Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Briony was the first to look away, turning to the older woman and saying, "You've got it wrong-he's not my husband."

"Oh?" The woman blinked in surprise, caught off guard for the first time in her years of sales pitches. After a long pause, she managed, "Oh... I see."

Briony didn't dwell on the awkward exchange. She grabbed a neatly packaged tray of ribs from the meat counter and headed toward the produce section. Stewart watched her go, his eyes cool and unreadable.

...

By the time they returned to Southcreek Manor, it was already noon.

Briony went straight to the kitchen to start lunch.

Irwin was in the living room, tinkering with his new toys.

No sooner had Briony tied on her apron than the glass kitchen door slid open.

She turned and saw Stewart step inside.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

He glanced at the ingredients on the counter, his voice calm. "Do you want a hand?"

"I'm fine," Briony replied without looking up, already busy at the sink.

Stewart stood and watched her for a moment before quietly leaving. She turned on the tap and pulled out the vegetables to wash them.

It wasn't long before Stewart returned.

Wear these," he

gloves he

still healing. It'd be

on

her tone flat. "Thanks. You can go

word, Stewart left

had asked for all sorts of dishes, but since he was

she'd researched countless meal plans for Irwin-meals

but after five years, she moved around the kitchen with

an hour later, she brought out five dishes

Go wash your

scampered off to wash up, then hurried to take his seat

bowl of chicken and yam soup

looked at the spread. He grinned, "Thanks, Mom! You worked

faint

pulled out a

it back to the kitchen, and paused. After a moment, she took the apron

Irwin and setting one bowl in front of him, the other for

Stewart

some vegetables, then quietly focused on her own meal. Stewart

one of those bowls of

eat with single-minded