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?"

a drowning man reaching for a

to steady him. "Stewart, you need to calm

faking it. She must be. She just

custody, so she's playing dead to escape. She hates me that much-of course she'd go to extremes just to cut me

tone grave.

all she cares about now. If I just take her back to Northborough, Briony'll come running. Yes, that's it-I'll bring her

possessed, turning toward the

"Stewart!"

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

Stewart turned-

of the emergency room by a

lay still on the gurney, shrouded in

shrank

He shook his head, his tall frame suddenly frozen as if turned

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

down, tears streaming as his trembling hands gently lifted

Briony's face was peaceful, her eyes closed, lips just barely parted. Stella stared, her own eyes wide with horror, a crushing pain squeezing her chest. She dropped to her knees, clutching

echoed down

motionless, untouched by the world's

now

more sorrow-nothing in

still weeping, gently covered Briony's face again. "Go on, Bryn. I know you're tired. Go quickly, catch up to your little one, and

Gwendolyn's words, Stella

only that it felt

could only stare in numb

his heart. He could

He coughed harsh, wet.