Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Lauren was instantly wracked with guilt.

That morning, Irwin had shattered a glass. Lauren had been on the phone with Helga at the time. She'd heard the sound of breaking glass, but hadn't thought much of it—until Irwin's piercing cries sent her running, heart pounding, as she fumbled to end the call.

By then, it was too late. Irwin had already cut himself.

A deep, long gash ran across his palm, blood welling up and trickling down his small hand.

The commotion quickly brought Stewart to the scene.

"Stewart, I'm so sorry. It was my fault-I wasn't watching Irwin. I let him get hurt." Lauren's face was flushed with remorse, her voice trembling dangerously close to tears.

Seeing this, Rosita hurried to add, "Mom was just caught up in her phone call. She never wanted Irwin to get hurt. It's my fault too—if I hadn't been lying down, feeling sick, maybe I could've kept an eye on him."

Stewart didn't respond to Rosita's attempt at comfort.

In the past, if he'd seen Rosita so upset and self-blaming, he would have tried to reassure her. But today, his disappointment over Irwin's injury overshadowed even the smallest hint of kindness.

He looked right at Rosita, his gaze icy and unreadable. "The medicine Quentin found for you worked well. You seem healthy now."

Rosita blinked in surprise.

"The only reason we rushed the wedding was because you were so ill-we wanted you to have no regrets. But now you're better. The wedding can wait."

Rosita stared at him, incredulous. "But... the engagement's already been announced "

"We'll handle it with PR."

shrank beneath his stern gaze, barely managing to ask, "Then... how

stand, there's no need to rush into a wedding." His words

tears brimming in her eyes. "You want to put the

Irwin's well-being is the only thing that matters." Stewart's dark eyes were sharp, appraising. "Rosita, Irwin is your son.

Rosita froze.

I can't remember. I just don't understand what

eyes were cold as

since Briony left. She was the one who raised him. In his mind, when Briony left, he

up at him as

those missing five years. Just because I wasn't there at the

"Irwin's only five."

expected to understand all this. Since

stared at

eyes, "it's obvious you had no idea. When

do too!" Stewart's lips curled into a mirthless smile.

She froze, hurt.

me, what matters most is that Irwin is with

nails into her

known how much Irwin meant to

believed Irwin was

Irwin above all else-even above her, his own child's