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."

is still so young. Please, there must be something more you

his head, his voice heavy. "You all need to prepare yourselves. I'm afraid... he may not make it through the summer."

was late July. The kids' summer break was

in Northborough were brief; by the end of August, you

of autumn in

had less than two

everyone in

obvious

Mario and Nina soon losing

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

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

like a punch in the

grave. "Carol, you mustn't

going to find

as long as we can," Lorna insisted. "Nobody can know the full extent of Stewart's illness yet not even the kids." She couldn't bring herself to say more; Stewart's sudden decline meant their time was running out

Riley. I'll do whatever you say," Carol promised, not fully understanding the stakes. She assumed Stewart just didn't want