Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Upon hearing this, Briony's gaze instinctively drifted down to Irwin's bare feet sticking out from under his pants.

They were filthy-ten tiny toes, red and raw from the cold.

She couldn't help but frown.

The female officer, catching Briony's look of concern, let out a sigh and said gently, "I can see you have a good heart. Even if he's not your own child, he still calls you 'Mom.' Don't send him away, not after everything he's been through."

Briony pressed her lips together and stayed silent.

"It's not easy for any family," the officer added. "Whatever's happened between you and his father, just set it aside for now. Focus on the boy-he's had a rough time."

In the end, Irwin was allowed to stay.

Once the police left, Briony led him to the lounge bathroom and turned on the shower, adjusting it to a warm temperature.

"Wash your feet," she told him, holding out the showerhead.

Briony used to do things like this for him herself.

Irwin could sense she was still upset. Though he felt a little aggrieved, he didn't

dare complain. Whatever Briony told him to do, he obeyed without a word.

When his feet were clean, Briony handed him a towel. "Dry off."

took the towel and quietly patted his

nothing of Irwin's left in the apartment, so Briony fetched her own slippers and

in the too-big slippers, struggling to walk without

pay him much attention. She grabbed a short jacket she rarely wore and passed it to him. "Put this on for now. I'll call

slipped on the jacket and sat there

of the lounge to call

got

down on the sofa,

onto the sofa beside her, sitting obediently, careful

looking down at

head, nervously twisting the zipper of the jacket

were a tangled

fair to let adult grievances spill over onto a child.

gaze away and

he

Stewart could say a word, Briony cut in. "Irwin's here with me. Come pick him

concern

him," Briony replied coolly, glancing

"Alright."

Stewart's answer,