A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 172

She vaguely remembered a persistent, annoying vibration. She’d kicked Tanya awake and then immediately fallen back asleep, the rest of the night a complete blur.

Tanya let out a massive yawn. "I'm dead tired. That bastard Fairfax…"

"He called?"

"Of course he did," Tanya said. "He found out you weren't taken in yesterday and kept demanding to know where you were."

Starla remained silent. Asking where she was? So he could blame Herbert when he couldn't get an answer? Typical.

She picked up her phone and saw a long list of missed calls from an unknown number. They had started at one in the morning and continued until just half an hour ago. They had to be from Fairfax.

As if on cue, her phone rang. It was Caden's number. She answered, "Hello?"

"It's me."

Fairfax's voice came through the speaker.

Starla grimaced and was about to hang up. Before she could pull the phone away, Fairfax’s voice, hoarse and exhausted, pleaded, "Where are you?"

"Not in a holding cell, and I don't need you to bail me out," she replied, her tone perfectly calm. It was a detached calm, as if his callous attitude the day before meant nothing to her at all. Her placidness was what hollowed out Fairfax’s chest.

"I…"

"Does he really have the nerve to call you?" Tanya fumed. Starla didn't bother to respond; she was done wasting her breath on Fairfax.

...

On the other end of the line, Fairfax stood in silence. Caden was beside him, looking equally sleep-deprived and resentful. He usually slept in until after nine. He’d heard about the situation late last night—that Starla hadn't been arrested after all, but had been picked up by Herbert. He’d planned to visit Fairfax at the hospital after a good night's sleep, but Fairfax had dragged him out of bed shortly after seven.

Fairfax lit a cigarette, taking one deep drag after another. Caden couldn't stand seeing him like this. "So, did Starla actually poison you?"

"No," Fairfax said, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"If she didn't do it, then what the hell was that all about?" Caden demanded, completely baffled. The poison wasn't from her, yet when the police took her away, he did nothing, even let her find out he had no intention of helping. As far as Caden was concerned, their marriage was toast.