Vince hauled Timothy to his feet and, furious, landed a punch squarely on his jaw. The veins on Vince’s forehead bulged with anger.
Yates was right.
As long as Jessica stayed single, Timothy would never let her go.
The Zimmermans could forget about having peace.
Jessica lay motionless, refusing to give Timothy any reaction at all.
“Outside. Now.” Vince’s voice was low and icy, every word edged with warning.
Timothy glanced back at Jessica, but she kept her eyes closed, shutting him out completely. She didn’t want to think about him anymore. Her heart wasn’t just cold—it felt frozen.
Outside, dawn was just beginning to pale the sky.
Vince and Timothy stood facing each other in the early morning light.
“Are you planning to make my family’s life hell forever?” Vince demanded.
“There’s been a misunderstanding between me and Jessica,” Timothy argued, desperate. “Things aren’t what you think.”
He was still trying, still clinging to the hope that he could save their marriage.
“No matter what misunderstandings there are, they don’t erase what you’ve done! Why can’t you just let her go? All this hounding—don’t you realize how pathetic you look?”
Timothy’s expression tightened. “It’s not easy to build a family. We’ve had so many misunderstandings, and letting them ruin everything isn’t right. I know how much a real family means—I’m trying to fix this. Is that so wrong?”
“Yes, it is!” Vince shot back. “You’re too late, Timothy! Seven years, and only now you want to fix things? People can’t just keep waiting for you to get your act together. Her heart’s gone cold—what took you so long?”
Vince’s anger flared. “Leave. I don’t want to see you again. Don’t make me force you.”
His little sister wasn’t the type to scream or make scenes; it was Timothy’s relentless pestering that kept hurting Jessica over and over.
Timothy didn’t argue anymore. He stepped past Vince and walked away.
He still believed Jessica’s heart held a place for him. Sooner or later, the truth would come out and clear up the misunderstandings.
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