Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

When Cedric Clarke arrived with Stella, the doors of the emergency room swung open just as they reached them.

Dr. Warren stepped out, peeling off his mask, his face grave as he shook his

head.

"I'm so sorry. We did everything we could."

For a moment, it was as if the world fell utterly silent.

Gwendolyn White's knees buckled, and James caught her just in time. "Mrs. Winslow!"

"Bryn... our Bryn..." Gwendolyn sobbed into her hands, her cries breaking the quiet. "She's so young-how could she just leave us like this? No, it's not possible -Dr. Warren, please, there must be something more you can do, please..."

"Mrs. Winslow, I'm truly sorry. We really did all we could."

Stewart stood frozen, rooted to the spot.

He barely heard Dr. Warren's gentle, clinical explanations-the medical reasons why Briony couldn't be saved. Gwendolyn refused to accept it, her wailing echoing in his ears.

Stewart, too, couldn't believe it.

Briony dead? It couldn't be.

A strange, fractured smile curled at the edge of his lips, though his eyes were rimmed with red. "No. I don't believe it..."

He murmured the words, pushing past Dr. Warren and heading toward the emergency room.

Seeing this, Cedric released Stella and hurried to intercept him, grabbing Stewart by the arm. "What are you doing?"

reaching for a lifeline. "Thank God you're here! They say Briony's dead.

to steady him. "Stewart, you need to

it. She must be. She

for custody, so she's playing dead to escape. She hates me that

his tone grave. "This is a reputable

his eyes wild. "Her daughter's all she cares about now. If I just take her

as if possessed, turning toward the neonatal

"Stewart!"

him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Open your eyes! Look- look at what's right in front

Stewart turned-

out of the emergency room by a

on the gurney, shrouded in a

pupils shrank

his tall frame

"Bryn, Bryn, wake up! If you're gone, your little girl will have no mother-how could you do this?

down, tears streaming as his trembling hands gently lifted the edge

Stella stared, her own eyes wide with horror, a crushing pain squeezing her chest. She dropped to her knees,

echoed down the

untouched by

slept, now and

sorrow-nothing in

Bryn. I know you're tired. Go quickly, catch up to your

words, Stella sobbed even

only that it felt as if her heart had been

could only stare in

He could almost feel blood welling up from the wound, flooding his

He coughed harsh, wet.