A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 575

Fairfax walked over and pulled out the chair opposite Starla, sitting down heavily.

He took out a cigarette, about to light it.

“If you’re going to smoke, get out,” Starla said sharply. She hated the smell of smoke; in fact, she despised it.

Fairfax froze. After a moment, he lowered the cigarette from his lips and put it away, unlit.

He toyed with the lighter in his hand. “A paternity test for the child isn’t appropriate.”

Starla stared at him, genuinely perplexed. She truly couldn’t understand what was going through his head.

A small laugh escaped her. “Not appropriate? I thought you’d jump at the chance to see whose bastard it really is.”

Her choice of words—crude and dismissive—was a deliberate jab, reflecting the contempt she held for Brinley's schemes. She was well past the point of mincing words.

“Do you have to be so crass?” Fairfax shot back, stung by her harshness. In the back of his mind, he still believed the child was Faraday’s. Hearing Starla speak of his supposed nephew that way was infuriating.

“If you don’t like my tone, sign the divorce papers.”

“Your agreement isn’t something anyone can sign,” he retorted. If it had been a normal divorce agreement based on their original terms, would he have hesitated? He wanted to be done with Starla more than anyone.

He wanted to end the chaos that had engulfed the Yelchin family.

He knew that the only way to stop this vortex of destruction was to get rid of her. Once she was gone, everything would calm down.

“My proposal stands,” Starla said coolly. “I don’t like being taken advantage of, but I don’t take what isn’t mine, either.”

“Ha!” Fairfax let out a scornful laugh at her claim. “You don’t take what isn’t yours? You’re demanding the entire Yelchin family estate! And the whole Yelchin Group!”

“Like I said, my proposal stands. The problem is you haven’t figured out *why* I’m asking for so much.”

“Then why?”

“What’s the matter?” Starla asked. “Don’t believe me?”

Of course he didn’t. He didn't believe a single word she said.

Starla knew it. She smiled faintly. “I tell you, but you don’t believe me. And you can’t find out for yourself. So whose fault is that? It’s why our divorce is still dragging on.”

“So this is my fault now?”

“Of course it’s your fault. Whose else would it be? Mine?”

Fairfax was speechless. The audacity. She had wreaked havoc on his entire family, and now she was acting as if it had nothing to do with her. He felt a surge of rage.

“Does the paternity test really have to be done?” he asked, returning to the original issue.

“Yes,” Starla said, her voice unyielding. “It has to.”