Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"It's alright, you don't need to look anymore."

"Vince."

Jessica tried to pull away from him. This kind of embrace felt wrong between

them.

But Vince just held her tighter, as if he was terrified she might vanish if he let go.

"Salome..."

Salome?

The name sounded so familiar to Jessica.

It took her a moment, but then she remembered—on that day, stranded on the

island, Timothy had called her by that name.

Jessica stood frozen, confused.

Above her, Vince's voice was rough with guilt, drifting down to her.

"Salome, I'm sorry. Your brother came too late."

"Please forgive me."

"I promise, I'll never let you be hurt again."

Vince pressed his cheek against the top of Jessica's head, but there was no joy in

his face—only endless regret.

He hated himself for his carelessness.

He hated that he hadn't stabbed that knife a little deeper that day.

He gripped Jessica's shoulders and let her go, bending to look into her face. His

right hand traveled down her arm, finding her hand, and suddenly he used it to

strike his own cheek.

"Salome, hit me. Punish this useless brother of yours."

Just as he tried to make her slap him again, Jessica resisted, forcing her hand to

land softly on his face instead.

She looked up at Vince, bewildered. "Vince, what are you talking about? I know

you've been searching for your sister, but I'm not... Please, don't do this. You're

breaking my heart."

"Jess, you are. You're the Salome of the Zimmerman family—I know it now. Tell

me, do you have a small heart-shaped birthmark over your left chest?"

Jessica hesitated, then nodded.

Vince hurriedly pulled out his phone, scrolling to a saved photo. "Look, isn't this

you as a child?"

Jessica's pupils dilated, staring at the photo.

It was her. Her childhood self, unmistakable.

Vince showed her picture after picture.

Each one was her.

When she finally looked up again, she saw a tear clinging to the corner of Vince's

eye.

She asked quietly, "Are you really my brother? But why don't I remember any of

this? I have parents, a grandmother, a home—how could I be your sister?"

If Vince had only heard about the birthmark from Herbert, he might still have

doubts—after all, no DNA test had been done. But Timothy had called.

Timothy had said long ago he'd already found Salome.

He must have done the DNA test; there was no doubt left.

That last time Vince had returned to the States, he'd told Timothy about the

birthmark.

Did Timothy know all along?

If he did, how could he...?

"Vince's voice was hoarse. "I'm sure it's you, but if you need proof, we can get a

DNA test."

Herbert, who had been quietly watching, finally spoke. "Jess, I think it's real.

Timothy just called Mr. Zimmerman a minute ago."

Timothy was always meticulous; if he said it, it must be true.

Suddenly, everything clicked for Jessica.

That day, Timothy had acted like a madman, pointing to his own chest and saying

he wanted her name carved there.

He'd said he wanted her to carve his name in the same place.

He knew about her birthmark...

Jessica trembled. "Vince, when you asked Timothy to help look for your sister, did

you tell him about the birthmark?"

"I did. We met at the Red House to talk about it, but things went badly, so I didn't

get to say it then. A few days later, I told him everything."

Jessica's mind reeled.

So he knew.

But when did he find out? He'd

known, yet still threatened her with

her own past outside the

courthouse, using her real identity to

drag her back to his side.noveldrama

He'd even wanted her to tattoo over the birthmark on her chest.

He'd wanted to erase it—so Vince would never find her.

God, what kind of man had she married?

How could she have fallen in love with someone like that?

Jessica's face went white as a sheet.

She remembered her talk with Sheila

that day—Sheila had said a man who

would help a woman at any cost,

even if it meant great sacrifice, must

love her. What else could it be, if not

love? But, Sheila had added, not all

feelings that surface from the

subconscious are romantic love.

There's also...

Sheila hadn't finished her sentence.

Now Jessica finally understood what Sheila had left unsaid—family.

Jessica looked up at Vince. "Did Timothy tell you? Or did you figure it out

yourself?"

"When the accident happened today, I was terrified for you. While I was waiting

outside the operating room, I called Sheila."

Vince told her everything Sheila had said, everything he'd asked Herbert about

Jessica's childhood, the birthmark, all of it.

Jessica was sure now—Sheila had known!

Otherwise, there was no way she could have dropped hints to both of them.

Taken alone, none of their words seemed unusual, but together, they told a

different story.

Because of that, Jessica had started

to doubt her own past. She'd even

gone back to ask the neighbors, but

everyone insisted she was born to

her parents, so she'd stopped

questioning it.

Now, finally, Jessica knew the truth. She was Vince's sister.

But she still needed to know how she'd ended up with the family she thought was

hers.

She gripped Vince's arm. "Let's go back to Riverside City. There's someone we

need to see."