A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 95

As soon as Darleen was gone, Harriet erupted. Since she couldn't move, her rage was confined to a torrent of furious words, but if she'd been able, she would have smashed the entire room to pieces.

“What is wrong with you?” she shrieked, turning her fury on Brinley. “What have you been doing for the past six months? Why is Fairfax still so obsessed with that little tramp?”

Brinley flinched, her voice small and wounded. “I did everything you told me to do.”

Harriet fell silent. Hearing Brinley’s weak defense, a flicker of remorse tempered her anger. This was her daughter, after all. Her frustration was born of disappointment. She closed her eyes for a moment.

“We underestimated that girl,” she conceded. “I never imagined Fairfax would trust her so completely.”

Though she didn’t know what Starla had told him, Fairfax’s utter lack of respect just now made it clear he was on Starla’s side. After six months of them being at each other’s throats, he was still protecting her so fiercely.

“And Herbert, too,” she added. The memory of him storming in, taking Starla away, and leaving that man from Yoran behind…

Just thinking of him made her blood boil. She was convinced the foreigner was one of Herbert’s people; after all, Herbert’s company was known for hiring international talent.

Harriet was practically seething when her phone began to vibrate. She instinctively tried to reach for it, but her hands were useless.

“Answer it for me.”

“Oh, okay.” Brinley quickly picked up the phone, answered it, and held it to her mother’s ear. It was Clyde.

“Ma’am, we have a problem. Something’s happened to Quest.” Clyde’s grave voice came through the speaker.

Harriet’s breathing hitched. “I know. Fairfax did it.”

“What? Fairfax? What do we do now?” Clyde sounded panicked.

Having overheard the name ‘Quest,’ Brinley’s face grew pale.

Harriet gritted her teeth. “Starla, that bitch. I’m not done with her.”

At the mention of Starla, a flash of pain crossed Brinley’s face. “It seems she and Fairfax won’t be getting divorced so easily,” she murmured.

“Not easily,” Harriet snapped, the words hitting a nerve. “But they will divorce eventually.”

She looked at Brinley with renewed determination. “From now on, you will cling to Fairfax. Don’t give him a moment’s peace. Let’s see how long she can stand it, and let’s see how long Fairfax can tolerate her temper.”

Men, after all, preferred obedient women who didn’t cause trouble. And a divorce, even if not easily obtained, was still a divorce.