Jessica froze for a moment. Was she really that transparent?
It wasn't until years later that she finally understood: if someone cares about you, no matter how well you hide your feelings, they'll still see right through you. But if they don't care, you could tear the truth open and hand it to them, and they still wouldn't believe it.
She met Herbert's gaze, her resolve unshaken. "I'm not getting a divorce. Really."
Herbert felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, making it hard to breathe. It wasn't just because Jessica refused to leave Timothy. What truly stung was his own helplessness—he still couldn't protect her.
But it wouldn't be like this forever. Sooner or later, he'd find a way to free her from Timothy's grip.
He lowered his eyes and forced a small smile. "Alright. If you're sure you don't want a divorce, then I'll drop the whole lawyer thing for now."
Jessica, anxious, gestured insistently. "You need to go back right away and talk to your family. Get someone to negotiate with him as soon as possible."
She'd been Mrs. Lawson for seven years. She'd never meddled in Timothy's business affairs, but she kept a silent watch on everything he did. He was powerful, with a reputation for being ruthless in the business world. Anyone who went against him rarely came out unscathed.
Jessica remembered seeing a rival company go under. She'd asked Timothy about it once, and he'd been visibly annoyed, telling her that business was war. If you didn't destroy your opponent, they'd find a way to destroy you. The world of business, he said, was cutthroat. She should keep her head down, take care of the family, and not worry about anything else.
He'd been so clear about it that Jessica had simply assumed it was just the way things were—a normal part of cutthroat competition. She had nothing more to say.
But this time, even though she didn't know exactly what Timothy had done to the Wheeler family, it was obvious personal feelings were involved.
Because she loved him, she'd always seen him through rose-colored glasses. She'd thought someone at his level would never stoop to dirty tricks.
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