Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

Chapter 22

Briony froze, stunned.

She stared at Stewart, her eyes trembling with disbelief.

"Stewart, what did I do wrong?" she asked quietly.

He met her gaze, cold and unyielding. "You're upset with me, that's fine. But Rosita is innocent." His words were sharp and judgmental. "You had no right to mislead your friend into attacking her."

Briony's hand clenched the pharmacy bag so tightly it shook.

She fixed her eyes on Stewart-this man she had poured her heart into, loved without regret for five long years.

"Your precious Rosita is innocent?" Briony let out a brittle laugh, tears brimming but refusing to fall. She struggled to hold herself together, her pale lips trembling as the dam finally broke. "And what about me? For five years I've been the fool, raising your child as my own, giving everything I had―am I not innocent too?!"

Stewart faltered, caught off-guard.

Stella's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what do you mean, 'raising their child for five years'? You mean... Irwin is Stewart and Rosita's?"

Briony's chest heaved. She ignored Stella, her gaze locked on Stewart. "Stewart, I want just one answer-why did you lie to me in the first place?"

Stewart's brow furrowed, irritation flickering across his face. "We agreed from the start this was a partnership. Who Irwin's biological mother is doesn't change our arrangement."

Briony felt the air leave her lungs.

his excuse, she thought bitterly. What

escaped her lips, dizziness washing over

her just in time,

okay?" Stella asked anxiously, steadying

lips parting as if to speak, but before he could, Rosita suddenly

quickly caught her as

hesitation, he scooped Rosita up and hurried toward the inpatient wing, his face

divorcing him. Five years as a stepmom, only to be humiliated like this? I'm furious! I swear,

but Briony couldn't

faded to

kind of sleep

time she woke, it was

pushed open the hospital room door just as Briony was struggling to sit up

said with a

turned at the sound of her voice. "What happened to

her, giving a sarcastic snort. "You fainted from rage-thanks to that scumbag

came crashing back. The pain was still fresh. She knew Stewart didn't care about her feelings, yet she'd still

to her forehead, regret

now?" Stella asked, her gaze dropping to Briony's stomach. "With Stewart treating you like this,

mom isn't easy," Stella said softly, taking her hand. "Your mom gets out tomorrow. She'd be heartbroken if she knew