Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

Chapter 181

"Star..." Briony stared up at the crystal chandelier above her, her eyes blank and hollow. Her voice was so raw it was almost a whisper. "I dreamed about my granddad. And my mom..."

Stella's chest tightened. She wrung out the warm washcloth and gently dabbed at the sweat and tears on Briony's face.

"It's normal," Stella murmured, "to dream of the people you miss most when you're sick."

She continued, her voice steady, trying to comfort her friend. "You had a mild fever earlier today. I used alcohol to try to bring it down, and Stewart dropped off some medicine from the local pharmacy. I stayed, just in case he got suspicious. Later, Dr. Clarke wanted to stop by and check on you, but I turned him away."

Briony blinked once, slowly, as if she hadn't heard a word Stella said. She kept talking, lost in her dream.

"I was lost... It was a long, endless tunnel. My granddad was calling me from behind, and my mom was in front of me, blocking my way..."

Stella gently pried Briony's cold, clenched fingers off the blanket and wrapped them in the warmth of the towel.

"My mom told me to come back," Briony whispered. "She said I was going to be a mother too, that I can't go there..."

Stella dropped her gaze, pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling. The corners of her eyes turned red.

Briony's voice cracked, breaking into a choked whisper. She closed her eyes, and her final words escaped like a sigh, "But... I'm just so tired..."

Her lashes fluttered shut, and a hot tear traced down her cheek.

She slipped back into unconsciousness.

had

p.m.

Briony's temperature again—finally normal. She exhaled, her relief

and now, with Briony's pregnancy making her even more sensitive, how could she not

Knock, knock.

rapped on the

the peephole, and then opened

stood outside, holding a takeout box.

glancing up and down the hallway.

"No idea. Didn't see him at dinner, so I just ate downstairs

paused, then asked, "How is

brows furrowed. "Dr. Clarke, please— when Stewart gets back, you have to make sure he ends things completely with Bryn. She's suffered enough. Her heart is too heavy... she can't keep carrying the weight of

nodded solemnly.

...

night, Briony's fever

kept vigil by her side until well past midnight, only allowing herself a brief nap when she was

filtered through the sheer curtains, filling the room with

country it was rumored to be. This time of year, the capital-Accra-hovered around 80 degrees during the day. The hotel overlooked the sea, and the sound of waves and gulls drifted through

slowly opened her

She turned her head, spotting