Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

Chapter 59

"I hate you!"

Irwin hurled the rest of his bedtime stories to the floor and stomped on them, his voice trembling with fury. "You're a liar! You don't want me, well, I don't want you either! I don't want any of this!"

"Irwin!"

Stewart grabbed Irwin's arm, his handsome face darkening with anger. "Say one more word like that and you'll be sorry!"

Irwin struggled with all his might, but he was no match for his father's strength.

Blinded by rage, Irwin couldn't see the storm brewing in his father's eyes. All he wanted was to let out every ounce of hurt and frustration bottled up inside him—

"I just hate her!" Irwin jutted out his chin, his tear-stained eyes glaring stubbornly at Stewart. "You said it yourself-she's not really my mom, right? So if she isn't my mom, why should I have to like her? I hate her! I hate that she lied to me!"

Stewart froze.

That one sentence-"You said she's not really my mom!"-hit him like a slap in the face.

He let go of Irwin and turned to look at Briony.

spot, silent and

clouded, as if a heavy mist had settled over them, snuffing out their light and

so in control, felt a wave of unease rise

[Why is Mommy crying?]

depths of Briony's mind. Staring at Irwin, who was now flushed and defiant, she suddenly saw him as he'd been at two years old, lisping his

he'd clumsily, yet so tenderly, wiped

seen the bruises on her mother's face and realized, for the first time, just how much her mother was suffering behind bars. Briony had been devastated, helpless to do

the whole

sitting on the couch with Irwin and pretending to read to

her lap, chubby arms wrapped around her neck, his soft cheek pressing against

nose sting. She'd burst into tears again, unable to

hands, mumbling over and over, "Don't cry, Mommy. Don't cry... Irwin's here, Irwin

said to him. The

been completely broken. She'd clung to Irwin,

She'd endured it all, no matter how bitter or

power, no connections. All she could do was watch as

chest and said it hurt, little Irwin started crying too, blowing on her with his tiny

hurts, Irwin hurts

Briony had had in five years. And yet, because Irwin was there, his pure, childlike love