Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Little Nina froze for a second, then protested with her hands over her face, "Mom, that's not fair! I'm the prettiest little fairy, you can't keep photos of me looking like a clown!"

Briony ruffled her daughter's round head. "Then why don't you hurry up and wipe that messy face of yours?"

Little Nina, never one to let things weigh her down for long, quickly brushed away her tears.

Her little nose and eyes were still red from crying, but her hands were now firmly planted on her hips, her chubby cheeks full of stubborn defiance.

"Mom, I didn't cry!" Little Nina jabbed a finger at little Mario. "It was Mario who was crying! Shame on you, big boy crying and all~"

At that, the little man quickly wiped his face and glared at his sister. "I wasn't crying! You were!"

"You were!" Little Nina shot back, refusing to back down. "You started it!"

"No, I didn't!" Mario frowned.

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't!"

The two siblings squared off, voices rising in a familiar, escalating duet.

They hardly ever fought, so the adults looked on in amusement, not wanting to interrupt, treating it like a lighthearted skit.

warm and sweet, laughter

shattered in an instant, when Briony, without warning, began to bleed

setting the children down and calling out, "Mr. Delaney, Lorna, please take the kids to the

pulled out a

was happening, her first instinct was to

and Lorna had

We're heading to the

time this had happened-she'd almost

Stewart's hands were

lifted her own hand and gently patted his. "Stewart, it's okay. Nosebleeds are

talk right now," Stewart said, his voice tight, eyes

Briony nodded again.

in the car, ran back

the handkerchief in Stewart's hand-already soaked through with blood. His face@ent pale. "That's a lot of

her to the hospital. Please look after the

the old hostility toward Stewart. Right now, Briony was all

meant nothing in this