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."

argument. Rosita shrank beneath his stern gaze, barely managing

there's no need to rush into a wedding."

brimming in her eyes. "You want

is the only thing that matters." Stewart's dark eyes were sharp, appraising. "Rosita, Irwin is your son. Don't you want what's

Rosita froze.

so much I can't remember.

eyes were cold as

the one who raised him. In his mind, when Briony left, he lost his mother. He's having a hard time accepting that

protested, looking up at him as tears spilled down

make up for those missing five years. Just because I wasn't there at the start... does that mean

"Irwin's only five."

expected to understand all this. Since Briony left, he's been

at him,

flickering in his eyes, "it's obvious you had no idea. When Briony was here, Irwin was happy,

can do too!" Stewart's lips curled into a

She froze, hurt.

continued, "For me, what matters most is that Irwin is with whoever can give him the best

nails into her

always known how much Irwin meant to

Irwin

how Stewart put Irwin above all else-even above her, his own child's mother-she finally understood: in Stewart's eyes,