They Want Me Back When It's Too Late (Jessica and Brian) novel Chapter 3

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Jessica froze. No matter how many times she’d been disappointed by Brian, every time she heard his cold tone, it still felt like a knife stabbing straight into her chest.

Her eyes lowered, and the smile on her face disappeared. “Okay.”

Brian had expected Jessica to lash out, but he hadn’t thought she’d give in so easily. Only then did he actually look at her.

He noticed Madeline was right–Jessica really had lost a lot of weight lately.

He thought, ‘Maybe Jessica really was throwing up last night because she wasn’t feeling well. Maybe she wasn’t being jealous in front of Madeline

after all.’

His lips pressed together, and his tone softened slightly. “Madeline’s been doing your job well. Your focus now should be taking care of Jake. I’ve explained this to you so many times–there’s nothing between me and her.

“Jessi, stop making trouble. Don’t make me regret choosing you to be my wife.”

Jessica thought, ‘Regret? I regret it too. I really regret giving up my family’s business just to become this so–called Mrs. Atkinson. The Grant family has real status. Grant Group is powerful. I could’ve gone back and been the heiress everyone doted on instead!

Jessica closed her eyes and calmly pulled out her resignation letter. Her tone was polite but distant. “Mr. Atkinson, then please go ahead and approve this. I’ll officially resign starting tomorrow.”

With that, she turned to leave. But just as she reached the door, Brian grabbed her arm.

“Jessica?” Brian sounded surprised, as if he hadn’t fully processed what was happening. Holding the resignation in one hand, he instinctively reached out and caught her.

He stared at her signature on the resignation letter. His face darkened as he held back a surge of anger. “You’re doing this to spite me? I thought you came today to make peace, but now you’re taking it even further?”

“No, Mr. Atkinson. You said Atkinson Group didn’t need me, and it just so happens–I feel the same.” Jessica kept her gaze lowered, her thick lashes trembling slightly. “It’s been ten years. Atkinson Group isn’t what it used to be.

“Since everyone clearly loves Madeline, I figured I might as well step down now instead of holding a position and collecting a paycheck for doing nothing.”

Brian let out a cold laugh. His eyes were sharp, like he could see straight through her excuse. “Don’t use the past ten years to guilt me. I know Atkinson Group wouldn’t be what it is today without you. You were a great employee.

“But Jessica, ever since you had the baby, you haven’t been involved in any business matters. I’ve been nothing but considerate. All you have to do is take care of our son, and you’ll always be the lady of Atkinson Group.

“You can’t even handle something this simple, and now you say you’re stepping aside? All you’re doing is putting Madeline in a difficult position. Jessica, I know you too well. You’re calculating, but don’t be cruel. Since last night, have you even apologized to Macklie?”

Jessica thought, ‘Apologize? I’m supposed to apologize to the woman who wrecked my home? Shouldn’t she be the one thanking me?‘

Suddenly, Jessica let out a laugh and looked at Brian with a hint of curiosity. “Yes, I’m cruel. Mr. Atkinson, have you never considered giving up?”

The kind of giving up she meant was divorce.

Over the past few years, whenever Brian and Jessica fought, she brought up divorce again and again, and every time it ended in an ugly stalemate.

Brian had never agreed. In his eyes, even if he cheated, Jessica was still his wife.

That was always how it was with Brian–domineering and controlling, a man who held power over all of Hartdale.

As for Jessica, at the beginning, she hadn’t really meant to leave. She had been acting out, like Brian said, hoping he’d actually care more about her.

But now, she was tired. She was fine with getting a divorce and going their separate ways. She even thought about the kids. They could each take one, and that would be that.

Brian’s face darkened, his grip on her arm tightening like he could snap her in half. “This is your last chance, Jessica. If you mess up again, I won’t hesitate to find Jake a new mom.

“Do you know how many times he’s complained to me he has no joy or freedom living with you? Why are you such a failure as both a wife and a mother?”

The word “failure” made her close her eyes and let out a long breath.

Jessica thought, ‘So that’s how it is. Waiting up all night for Brian to come home and making him hangover cures was a failure. Hand–washing his designer suits in the dead of winter until my hands were raw was a failure.

“Tutoring Jake through elementary math, raising a child who fit the Atkinson family’s image of an heir was a failure. This home really has no place for me anymore.

Her other hand slipped into her coat pocket and tapped her phone screen. The countdown began–there were fourteen days left.

Once everything was in order, she would disappear completely. Brian would never have to be annoyed by her again.

Jessica’s attitude caught Brian off guard. He still wanted to say something, but she didn’t give him the chance and turned to leave.

She walked away without hesitation. Brian reached out again, but caught nothing.

Suddenly, a sharp pain clenched in his chest, a wave of panic rising fast and hard.

He frowned, watching her disappear down the hall, a strange sense growing stronger–that something important was slipping further and further away from him.

Gabriela was a fashion designer, constantly flying around the country, tailoring clothes for different models. A lot of them were male, and with adults working in close quarters, it wasn’t unusual for things to happen.

Put plainly, Gabriela went through boyfriends like outfits. Brian had always hated that about her. After Jessica had their child, he’d told her to stay away from Gabriela, said she’d be a bad influence on Jacob,

So Jessica had listened and cut ties with the friend she grew up with for six whole years.

After not hearing from Jessica for years, Gabriela was furious. She picked up and snapped, “So you finally remembered I exist? Jessica, I thought you were way too far gone in your lovesick haze. And now you finally call–what, regretting it already?”

Jessica let out a helpless laugh, tears falling before she even noticed.

She hadn’t cried when Brian humiliated her, hadn’t cried when Madeline made a fool of her, not even when the child she carried for nine months called someone else Mom. But with Gabriela, Jessica sobbed in regret.

“Yes, I regret it,” Jessica said. “Gabi, if I come back now, is it too late?”

On the other end of the line, Gabriela went quiet for a long time after hearing Jessica’s sincere words. When she finally spoke again, her voice was choked with tears.

She said, “I’m just glad you’ve come to your senses. You idiot, do you have any idea how exhausting it’s been running the studio for you all these years? The entire art world’s been waiting for your return.

“Jessica, being a CEO’s secretary only buried your talent. You were born to be an artist–you’re the last true gem of the Impressionist world. Jessi, I’ve been waiting for you this whole time.”

“I’m sorry, Gabi. I’m so sorry.” Jessica crouched down in the middle of the street, crying.

Jessica was always meant to be proud. She had been brilliant and talented from the start. Even Brian didn’t know that she had studied fine art at a university in Fiorenelle, a city in Aurevia.

Her very first graduation piece had made it into the Viremont Grand Biennale, shocking the entire art world.

After graduation, the paintings she signed off on had sold at auction for more than a million dollars.

And yet, for the sake of so–called experience, she came back to the country and started over in a job that had nothing to do with her field. She studied admin, finance, and business management from scratch and still excelled at it.

She