On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 16

From the moment she was old enough to understand love, Jessica had been infatuated with Lance Smith. Both families were aware of it and approved of the potential match. But during a visit to the Brown estate in high school, Lance had been captivated by the housekeeper’s daughter, Catherine.

It wasn't just Lance. Her four cousins were also smitten with her. The group of hot-blooded teenagers had appointed themselves her saviors, rescuing her from her abusive father, her squalid home, and the bullies at school. Before long, Catherine had become the object of all their affections.

After graduation, however, Susan Lane discovered the connection between Lance and Catherine. The Smiths were a prestigious family; they would never allow their heir to marry the daughter of a drunk and a gambler. Susan gave Catherine and her mother a large sum of money, and they left the country.

Lance didn't return home until he finished college. That year, his grandfather fell gravely ill. His last wish was to see Lance married, and there was only one woman he had ever considered for the role of his future granddaughter-in-law.

That night, on the very spot where she had been attacked by the dog earlier that day, Lance cornered Jessica. Under the moonlight, he had kissed her gently, his voice a seductive whisper. “Jessica, marry me.”

Overjoyed and in tears, she had nodded without hesitation, accepting the proposal from the boy she had secretly adored for years.

They married, and Amy was conceived soon after. Those ten months of pregnancy were the happiest of Jessica’s life. Lance loved her, or at least, he seemed to.

A year after Amy was born, Jessica’s father, Kevin Brown, remarried. His new wife was Catherine’s mother, the former housekeeper. It was a cruel joke. Jessica was convinced they must have been having an affair all along. The marriage caused a massive fight, during which Jessica finally learned that this Catherine was the same ambitious, gentle, resilient, beautiful, and kind girl her cousins and Lance had praised all those years ago.

From that day on, Lance grew distant. Even her cousins, who had once doted on her, began to resent her. The constant double standards and unfair treatment finally pushed Jessica to her breaking point when she discovered the explicit photos Catherine had sent to Lance’s phone. Her outburst had landed her in the psychiatric hospital.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Susan’s voice. “Well, I’ll let you young people sort out your own affairs. You should go get some rest, Jessica.”

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