Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

"Star," Briony called softly.

"Briony!"

Stella snatched up a pillow and barreled over, brandishing it like a weapon. "If I don't knock some sense into you today, I'll take your last name—!"

Briony: "..."

James: "..."

What everyone expected to be a tender reunion between sisters took an abrupt turn, thanks to Stella's unpredictable ways.

Briony didn't even try to dodge. She simply took the full brunt of Stella's "pillow strike."

"Briony, are you out of your mind? I lose my memory and you just let me run wild?! I was chasing after some guy like a lovesick idiot, and you didn't smack me back to reality-you just left! You let that pretentious bastard, Cedric Clarke, take advantage of me! And then, like an idiot, I went and had a kid with him! Sis, you know I'm a die-hard bachelorette!"

"For crying out loud! Now I'm not only married, I've got a kid, and worst of all, I've become... the thing I fear most—a housewife! Aaargh, Briony, I don't care! You didn't stop me, so this is all your fault!"

Briony: "..."

James strolled over and wrestled the pillow from Stella's hands. "Alright, enough already. With the way you were swooning back then, if Bryn had tried to talk sense into you, you probably would've scratched her face off."

Stella: "..."

She picked at her nails, sulking. “No way! Sure, I'm a sucker for a pretty face, but Cedric Clarke was Stewart's friend. He was on Stewart's side-I'd never betray my best friend for a guy, no matter how hot he was!"

"You fell for him at first sight," James reminded her. "Even your dad couldn't talk you out of it. What chance did Bryn have?"

"My dad's never been able to control me, that's nothing new!" Stella shot back. "But I always listen to Bryn!"

“Oh yeah?” James retorted, twisting the knife. “Listening to Bryn didn't stop you from forgetting all about her, did it?"noveldrama

Stella: "..."

"James, shut up." Briony shot him a glare.

"Whatever, I'll stay out of it." James raised his hands in surrender.

The truth was, it wasn't that Briony abandoned Stella back then-Scarlett Joyner had decided Briony was a bad influence and forbade her from seeing Stella.

James always thought Scarlett's decision was unfair, but she was Stella's mother -what could he really say?

Now, with Stella's memory finally restored, she'd rushed to find Briony.

Listening to Stella rant, it was

obvious she still didn't know about

Scarlett's behind-the-scenes

interference.

And Briony clearly had no intention of letting her find out.

James, being one of the few who knew the whole story, could only sigh and keep quiet.

"So what am I supposed to do now?” Stella groaned, raking her fingers through her hair in distress. "Every time I see Cedric Clarke, I just want to crawl under the floor! I don't even like him! Why do I still remember those four years, even after getting my real memories back?

"You don't like Cedric Clarke?" James shot her a look. "Then how exactly do you explain Aster? Did she just appear out of thin air?"

Stella: "..."

Briony stepped forward and pulled Stella, bristling with emotion, into her arms.

"Star, welcome back."

Stella froze for a moment, her eyes

welling with tears. She hugged

Briony tightly. "Bryn, I'm so sorry. I

forgot you. When you needed me most, Dwasn't there. I'm the world's worst friend-totally boy-crazy and completely useless!"

"Don't say that." Briony gently stroked her back. "If anything, I dragged you into this mess. Star, never apologize to me. You're not at fault. You're wonderful."

Stella couldn't hold it together any longer. She clung to Briony and broke into loud, helpless sobs.

"Four years, Bryn... Four whole years..." she wailed. "Wasn't it hard for you, being alone all that time?"

"Hey!" James bellowed from across the room. "Stella, what am I—a ghost?"

Stella wiped her eyes, shooting him a sidelong glance. "You could never replace me, so don't even dream about swooping in. Bryn and I have a bond you'll never match, little brother."

James went red in the face, sputtering, "...I should've just let you cry your eyes out!"