."

"Mom!" Sheila cut in quickly, anxious to explain. "It's not what you think. There was this parents' day at Henry's school. I'd just flown home to see Ines, and Timothy asked me to join him at the school so we could see Henry together. Jessy was running late, and Timothy didn't want Henry to feel left out, so he asked me to fill in for the activity. Later, I realized people had misunderstood."noveldrama

"Oh, sure, you're just the innocent bystander." Sallie's voice was icy. "If it was really a misunderstanding, why didn't you clear it up? Did you ever set Jessy straight? I talked to Henry myself. One time, you were in the hospital helping look after him, and right in front of the nurses, he called you 'Mom'-you didn't deny it. When Jessica called and asked me to watch Henry for her, your face was as pale as a ghost that morning. Was it because she overheard?"

Sallie was clearly furious. As far as she was concerned, Sheila needed to remember her place. Now that she was their grandmother's adopted daughter, that made her Henry's great-aunt.

Sheila looked uncomfortable. “Sallie, there's more to it than that. Henry

told me there's a boy in his class

whose mother walks with a limpnet

The other kids tease him, and ke was scared they'd laugh at him, too, because his mom can't speak. He just wanted me to help, that's all. I was worried for him-he's Timothy's son, and I couldn't just ignore his feelings. I always tell him not to be ashamed of his mom. I read him A Mother's Love to help him

understand. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."

Sheila's voice was patient and sincere.

But Sallie wasn't buying it. "If you really cared about him, you wouldn't have gone along with it. He's just a kid—he doesn't know better, but you do. You're supposed to guide him, not encourage this kind of confusion."