“Impossible! I don''t believe you! Vince, you have to be lying to me!" Timothy stared wildly into Vince''s eyes, searching for any flicker of deceit, any hint that this was all a cruel joke. But Vince''s gaze was unwavering, firm. Timothy was on the verge of breaking.


    He couldn''t ept it. "I spoke to her on the phone just two days ago! She was fine! And yesterday, even though she didn''t text back, she called me! How can you tell me today that she''s in that..... that urn? How am I supposed to believe that?"


    His voice cracked, the raw emotion tearing through him. Four months. He had only


    just discovered his wife had cancer, and now he was being confronted with her death. How could he possibly ept this? His heart felt like it was being systematically shredded.


    "And I saw her recently! She looked like a normal person!"


    “A normal person? Ha!" Vinceughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "Your wife had terminal cancer, and you didn''t even notice. You thought she was a normal person. You really are unbelievably blind."


    The weight of his guilt crashed down on Timothy again. This wasn''t what he wanted. He never wanted this.


    But even crushed by guilt, he couldn''t ept that Jessica was gone. He released his grip on Vince, his voice dropping to a hoarse plea. "I don''t believe she''s dead. Please, just tell me where she is." He was choking on his words, his voice breakingpletely. He had wronged her for seven years and hadn''t even begun to make amends. How could she just leave? They weren''t even divorced. She had no right to go without his permission.


    "Timothy, her fast wish was for you to let her go, and you couldn''t even grant her that," Vince said, his tone like ice. "Do you know why I came to see you at the hospital? To see if you''d have a change of heart if you would finally set her free. But you didn''t. You let her die with that regret Do you have any idea how selfish you are? She was in so much pain. She''s finally free from it. Can''t you even let her rest in peace?"


    “Stop it!” Timothy cut him off. "Don''t say these things to me! You''re trying to trick me! Where are your parents? Your grandfather? Do you really think they''d be so calm if she were gone? Vince, where have you hidden her? Tell me! Where is she? Are you trying to kill me too?"


    He felt like he was dying from the guilt, from the pain, from the regret. He had never, not for a single moment, imagined he would lose Jessica. He couldn''t even stand her leaving his side. How was he supposed to ept her death?


    "If you don''t believe me, go investigate it yourself. Take that medical report in your hand and find out the truth," Vince said coldly. "With


    your resources, I''m sure you can get to the bottom of it. Yates knew, too. He even got tested to see if he was a match, to donate part of his liver. He wasn''t. Go ask him."


    Timothy could no longer stand. His body gave out, and he crumpled to the floor. He turned his head to look at the jade urn, and a hot liquid. trickled from the corner of his eye. He reached out a trembling hand toward it, but just before he made. contact, he snatched it back. No it couldn''t be. He wouldn''t believe it. No one could make him believe it.


    Forcing himself to his feet, he turned to leave. As he did, Vince''s eyes widened in shock. The tears streaming from Timothy''s eyes were crimson.


    "If you won''t tell me, I''ll find her myself," Timothy rasped. "You can''t fool me with this."


    He stumbled out of the Zimmerman Manor, his once-unbreakable posture now stooped and broken. When he got back in the car, the driver gasped. "Sir, I''m taking you to the hospital right now!"