Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Briony kept her head bowed, afraid he might notice something was wrong.

She nodded quietly and lifted another spoonful of soup to her lips.

Stewart stood nearby, watching her. It wasn't until her third bite that he finally noticed something was off.

He quickly crouched down beside her, just in time to see a tear slip from her eye.

The tear landed in the pale soup.

A sharp ache pulsed in Stewart's chest. "Bryn?"

Briony reached up to wipe her eyes. "I'm fine, really..."

Stewart gently took the bowl from her hands and set it on the table.

"Bryn, I'm sorry. I know I put you through so much." He knelt on one knee in front of her, a heavy sorrow settling over him.

He knew exactly why she was crying.

A simple bowl of soup had opened the floodgates of memory.

For five years, she had started from nothing, learning as she went, raising a newborn with patience and devotion. She gave everything without complaint, only to have it all repaid with his betrayal, and the resentment and blame of that child she'd loved as her own...

Then, after four years apart, even when fate brought them together again, he'd only managed to hurt her all over.

Each wound had etched itself into her heart, leaving scars that never quite faded.

always said she'd let go, that she just didn't want to keep clinging to the past. Maybe she was simply

could anyone ever pretend

soup, and she was

complete fool

regret ashamed of all

wipe away her tears, but Briony turned

moment alone," she said softly, still refusing to meet his eyes, determined not to let him see her looking so

awkwardly

a moment, he swallowed hard

to his feet and left

closed, Briony buried her

soup sat untouched, cooling

sharpest pain, but it couldn't erase what had truly happened. When familiar faces or objects returned, the memories came with them, resurfacing with a vengeance, taking root

knew, at least for now, she couldn't genuinely tell her past self that it was all

was impossible to hide

close and trustworthy-except for

Winslow and Gwendolyn White rushed

the hospital. Gwendolyn broke down in tears, while Briony, calm and composed, ended up comforting her instead-even though she was the one who was

the time being. With Briony's health so fragile, they

and Carney realized there wasn't much more they could do.

sensitive background, even now, only Briony and

uncle, had retired to the countryside years ago and knew little about what

blissfully unaware, thriving

of Julia's