Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

James didn't say another word. He turned and walked away.

...

On the way back, Briony suddenly said she wanted to stop by Pearbrook.

James pulled the car over by the roadside near the river.

He walked with her across the crosswalk and onto the sidewalk that bordered Pearbrook.

Late summer nights after a storm always carried a sticky dampness to the city. The river ran swift, its waters churning rather than calm.

The rain had only just let up. There was no one else by the river.

Briony stood gazing out at the dark water, silent for a long time.

James simply stayed by her side, keeping quiet.

Across Pearbrook was Briony's new home; just a crosswalk separated them from

it.

The damp night breeze tugged at her long hair.

Briony lifted a hand to brush the strands from her cheek.

Cedric Clarke's words from the police station echoed in her mind-

[Stewart always said he didn't want a funeral. He just asked me to scatter his ashes in Pearbrook. But now...]

"But now there's nothing left. His last wish can't even be fulfilled."

James caught only a fragment and

"It's nothing."

her eyes on the river. "It's getting

looked at her, but the night was so dark he

to Skybreeze Retreat,

stepped inside to see Stella sitting on the floor, playing puzzles with her

up and hurried over, worry etched across her face. "Are

a

had to come!" Stella replied. "I brought the nanny too. Cedric's going to be swamped with work for the next few days, and there's not much else

busy. There's not much happening on my

know Briony as well as she did, she might have been fooled

upstairs with me," Stella said, tugging Briony up to the

into a

a tight hug. "Cry if you want. I'm here. Just

few seconds,

studying

I'm not feeling that kind of

really

"The moment I heard he was gone,

all my feelings just...

what, your heart died with

to look

was pitch black, nothing visible in

soft, almost

change anything. I'm not devastated by Stewart's death. It just feels... unresolved. It shouldn't have ended like this for

hand. "You still

Briony didn't deny it.