On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 75

Jessica stumbled but managed to catch her balance. She recognized the woman instantly—it was Melissa Gates’s sister-in-law. She’d always known Melissa was awful, but it seemed the entire Gates family was cut from the same cloth.

“I was just walking by,” Jessica explained calmly. “Your son was on his skateboard and crashed into me. I almost fell myself. By the time I turned around, he was already on the ground crying. If anything, you should be apologizing to me.”

But it quickly became clear that when a child has issues, they are often the least problematic member of the family. The woman raised her hand to slap Jessica.

Jessica’s reflexes, honed by six months in the psychiatric hospital, were sharp. The moment the woman’s arm moved, Jessica grabbed her wrist, pulled her forward, and as the woman’s face lunged toward her, Jessica slapped her soundly across the cheek. She immediately released her and stepped back.

The woman clutched her stinging face and started sobbing dramatically. “Daniel Gates, are you an idiot? Your wife and son are being bullied, and you’re just standing there? Hit her! Get revenge for me!”

Daniel Gates recognized Jessica. As a longtime friend of Lance Smith, he was in an awkward position. “Men don’t hit women,” he muttered, trying to de-escalate. “We don’t even know what happened. Let’s just take our son and go home.”

His wife grabbed his arm. “Are you even a man? I know you’re scared of Lance Smith, but he doesn’t even like her anymore! What are you so afraid of?”

Being called a coward in front of others made Daniel’s face flush with embarrassment. He was about to retort when a familiar voice cut through the air.

“What’s going on?”

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