A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 68

At the hospital, Harriet wasted no time in tearing into Darleen. Her voice was sharp and accusatory, blaming Darleen for failing to protect Brinley and for not keeping Starla in line.

Darleen endured the tirade, her face burning with humiliation. The moment Harriet went into Brinley’s room, she seized the opportunity to escape, making an excuse to go with Xenia to see the babies.

“What is her problem?” Xenia fumed as the elevator doors closed. “You’ve done nothing but defend Brinley since this whole mess started. How can she talk to you like that?”

“Just drop it,” Darleen sighed, though her own anger was simmering just beneath the surface. “She’s right. I should have handled Starla better.”

“It’s Starla’s fault, not yours,” Xenia insisted.

Darleen knew that, but she didn’t dare argue with Harriet. And deep down, her heart ached for Brinley.

...

Inside the room, only Harriet, Brinley, and two female bodyguards remained.

Harriet, a formidable woman with a sharp haircut and an even sharper suit, shot a disdainful look at the guards. “Do I need to be monitored while visiting my own daughter?”

The two women exchanged a glance. One of them made a quick call to Fairfax, and after receiving his approval, they both exited the room, closing the door behind them.

Harriet sat down in the chair next to Brinley’s bed. “You useless thing,” she snapped, her voice devoid of any sympathy. “Letting some orphan walk all over you like this.”

Her anger was palpable. She had important business in Yoran Country, a major deal that was on the verge of being signed. But the chaos in Marina City had forced her to fly back and handle it herself. She was scheduled to fly back the next afternoon.

Harriet, her nails as red as her lipstick, toyed with a string of prayer beads around her wrist. “Tonight was just a small lesson,” she said, ignoring Brinley’s question.

Tomorrow, the real punishment would begin. Starla had one chance to learn her place. Harriet hoped, for her own sake, that she would understand the message.

“And what if she doesn’t?” Brinley asked, a thrill of anticipation running through her.

Just as she had predicted, Harriet’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Then I suppose,” she said, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper as she stopped fiddling with her beads, “I will have to stop valuing her life.”

A surge of satisfaction washed over Brinley. After the last two days, she knew Starla was stubborn. She couldn’t wait to watch her mother break her.