Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Vince dialed Herbert's number without hesitation.

She never wanted her family to know about her cancer. She didn't want anyone else to know, either.

But Herbert owned a hospital-he was the only person Vince could trust with the truth.

As soon as Herbert answered, he heard the urgency in Vince's voice. "Which hospital do you run?"

"What's going on?"

"Jessy's lost consciousness. She's had liver cancer for four months."

Herbert's phone nearly slipped from his hands.

"She didn't want to worry her family or anyone close to her. She's been hiding it from everyone. I'm taking her to the hospital now, but whichever place I choose, there's a risk someone will find out. So you're the only one I can turn to."

Herbert's voice trembled. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you wait so long?"

But he caught himself, his tone shifting quickly to panic. "Bring her to YS Private Hospital. I'll meet you there and prep the ER."

Jessica was unconscious. This wasn't the time for blame-saving her came first.

"I'm on my way."

Thankfully, Jessica's parents were at the hospital already, so no one was home to see Vince carrying her to the car. He rushed her to the hospital.

At the entrance, the emergency team whisked Jessica onto a gurney and raced her toward the trauma room.

Herbert specialized in neurology, not oncology, but he stayed with Vince in the hallway while the liver specialists took charge.noveldrama

"What happened?" Herbert's nerves were frayed. "Cancer isn't some minor thing. She wanted to keep it secret, but how could you go along with her? Why wasn't she getting treatment?"

He had a thousand questions.

He'd waited so long for Jessica to finally leave her husband, waited for his chance —and now, this news hit him like a bolt from the blue.

"She was getting treatment," Vince said quietly. "She's been on medication ever since she was diagnosed, four months ago. The doctors said she'd missed the window for surgery-she only had about six months left. So she's been on conservative therapy."

"Then, after a sudden breakdown, she realized she still wanted to live. She went abroad, hoping the

treatments would be more

advanced. There, they found the net

cancer hadn't spread, and it was even showing signs of weakening. There was still a chance for a

transplant.”

"She started waiting on a liver match, all while handling her divorce with Timothy. After she got back, she went looking for her biological father Luckily, she found out the truth about her background. Not long ago, Yates and I both got tested as potential donors, but neither of us was a match."

"I wanted to tell her parents, get them tested too. But she wouldn't hear of it she'd just come home and wanted to be a good daughter, not put that kind of worry on her family. She planned to finalize the divorce with Timothy, then leave for treatment overseas."

"I never thought she'd collapse today."

Herbert slumped against the wall, crushed by the weight of it all.

His heart ached so much he could barely breathe.

She'd been living with cancer all this time—going through so much, alone,

refusing to let anyone in.

Meanwhile, Timothy waited for Jessica outside the courthouse.

Nine-oh-one. Jessica still hadn't arrived.

She was the one so eager for this divorce; if anything, he'd expected her to be early.

Did she change her mind?

He realized, maybe, he didn't really want the divorce either.

He pulled out his phone and called her. After two or three rings, he hung up.

Instead, he typed out a message:

*It's past nine-where are you?*

Ten minutes ticked by.

Still no sign of Jessica.

Timothy sent another message.