A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 381

The walk back from the main road was at least five kilometers. After half an hour of walking, the Yelchin manor came into view, but another thirty minutes passed, and it still seemed just as far away.

The three women’s faces were pale with exhaustion, especially Brinley’s. She had been complaining of discomfort the entire way. In the past, when Darleen was in charge, she would have comforted her endlessly. But now, she was so exhausted herself that she had no energy to spare for Brinley. She had tried calling Fairfax several times, but he hadn't answered.

With Brinley whining incessantly, Darleen stopped and forced herself to remain calm. “Are you really in pain?”

Brinley nodded weakly. “Yes, it hurts.”

“Just hold on a little longer. We’re almost there.”

An hour of walking had left her utterly drained, and her patience for coddling Brinley had worn thin. Even Xenia, who would normally offer a few words of comfort, was too tired to speak.

“But it really hurts,” Brinley insisted.

Her persistence only fanned the flames of Darleen’s irritation. Exasperated, she dialed Gabriel’s number. He answered quickly. “Ma’am.”

“What is Fairfax so busy with? Why isn’t he answering his phone?”

He had it easy, hiding away at the office while the three of them were left to face Starla. It was all his fault for bringing that woman into their lives, and now he was powerless to get rid of her!

Gabriel sounded taken aback. “He’s been in meetings all day. He hasn’t even left the conference room yet.”

At this point, Xenia didn’t even care what Starla was planning to serve them. All she wanted was to reach the house, fill her stomach, and collapse into bed. Cold, hungry, and exhausted, she had never suffered like this in her life, and it was all because of Starla. Even with the lingering trauma of her last encounter with Herbert, she was now more determined than ever to win him over.

Just then, a car approached. It was Tanya, on her way to visit Starla. She slowed down for a moment, stunned to see the three women trudging along the road, before hitting the accelerator and speeding past them in a flash.

Darleen had instinctively raised a hand to flag it down, but the car was gone before she could even react.

Xenia stomped her foot in fury. “Mom, why didn’t you stop the car? They could have given us a ride! I’m going to die out here.”

“Why are you blaming me?” Darleen shot back. “Why didn’t you try to stop it?”