Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

He lowered his voice, a note of sternness creeping in. "Mom, what's done is done. Please don't bring it up in front of Star again." "How could I dare?" Scarlett huffed indignantly. "Every tI mention it, she picks a fight with me!" She sniffed, her tone thick with frustration. "In the end, I'm always the bad guy. But she's my only daughter-how could I possibly want to hurt her? Back when Star was lying in the ICU, barely hanging on, I went to see Father Benedict. He toldthat Briony's presence was unlucky, that she was a bad omen, and that Star's misfortune was because of her. I'm not blaming Briony, I'm just... afraid of her, you understand? Cedric, you know as well as I do-people who get too close to Briony never seem to fare well. Didn't her ex-husband die suddenly last year -?" "Mom!" Cedric Clarke finally lost his patience and cut her off. "Stewart is still alive and well. All those rumors were just misunderstandings. But whatever the case, as her elder, you shouldn't say things like that. If Star hears you, she'll only argue with you again." Scarlett fell silent, caught off guard by his rebuke. She looked wounded, ready to defend herself, but Cedric spoke first.

"Mom, Star and Aster are still waiting for me. You should get srest. I'm hanging up now." With that, he ended the call.

Cedric let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. Scarlett had always held a grudge against Briony, and Cedric wouldn't dare say any of this in front of her. But even if he stayed silent, Briony could always read the unease in his eyes. Yet she never asked him about it. She understood that now, with Stella's memories returned, it was impossible for them to sever ties completely. And from the look of things, much of the tension between Cedric and Stella could be traced back to Scarlett.

The incident four years ago had left Scarlett deeply scarred; her need to control Stella's life had only grown since then. She justified it as love, but Stella was never one to yield to pressure, and that only made her rebel more. Cedric was stuck between the two women, torn and helpless.

Briony resolved not to add to his burden. She feigned ignorance of the tension, simply remarking, "Dr. Clarke, Star and I chatted about photography tonight. She really loves it. And she appreciates your support." Cedric wiped a weary hand over his face. These days, even hearing the word "photography" made his nerves twitch.

"I do support her passions. But she's determined to go abroad, and that means we'd have to live apart." Briony had guessed that this was what bothered him most. "Actually, it's not set in stone that she has to leave the country." Cedric looked up at her, hopeful. "She said that?" "I suggested it might be better for your marriage if she stayed and enrolled in the photography program at Verdantire University. I even offered to arrange a mentor for her." His eyes lit up. "She agreed?" Briony smiled gently. "She did." Cedric shot to his feet. "If she doesn't move abroad, she can study whatever she wants! I'll support her." "Star can be hot-tempered, and sometimes she says things in the heat of the moment. But after all these years, you should know her by now. What you said tonight-that she doesn't love you those words stung more than you realize." Briony's tone turned serious. "And another thing. She may not be a perfect mother, but you shouldn't doubt her love for Aster. She had a fight with you after a drink, tears still on her face, but the first thing she did was comfort your son." Cedric stood frozen in place.

"Dr. Clarke, you're Star's husband. You're supposed to be her partner for life. That means you're equals and you should always consider her feelings first.

f Controlling someone in the nof love isn't love. It's just another form of bondage-or worse, emotional blackmail. I can't tell Mrs. Joyner how to act, but you if you can't stand up for your wife, this house will only ever feel suffocating to her." Cedric absorbed her words in silence. Deep down, he knew Scarlett's hold on Stella was suffocating.

"I'll try to reason with my mother-in-law," he said earnestly, meeting Briony's gaze. "Thank you was reckless tonight. It's just... Star keeps bringing up moving abroad, and felt like she didn't care aboutor Aster anymore." "The most important thing in a marriage is communication," Briony replied. "Star's not cold-hearted. If you talk things through, she'll understand." Cedric nodded and headed upstairs to find Stella.

The living room fell silent.

Stewart watched Briony for a moment. She felt his eyes encher and finally turned, meeting his gaze.

"What is it?"

He swallowed, voice low. "Listening C to what you said to Cedric... it maderealize that maybe part of why we ended up like this was because we stopped talking." Briony paused, then nodded. "That was definitely part of it."

Stewart hesitated. "So... if I'd been honest with you from the start, would you still have divorced me?" Briony looked at him, then smiled faintly. "I don't know." Stewart's dark brows drew together.

"Nine years of marriage is a long time, Stewart. So long that looking back, it feels like a silent film that just keeps rolling on."