A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 14

When Darleen learned Starla was also a patient in the same hospital, she stormed directly to her room. She walked in to find Starla on the phone.

“That’s right,” Starla was saying. “No mediation. Proceed directly with legal action.”

Darleen’s heart skipped a beat. Legal action? Was she divorcing Fairfax? Good riddance, she thought.

Seeing Darleen, Starla ended the call with a cold expression.

“Were you on the phone with a divorce lawyer?” Darleen demanded, unable to hide the triumphant glee in her voice. For years, she had dreamed of the day Starla would be out of the Yelchin family. An orphan with no breeding had no right to be her daughter-in-law; it was a constant embarrassment.

Starla cast a frigid glance at Darleen but said nothing.

Darleen snorted, pulling up a chair. “Fine, get a divorce. But don’t think you’re walking away with a single cent of Yelchin money.” Her tone was harsh, her disdain on full display.

A mocking smile played on Starla’s lips. “You’re that eager for me to divorce Fairfax? To make room for Brinley?”

“You…” Darleen sputtered, feeling as though Starla had stepped on her tail.

“Well, it makes sense,” Starla continued coolly. “The whole city already thinks Fairfax is going to take her in. No one even knows he’s married to me. A quiet divorce followed by a new marriage would be perfect for you, wouldn’t it?”

Hearing the sarcasm dripping from Starla’s words, Darleen nodded with a sneer. “Yes, it would be perfect. Brinley is a thousand times better than you. Look at yourself—you’re nothing but a shrew.”

Darleen’s anger surged again as she pictured the handprints on Brinley’s face. How could Starla have been so vicious to someone who had just given birth? If Brinley’s mother, Harriet, found out, there would be hell to pay.

“I don’t care what you and Fairfax do next,” Darleen fumed, “but you will apologize to Brinley for hitting her.”

The word ‘apologize’ made Starla’s gaze turn even colder.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Darleen snapped. “I’m telling you, if you apologize, I’ll even put in a good word for you with her mother. But if you refuse to cooperate, not even Fairfax will be able to protect you when Harriet gets back from Yoran Country.”

Darleen knew how fiercely Harriet doted on her daughter. If she learned Starla had attacked Brinley right after she’d had babies, she would stop at nothing to get revenge.

The accusation of ‘living off the Yelchin family’ struck a nerve. Starla’s eyes flashed.

“You think I wanted to?” she shot back, raising a brow. “Darleen, I think you’re the one who’s forgotten something. I only joined this family because your son chased me for three years and then got on his knees to beg me to marry him.”

“You—!”

“I didn’t throw myself at him. And for the record, with a wicked mother-in-law like you around, I haven’t eaten a single bite of the Yelchin family’s food in years!”

Did Darleen think she had wanted to marry into this family? She knew the gap between her and Fairfax. He had bulldozed his way into her life, into her world. But even after they were married, he had failed to truly protect her from his mother’s constant meddling. Thanks to Darleen, she owed the Yelchin family nothing. Not a single thing.

Seeing her so disrespectful, calling her a ‘wicked mother-in-law’ for the second time in as many days, Darleen clutched her chest in pain.

“You… you are absolutely shameless! You… you… you really are from an orphanage! No manners, no respect for your elders!”