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."

only a fragment and leaned in, his voice low, "What

"It's nothing."

kept her eyes on the river. "It's getting

but the night was so dark he couldn't make out the expression on

they returned to Skybreeze Retreat, they

on the

her, she jumped up and hurried

fine," Briony tried to reassure her with a small

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 I

Dr. Clarke and Carl are the ones who'll be busy. There's not much happening on my end. You

as well as she did, she might have been fooled

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

into a

hug. "Cry if you want. I'm here. Just let it

a few seconds, then gently pushed

studying her

not feeling

really hate Stewart that

head. "The moment I heard he was

all my

your heart

turned to look out the

glass, the night was pitch black,

soft, almost fragile, in the quiet

you grieve or not doesn't change anything. I'm not devastated by Stewart's death. It just feels... unresolved. It shouldn't

hand. "You still

Briony didn't deny it.