Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Stella blinked in surprise, as if she could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Bryn, it's strange," she said quietly. "Back when you were hopelessly in love with Stewart, I don't think you ever truly understood him. But now that you don't love him anymore, it's almost as if... you see him more clearly than ever."

Briony paused, caught off guard by the observation.

The living room was silent except for the low, bubbling sound of the kettle boiling in the kitchen.

No one picked up the thread of conversation again.

...

Upstairs at Southcreek Manor, in the master bedroom.

After the IV drip, Stewart's condition finally stabilized, though he remained unconscious.

Dr. Cedric Clarke packed away his medical kit and stepped out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him.

Waiting in the hallway were Lorna, Carl, and Carol-all three watching Cedric with anxious expressions.

Cedric pressed his lips together and sighed. "For now, he's stable," he said, "but his illness is progressing much faster than any of us expected."

Clarke, Mr. Wentworth is still so

make it through the summer." The words weighed on him-he hated to admit it, but there was nothing more he

late July. The kids' summer break

were brief; by the

of autumn in the

meant Stewart likely had less than two

left everyone in stunned

hadn't worked for Stewart long, but it was obvious to her how much he loved his

the thought of little Mario and Nina soon losing their father, Carol felt tears

reunited with their dad, hardly enough time to build memories together. How could

out, "Little Mario said just the other day that when winter comes, he wants to build snowmen

a punch

"Carol, you mustn't

to

of Stewart's illness yet not even the kids." She couldn't bring herself to say more; Stewart's

say," Carol promised, not fully understanding the