Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

"Maynard." Xenia Cooper's voice drifted through the phone, quiet and distant as she called his name.

Maynard froze.

"It's been eight years." Her laugh was brittle, devoid of warmth. "So, you do remember him. You remember that Vernon is his son. You even remember that you and Naylor are brothers."

Maynard's brow furrowed, his grip on the phone tightening.

On the other end, Xenia's voice pressed on. "Then tell me, why have you ignored us all these years? Naylor's gone-does brotherhood mean nothing now that he's dead? Why? Why did you leave Vernon and me to fend for ourselves in the nightmare that is the Cooper family?"

Maynard stood stunned, silent.

"Maynard, who are you trying to fool with this act of devotion to Briony?" Xenia let out a cold, mocking laugh. "The truth is, you're the one who's truly heartless."

Her words spilled through the line and echoed in the silent chapel, each syllable tightening around Maynard's chest.

His breath quickened. His eyelashes fluttered.

Seconds later, he hung up, clumsily, almost desperate.

...

leave

buzz began to

in the office greeted her with bright smiles. "Congratulations, Ms. Kensington, on your beautiful baby girl!" Briony thanked them

massive bouquet of blue hydrangeas

arrived first thing this morning-sent

was teasing, and she winked playfully as she said his

glanced at the card tucked in the flowers, then gently tapped Carey's forehead with it. "You know what's really going on. Stop stirring

the rumors. Not that it kept her from being a hopeless romantic about Briony and

taken charge of the company, and Carey had learned a lot working alongside

how devoted Maynard was to Briony. She and a few others in the secretarial

updates, quietly rooting

their

indie film proposal coming along?" Briony

Director Quincy's interested-he wants to handle

one set in the mountains?" Briony settled into her chair and opened her laptop. "He's over and that's high altitude out there.