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."

"Dr. Clarke, Mr. Wentworth is still so young. Please,

heavy. "You all need to prepare yourselves. I'm afraid... he may not make it through the summer." The words weighed on him-he hated to admit it, but there was nothing more he could

The kids'

the end of August, you

hints of

had less

realization left everyone in

but it was obvious to her how

of little Mario and Nina soon losing their father, Carol

kids-barely reunited with their dad, hardly enough time to build memories together. How could this

that when winter comes, he wants to build snowmen and have snowball

words landed like a punch in the

grave. "Carol, you mustn't let Mario

he's going to find

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

not fully understanding the stakes. She assumed Stewart just didn't want Briony and