Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

Chapter 302

Stewart sensed something was off. "What's going on?" he asked.

Judd glanced at Briony, then back to Stewart, his tone resigned. "The mayor meant well-he wanted to tidy up Mrs. Hudson a bit so her family wouldn't be upset when they saw her. But Mrs. Hudson refused to cooperate."

Briony's anxiety spiked. "What does that mean?" she pressed Judd. "What's happened to my mom?"

Judd looked uncertainly at Stewart.

A crease formed between Stewart's brows. "Take us to her."

"Alright. Come with me," Judd said, turning and leading the way toward a small gate at the edge of the yard.

The gate opened into the mayor's barn.

Briony hurried after him, hope flickering stubbornly in her chest. It couldn't be that bad, she told herself. It just couldn't.

But reality hit her hard the moment she stepped inside.

skin, her body curled in on itself. She wore tattered clothes, her hair tangled and matted with straw. Her face was so dirty that only her eyes were

by lightning.

forward, but

doesn't recognize

Briony's eyes. She looked at Farrah desperately. "She's my mom. I'm

it's good for you to take her away. But

trembled. "Why? Why is she like this? What happened to

shore, barely alive. They sent my husband to check on her. He's a kind man he brought her back

searched everywhere and finally found her in the barn, clutching a pile of straw and talking to herself. It took all my patience to coax her back inside. But the next day she came right back here, and after that, no matter

more Briony listened, the more hopeless

all too

mother had lost

years, living

wiped her tears away and moved toward the woman in the corner-her

you hear what she said? Mrs. Hudson isn't

glare at him, her voice cold. "She's my mother. Even

breathing person-not an animal. She didn't belong in a