A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 7

But Starla stepped back, avoiding his touch.

Her cold, deliberate distance finally made Fairfax’s expression harden, and the air around them grew heavy.

“Is that really my home?” Starla asked, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips. “A home where the deed is in Xenia Yelchin’s name?”

Xenia, Fairfax’s sister, was particularly close to Brinley. The villa they lived in, their supposed marital home, had been transferred into Xenia’s name long ago.

The Yelchin family had never approved of her, an orphan. Their condition for allowing the marriage was that it had to be kept a secret. Any asset Fairfax tried to give her, his mother would quietly reclaim and place under one of his sisters’ names.

“The house is in Xenia’s name, and you have the audacity to call it my home? Don’t you find that hilarious?”

Fairfax flinched. “Then I’ll have it transferred back to your name tomorrow. Will that make you happy?” he asked, his patience clearly wearing thin.

Tired of talking, Starla simply moved to shut the door in his face. Fairfax caught it with his hand. “Starla, there’s a limit to this.” His placating tone was gone, replaced by a hard edge.

“And what limit is that?” she shot back, her voice dangerously calm, a stark contrast to the emotional storm brewing inside her. “You and Brinley carry on with your little charade, and I’m supposed to know my limits?”

Fairfax’s jaw tightened. “Don’t lump me in with her. There is nothing going on between us.”

“Right. Depression. So your face is her medicine. Her personal tranquilizer.”

What a convenient excuse it had become. Whenever Brinley had a breakdown, the first call was always to Fairfax.

Starla closed her eyes for a moment. “Sign the divorce papers my lawyer sends over tomorrow. Then you can take care of her for the rest of your life.”

Her cold indifference finally broke Fairfax. “Starla!”

“And while you’re at it,” she added, her eyes snapping open, “tell Brinley to expect a summons from the court.”