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?"

to him like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline. "Thank God you're

frowned, trying to steady him. "Stewart, you need

faking it. She must be. She just wants to

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

firmly, his tone grave. "This is a reputable

just take her back

if possessed, turning toward the

"Stewart!"

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

Stewart turned-

out of the

the gurney, shrouded in a

shrank to

his head, his tall frame

gone, your little girl will have no mother-how could you do

trembling hands gently lifted the edge of the

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,

cries echoed down the sterile

untouched by the

slept, now

in this world could ever hurt her

Go quickly, catch up to your little one, and find your mother. When you're all together

words, Stella sobbed even

understand why the pain was so sharp, only that it

stare in numb

a stabbing pain shot through his chest, as if someone had fired a bullet straight into his heart. He could almost

He coughed harsh, wet.