Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

"I hate you!"

Irwin hurled the rest of his bedtime stories to the floor and stomped on them, his voice trembling with fury. "You're a liar! You don't want me, well, I don't want you either! I don't want any of this!"

"Irwin!"

Stewart grabbed Irwin's arm, his handsome face darkening with anger. "Say one more word like that and you'll be sorry!"

Irwin struggled with all his might, but he was no match for his father's strength.

Blinded by rage, Irwin couldn't see the storm brewing in his father's eyes. All he wanted was to let out every ounce of hurt and frustration bottled up inside him—

"I just hate her!" Irwin jutted out his chin, his tear-stained eyes glaring stubbornly at Stewart. "You said it yourself-she's not really my mom, right? So if she isn't my mom, why should I have to like her? I hate her! I hate that she lied to me!"

Stewart froze.

That one sentence-"You said she's not really my mom!"-hit him like a slap in the face.

He let go of Irwin and turned to look at Briony.

Briony stood rooted to the spot, silent and pale as a ghost.

delicate face drained of all color. Her usually bright, clear eyes were now clouded, as if a heavy mist had settled over them, snuffing

control, felt a wave of unease rise in his

[Why is Mommy crying?]

surfaced from the depths of Briony's mind. Staring at Irwin, who was now flushed and defiant, she suddenly

clumsily, yet so tenderly, wiped away

and realized, for the first time, just how much her mother was suffering behind bars. Briony had

cried the whole way

pretending to read to him, her mind had

He'd scrambled onto her lap, chubby arms wrapped around her neck, his soft cheek pressing against hers. “Don't be

made Briony's nose sting. She'd burst into tears

had done his best to wipe away her tears with his chubby little hands, mumbling over and over, "Don't cry, Mommy. Don't cry... Irwin's here, Irwin will

the comforting things she usually said to him. The more anxious he got, the more his words tumbled

broken. She'd clung to Irwin,

in every way they could. She'd endured it all, no matter how bitter or difficult-but knowing her mother was being bullied and beaten in prison was the one thing she couldn't

power, no connections. All she could do was watch as her mother

hurt, little Irwin started crying too, blowing on

Mommy hurts, Irwin hurts