A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 135

The suggestion that she learn Starla's man-pleasing tactics made Xenia's skin crawl.

“Learn from her?” she snapped. “She grew up in an orphanage and used every cheap trick in the book to land a man. You want me to learn how to be trashy like her? What a joke!”

Everyone believed Starla had managed to marry Fairfax only because she had charmed him so completely that he was willing to defy his entire family for her. Her methods were undeniably effective, but Xenia looked down on them with contempt.

“I will not learn her disgusting tricks!”

“So you don’t want to be with Herbert?” Darleen pressed. They needed to move quickly on this front. With Herbert standing behind Starla, the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous for them.

“I do, but I won’t learn Starla’s tricks,” Xenia insisted.

That damn Starla. Her troublemaking never ended. How did she have so much energy to orchestrate one attack after another? And now they wanted her to learn how to seduce men like that? The nerve! She wasn’t even divorced from Fairfax and was already entangled with Herbert. Xenia wanted nothing more than to find Starla and tear her to shreds. The thought of her hiding behind Herbert was infuriating!

“Whether you want to or not, you will,” Darleen said, her tone firm. “Starting today, you will bring Herbert lunch every day.”

“Mom, you can’t be serious…” Xenia was frantic. She liked Herbert, yes, but did she have to debase herself like this?

“And it’s not just Herbert,” Darleen continued, unyielding. “You also need to visit the Farley family more often and spend time with the elders.”

“Yes, Xenia,” Brinley chimed in. “The older generation loves considerate young people. Just listen to your mom.”

Of everyone, Brinley was the most desperate for Xenia and Herbert to get together. Harriet was pushing for it, too. As long as Xenia and Herbert were a couple, Starla would be out of the picture. A married woman constantly accepting help from another man—if that got out, Starla would be the one condemned by society!

Seeing Xenia’s reluctance, Brinley grew annoyed. They were all counting on her. “If you’re not even willing to charm the Farley elders, then you can forget about Herbert.”

The words hit Xenia hard. Wasn’t marriage supposed to be between two people? Why did she have to stoop to pleasing his family? But then she remembered why her mother despised Starla…

“Do I really have to do it?” she asked, her voice small.

“You must.”

“What if I’m not good at it?”