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.

had been the one to

years. When he learned of his illness,

care.

tow, each child clutching a handmade

the appointed hour-chosen by the spiritualist-Briony approached the grave, wearing a

carried Stewart's favorite suit, the one he'd worn to countless important moments in his

gentle guidance, she laid

it was simple and solitary:

flowers soon blanketed the grave in a

may have been cut from the family tree by Fred, but he was always Grandpa Wentworth's favorite grandson.

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

sharp. "When Fred turned on Stewart, they 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

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

Briony listened in silence.

photograph on the gravestone a copy of his ID photo brows furrowed, lips unsmiling. She realized, with a pang,