A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 252

Sally's words sent a fresh wave of anger through Darleen. She snapped, her voice dripping with contempt, "I have no such daughter-in-law."

She had never, not for a moment, accepted Starla. To her, Starla was just some guttersnipe from an orphanage, a nobody who didn't even know her own parents, who had managed to turn their entire family upside down.

The shared animosity was a small comfort to Brinley and Sally.

"Regardless," Sally said with a sigh, "we need to get her to return the child."

"Exactly," Darleen agreed, her resolve hardening. Her frustration with Starla had reached its peak. The constant drama had been bad enough, but bringing a child into it was unforgivable.

She turned to Brinley, her voice softening. "You just focus on getting better. Leave the matter of the child to me."

"But…"

"Don't worry," Darleen promised. "I will bring your baby back to you, safe and sound."

After offering a few more words of comfort, Darleen swept out of the room, on a mission.

Once she was gone, the atmosphere in the room changed completely. The grief and panic vanished from Brinley and Sally's faces.

"Would you like some soup?" Sally asked.

Brinley, who moments before had been inconsolable, was now perfectly composed.

In the end, how much could she truly love a child she was willing to use as a pawn in her games?

Damn Starla. This whole mess had ruined everything. She couldn't go out, couldn't see her friends. She had given the Yelchin family twins, a boy and a girl, and had been looking forward to showing them off to her social circle. But Starla's drama had tarnished her reputation, leaving her too embarrassed to face anyone.

An idea sparked in her mind. "Sally," she said, a cruel smile playing on her lips, "when the time is right, make sure she gets the news about the child's death too."

By 'she,' she meant Darleen. Her mother-in-law had always despised Starla. If her own life was going to be difficult, then Starla's should be a living hell.

Sally nodded. "Of course, Miss."

Darleen was likely already on her way to Luwood Mountain to confront Starla. Whether Fairfax or Darleen heard the news first, the outcome would be the same: Starla was doomed.

A missing child was one thing. A dead one was something else entirely. No matter how much Fairfax might have doted on Starla in the past, a woman with no powerful family to back her up would not survive an accusation of murder. This time, she would be locked away for life.