Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

"How... how did you know?"

Stella would never be foolish enough to tell Cedric Clarke that Briony saw Stewart coughing up blood.

She scoffed, "Did you really think I couldn't hear what was going on just because you didn't put the call on speaker?"

Cedric Clarke fell silent.

"I couldn't make out every word, but over the last few calls, I definitely heard something about blood. And every single time you say there's an emergency, it happens at these ridiculously specific times. Cedric, I've worked in a hospital before. Sure, maybe I missed things when I'd lost my memory, but now that I remember everything, do you honestly think you can still fool me?"

Cedric Clarke looked uneasy. "You didn't tell Briony, did you?"

"I haven't even had a chance to interrogate you yet. Why would I go running to Bryn?" Stella rolled her eyes. "Besides, even if Stewart really was on his deathbed, I wouldn't tell Bryn. They're divorced now. He's the one who hurt her first. If he dies, well, that's on him—"

Before she could finish, Cedric clapped his hand over her mouth, sighing, "Shhh, honey, don't say things like that. Let's not tempt fate, okay?"

Stella pulled his hand away. "So Stewart really is dying?"

Cedric gave her a pointed look. "He's still my best friend, you know. Could you at least pretend you're not enjoying this?"

Stella scratched her forehead, a little embarrassed. "I don't think I was that obvious."

Cedric's tone made it

fine. I get it, you value his friendship. I'll stop trash-talking him in front of

my

arm. "Can you just tell me

where she'd squeezed him. "But you can't breathe a word of this

I'm just worried Stewart will try to get sympathy and guilt-trip

steady and sure. "Stewart will never

her. After four years of marriage, she could read him like a book, especially when it came

and heaviness in Cedric's eyes weren't fake. Stewart really

pressed her lips together and was quiet for a moment before she asked softly,

know you care about Briony, and know Stewart hurt her, but he never meant to. There's so much more to all of this than what you see on the surface. Stewart's life wasn't easy. Thirty-two years, and in the

I have to

what's wrong-"

hard against

"Ow..."

but immediately reached out to rub the spot

him. "It's not

stern look. "Don't even joke about that! Stewart is not that kind of person. My friends are not trash,

he and