Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

James felt his heart soften. "Our little Nina really is an angel, isn't she?"

"She is. She's sweet, and wise beyond her years. But I don't want her strength and maturity to come from having a mother who's... not enough."

He stared at Briony's profile, frowning, caught off guard by her words. "What are you talking about? How could you ever say that? You're incredible at your job, you take care of Nina so well. How many single moms could handle everything the "way you do?"

Briony managed a weary smile. "Providing for her isn't everything. For so long, I never understood why my mother would end her life the way she did, not until today. Now, I finally get it."

James blinked, concern flickering in his eyes. "Why?"

"My mother felt she was a burden to me. She couldn't reconcile it in her own heart. She wanted to fight back, but she was powerless. She was overwhelmed by despair because she realized she couldn't do anything. She broke down when she saw herself become dead weight to her own daughter, maybe even..." Briony's voice trembled. She closed her eyes, forcing out the word, "A disgrace."

James listened, his expression grave.

"I never thought that way about her, but I know my mother. She spent her whole life letting others decide her fate. Her family raised her to be the perfect daughter, always putting their interests first. Then, after she got married, her in-laws told her to be the ideal, self-sacrificing wife. When she had me, they twisted their old- school beliefs to blame her for having a daughter, saying I was bad luck for my father and any future sons, and she was helpless-she had to watch as I was sent away..."

"Later, when her husband cheated and abused her, she wanted a divorce, but her own family told her to endure it for the family's sake. She did, and in the end, she killed her husband in self-defense. His family came after her for revenge, and her own family turned their back on her completely..."

"She spent five years in prison. When she got out, she had nothing left except her only daughter to lean on. But then she realized I was walking down the same path she did..."

"She wanted to help me, but found she couldn't. She hated her own weakness and cowardice, and all that pain, all those negative feelings she'd buried, exploded when she learned the truth. She couldn't make peace with herself, so she chose to end it in the river..."

Briony turned to James, her eyes shining with tears. "Tell me, wasn't she foolish?"

of helplessness. "Mrs. Hudson... she

kept convincing herself that if she could just hold on a

bitter laugh. "The sad thing is, I used

I could avoid trouble if I just stayed out of

to come after you, it doesn't matter how far you

smile faded; her

all. After what she said, it's obvious now-Rosita knew all along that Malcolm's 'other

"Illegitimate daughter? So

"She and I are

disgusting!"

shoulders. "I'm a mother now. For Nina's sake, I need to change. Lauren and Rosita owe my mother

what mothers do they fight back for their children. If you want to stand up for yourself,

through all that, she didn't have anyone in her corner. That's why it was so hard for her

sunset cast a warm glow across his

hit her—she'd known James for four years now. In

a father figure to her daughter, offering

a