A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 21

“I just can’t take it anymore,” Darleen said, her voice frayed with exhaustion over the phone. Why did God have to make her suffer like this?

Fairfax frowned, glancing over at Starla.

“I know Starla’s upset,” Darleen continued, “but with Faraday gone, I’m at my wit’s end. Brinley’s suffering too, you know.”

At that, Darleen started to cry.

Fairfax took a deep breath and hung up, rising to his feet instinctively.

Seeing him get up, the mocking smile on Starla’s lips deepened.

Look at that. How many times had he run off to Brinley’s side just today?

It was a pattern: whenever Fairfax was with her, a call about Brinley would inevitably pull him away.

Starla looked up, her eyes filled with icy scorn. “Do you know what that message Brinley retracted said?”

Fairfax froze mid-turn, his gaze fixed on her.

“She said you’d come to my room, but you’d be gone in less than five minutes,” Starla said, pausing before letting out a dry laugh. “And it’s only been three minutes.”

It was proof of how fragile Brinley thought their marriage was—that he would abandon his wife for his sister-in-law, time and time again, with clockwork precision.

“Starla…” Fairfax began, his chest tightening.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” she cut in before he could finish. When had he ever believed a word she said in the past six months? Anytime Brinley was involved, anything Starla said was dismissed as her being unreasonable.

She held her phone out to him, the screen lit up. “You see that? ‘Message retracted.’ If there wasn't something damning in that message, why would she retract it?”

Fairfax saw the determination in her eyes. “This lawsuit against her—you’d better drop it.” His tone was cold, a warning laced with menace.

Starla heard it loud and clear. She crossed her arms. “Are you threatening me?”

“What you’re doing is pointless.”

Pointless? Because Brinley had the entire Yelchin family and a millionaire mother protecting her?

Starla met his gaze again. “Then you just watch. Let’s see if I can take her down, even with all of you shielding her.”

Every word was a challenge, sharp and unyielding.

“You…” Fairfax stammered, stung by her repeated use of “you people” and “your Yelchin family.” She was drawing a clear line, separating her world from the Yelchin family—and from him. The distance in her eyes made his chest ache with a fury he couldn't contain.