Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Jeannie looked at Irwin, her hazel eyes warm with a gentle smile.

"Irwin, do you know why your father doesn't want you to be around your mother?"

Irwin shook his head.

"It's because he's worried she might be a bad influence on you."

Irwin froze, startled.

"Do you remember how old I was when I first came to Southcreek Manor?"

Irwin nodded. "I remember. I was five."

Jeannie smiled softly. "Right. And do you remember how, back then, you used to have nightmares all the time?"

Irwin thought hard, vague memories surfacing. He nodded slowly.

"But I can't really remember what those nightmares were about."

"You were just a little boy then-it's normal that you don't remember everything." Jeannie's voice was patient and kind. "You would cry in the middle of the night, and when I asked you what was wrong, you told me everything. At the time, I thought it wasn't my place to say much-after all, they were your own grandmother and mother."

looked up at her, his voice small. "Ms. Radcliffe, what did

a 'magic stone.' She asked you to hide it under Mom Bryn's bed. She said if you

widened in

childhood memories fade with time, but others, especially the ones that leave a mark, never truly disappear. As Jeannie spoke, a vivid image formed in Irwin's mind him, small and nervous, slipping that 'magic stone' under Briony's

"But... Dad said Mom Bryn was going to have a baby boy, and then the baby died. Was

stone at all. If

confusion. "What's a

gently. "It's illegal here your grandmother

but calm. "Prolonged contact can cause cancer. And at the time, Mom Bryn was pregnant. Exposure to something like that is especially dangerous

my fault? Did I kill Mom Bryn's baby?

him. "No, Irwin, don't think that way. Yes, you put the stone there-but you were just a child. You had no idea what it was. Your grandmother used you to hurt Mom Bryn. But think about it why would

it together. After a moment, clarity dawned

because of my

grave. "Your grandmother is your mother's mother. She wouldn't have done something like that

hesitated, confusion clouding his face. "Why would Mom want to hurt

was afraid that if Mom Bryn had a baby, her