Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Stewart's gravesite had been chosen by a renowned spiritualist, whose services Cedric Clarke had secured at great expense.

Stewart, in life, had made it clear he didn't want a funeral. His only wish was for his ashes to be scattered along the banks of Pearbrook.

That, however, proved impossible. In the end, Cedric honored Stewart's wishes as best he could.

Briony quietly took on the responsibility for all the expenses-from the burial plot to the simple ceremony itself.

Cedric had called her, insisting he wanted to contribute, a gesture of brotherhood and remembrance. After some thought, Briony allowed him to cover a small portion.

As Stella once said, people are complicated. Stewart wasn't just a father to his two children; he was also a friend, a mentor, a colleague. The lives he touched were proof he'd truly been here.

Briony couldn't refuse others the chance to express their respect for Stewart. On the day of the funeral, a fine mist drizzled from a gray sky.

The ceremony was intimate and unadorned.

Those present were few: Cedric Clarke, Briony, James, Carl, Lorna, Carol, and the directors of two orphanages.

the one to

had anonymously supported these orphanages for years. When he learned of his illness,

care.

arrived with children in tow,

by the spiritualist-Briony approached the grave, wearing a simple

worn to countless important moments in his life, holding it close on behalf

guidance, she

finally set, it was simple and solitary:

children's white paper flowers soon blanketed

family tree by Fred, but he was always Grandpa Wentworth's favorite grandson. The Wentworth name lives on through Grandpa, not

somehow. The family elders have been calling me nonstop, hinting

all lined up to stab him in the back. Now, with the Wentworth Group in ruins, the family's only thinking about itself. They see Stewart's legacy his charity, his good works-and want to use it to clean up their

Let Stewart rest here, in peace. He never really got to live for

Briony listened in silence.

brows furrowed, lips unsmiling. She realized, with