A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 15

“If you haven’t been living off the Yelchins, then what have you been eating all these years?” Darleen challenged.

“Why don’t you check the accounts for Petal Villa?” Starla countered. “Look at the expenses for the last few years. Once you see the records, you might find you actually owe me.”

Petal Villa was the home she shared with Fairfax. After they married, he had given her several credit cards, but Darleen had monitored every single one. Any time she made a purchase, a call would follow, demanding to know what she’d bought. Eventually, Starla had simply stopped using them.

Darleen grew dizzy with rage. “What nonsense are you spouting? Owe you? Are you joking?”

“As for respecting elders? Hah!” Starla scoffed. “Take Fairfax out of the equation. What are you to me? Why should I respect you?”

Fairfax walked in to find his mother clutching a chair for support and Starla sitting on the bed, her face a mask of ice.

Seeing him, Darleen rushed to his side.

“Fairfax, look at her!” Darleen cried, pointing a trembling finger. “Look at how she speaks to me! I’m her mother-in-law, and she insults me with such vulgar language.”

Fairfax’s cold gaze shifted to Starla, who met it with an unyielding glare of her own.

“I’m telling you, she must apologize to Brinley. She’s gone completely out of line.” Darleen insisted.

Fairfax remained silent, but the stern set of his jaw told Starla he agreed—she had gone too far by hitting Brinley.

A slow, dangerous smile spread across Starla’s face. “You want an apology? Fine. I’ll apologize.”

Darleen blinked, taken aback. “You… you will?”

She scoffed inwardly, “So, she only behaves when Fairfax is around. What a phony.”

“I’m going right now,” Starla declared, her voice chillingly sweet. “To give her a proper apology.” She threw back the covers and swung her legs off the bed. If Brinley had manipulated Darleen into demanding an apology, she would get one she’d never forget.

“See? You should have just agreed in the first place,” Darleen sniffed.

Starla let out a low, humorless laugh and marched toward the door. As she passed Fairfax, he shot out a hand and grabbed her arm. “That’s enough.”

He knew from her expression that she had no intention of actually apologizing.

Starla shook him off. “Enough of what? If I don’t apologize, is your mother ever going to leave me in peace?”

Inside Brinley’s room, chaos reigned. Starla had a fistful of Brinley’s hair, yanking her head back until their faces were inches apart.

“You… are you insane?” Brinley stammered, terrified by the feral look in Starla’s eyes. “Let me go!”

How dare she? This penniless orphan with no family to speak of, where did she get the audacity to treat her this way?

Starla’s eyes narrowed. “Do you still want that apology?”

“You…”

“You sent Darleen to demand it, didn’t you? You just couldn’t wait to see me grovel before you.”

“You’re hurting me! Let go!” Brinley gasped, the pain sharp and blinding.

“This is my apology,” Starla hissed. “Do you want more?”

She sent Darleen to force her to bow down. Well, from now on, this was how Starla would bow.