A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 288

Brinley’s anxiety intensified.

Darleen walked to the bedside, pulled up a chair with a screech, and sat down. Her voice was ice. “What did you do to Starla?”

Brinley’s heart sank. The old woman had heard. She lowered her head, remaining silent.

Seeing her refusal to speak, Darleen’s voice grew colder. “What did you do?”

While she knew Brinley wasn’t as innocent as she appeared, and had even protected her in the past, Darleen would not tolerate actions that were outside of her control. She needed to know everything.

Brinley felt like she was suffocating. In an instant, tears began to stream down her face.

“Mom, my daughter is dead,” she sobbed. “She wasn’t even a month old. Am I not allowed to want revenge on Starla?”

Her voice was choked with emotion. As expected, the mention of the baby instantly deflated Darleen’s anger.

“So what did you do?” Darleen pressed, her tone softer now.

“I hired someone to kidnap her. I wanted her to pay for what she did to my daughter, but… I couldn’t go through with it. I called them back. I told them not to hurt her! I wanted to kill Starla, I admit it. My daughter is dead. I’m not a saint…”

Darleen began to feel a pang of sympathy. She pictured her lovely granddaughter’s small, perfect face. How could this have happened?

Before she could speak, Brinley continued, “I failed Faraday. I couldn’t protect our children. It’s all my fault. I wish I could kill Starla, I truly do! But I just couldn’t do it.”

“Faraday!” Brinley cried, struggling against Sally’s hold. “I need to find Faraday. My baby is dead, why isn’t he here with me?”

Darleen and Xenia slipped out of the room, both looking grim. Xenia, sensing Darleen’s frustration, tried to reason with her. “You know her mental state is fragile. You shouldn’t have said those things.”

“How do we even know if her mental state is actually fragile?” Darleen snapped. She had once believed Brinley’s depression was severe, but her obsessive pursuit of Fairfax had planted seeds of doubt.

“Of course it is,” Xenia said, defending her. “Her husband died, and now she’s lost a child. Anyone would break down under that kind of pressure.”

Darleen dropped the subject, unwilling to argue. Her own heart ached for her granddaughter. “Have they found the baby’s body yet?”

“It’s in Starla’s hands. How could we possibly get it back?” Xenia said, her voice filled with fury. “She probably hid the body to cover her tracks and escape punishment!”