Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Cedric Clarke and Lorna stood at the foot of the bed, taking turns to gently coax him, patiently repeating words of comfort.

The man who had always been proud and domineering now lay there in silence, meeting the end with a strange, calm acceptance.

The early August sun was setting, its warm glow slanting through the window, washing everything in red. Yet, no matter how the light touched his face, it couldn't bring color to his deathly pale cheeks.

A car rumbled into the driveway.

Carl was back.

Moments later, hurried footsteps pounded down the hall.

The bedroom door burst open.

Carl, breathless and flushed, rushed in clutching the photo album Briony had given him.

"Mr. Wentworth! Mr. Wentworth!"

He was rarely so reckless.

Stewart, who'd been slipping toward unconsciousness, was startled awake. His heavy eyelids lifted, and he gazed at Carl standing by the bed.

A faint crease appeared between Stewart's brows, a subtle wince betraying the worsening pain.

Carl's eyes were rimmed red as he thrust the album forward. "Mr. Wentworth, please look at this!"

Cedric and Lorna exchanged a glance.

They both guessed what Carl had brought must be from Briony.

But Stewart barely reacted.

Carl pressed on. "Miss Briony asked me to bring this to you."

finally made Stewart

moment before he rasped, "Who...

urgency. "She wanted you to have this album. It's a collection of her photos from birth to her first birthday Ms. Kensington found it for

for

down and helped prop Stewart up, arranging two

from his

was of little Nina, newly born, the date

lying in an incubator with a breathing mask over her face—just the sight of her made Stewart's

He turned the pages-

Nina at one month;

Nina at two months;

Nina's first celebration;

birth to her first birthday, every change in his daughter was there,

a flush of red

gently

the pictures, and in his

promised her that night.

choed the words t

you can't forget, okay? I only be in kindergarten for threeyears-you can't make me wait longer

to take her to

daughter had said she would only

she'd be done with

child's early years are so heartbreakingly brief-miss them,

promise, and now here he was, about to break it, about to run away like

chest, sharp and relentless, as if someone

was tied to

must be videos inside-snippets of his

breath raw and shuddering, his body

kept silent vigil around