Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

Chapter 488

Briony bent down and zipped up the little yellow duck backpack. "From the kids' perspective, of course I want them to have both their parents. If Stewart truly cherishes them, he'll take care of himself."

She looked up at James, her voice soft, her tone calm. "I've never thought I mattered much to Stewart. Maybe we shared five years as husband and wife, but it was never love. Stewart never loved me, and I'll never love him again."

James watched her, his hand tightening at his side.

He pressed his lips together, wrestling with himself.

He wanted to say, Bryn, you're wrong. Stewart might love you more than you know. He's probably still hopelessly in love with you.

But how could he say that? To confess the feelings of his rival in love? Even if James couldn't fight and claw for her, he certainly couldn't step aside and play matchmaker for Stewart.

So he let it go. If he could be her knight, standing quietly at her side for the rest of his life—even if only as family—that would be enough.

...

Briony and James came downstairs together.

"Is there enough room for the car seats?" Briony asked, glancing at Stewart.

"I installed an extra one before I came," Stewart replied, meeting her eyes. "I'll take good care of them. Both of them."

It was a promise, spoken as a father to the mother of his children.

Briony simply nodded, then stepped over to say goodbye to the kids.

loaded Little Nina's suitcase into the

children into their car seats, making

inside the car, their faces

her heart caught in her

the driver's door, gave Briony one last look, his lips pressed tight. After

look at

into the car,

purred to life, turned around, and

there, watching the taillights disappear into the darkness before she finally closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out in

watched her, worry etched on his

her head gently. "I'll have to get used to it." Just two days

me say this: Girl, in this world no one is worth you sacrificing your happiness

have to tell you-learn to find peace within yourself. No one else can do that for you. It's a

will get hurt. These days, I keep dreaming something bad happens to them at my ex-husband's house. Is there

pressed a stress ball into

her skin. Just thinking about those dreams had pushed

stress ball, the therapist's gentle

grow is just one step closer to that. A mother's only feal job is to learn, little by little,

wrap this process up in words like 'mother's love' or 'a mother's duty.' But if you peel all that away, maybe it's just

You're a mother,

but don't make

as your entire world. You need

strength from