Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

It was precisely because she had lived through it herself that she couldn't bring herself to persuade Mary to give up the baby.

Besides, the child was already taking shape.

Already a living, breathing soul.

"Briony, can I tell you a story?"

Briony glanced at Mary, and she could more or less guess what was coming.

She crossed to a wicker chair by the side of the room and sat down.

"All right, I'm listening."

Mary, cradling her rounded belly, walked over to the window and gazed out at the world beyond. Her voice floated back, soft and slow-

"Twenty-four years ago, in the slums of Riverview, a family's fifth child was born. The father had hoped for a son, but once again, it was a daughter. Because of this, he took out his disappointment on the mother. Out of the girl's four older sisters, three were sold off by their father, and the fourth fell ill and died at fourteen because they couldn't afford a doctor. The mother couldn't bear to see her youngest go the same way, so she risked her life, scraped together whatever she could, and when the girl turned eighteen, she sent her away..."

started as an extra, working her way up from the bottom, until eventually she made a name for herself. Once she was successful, she

he'd kill her mother. Not wanting to be a burden, her

snapped up, eyes

window, meeting Briony's gaze, her eyes rimmed with

mother did give him one, but he was a gambling addict. When the boy was only three, my father took him to the casino. He was so caught up in his bets that he didn't notice the child wander off. The casino was right on the docks. The boy fell into the water and

her eyes troubled, sympathy flickering

dead now.

Briony froze.

why I can

give him one.

Briony watched her, her

what about

"What