A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 740

Herbert let out a low chuckle.

"It seems Fairfax has taught you to expect the absolute worst in every situation."

Starla scowled. Hearing Fairfax's name instantly ruined the comforting warmth of the soup. Just thinking about him made her blood boil. While talking with Tanya last night, she had racked her brain trying to figure out what was going through his head.

That absolute bastard.

He handed over the entire Yelchin empire, so why withhold the divorce papers? What was his endgame? She couldn't fathom what kind of twisted mental gymnastics led him to pull a stunt like that.

Seeing her face darken, Herbert's tone softened. "Did I upset you?"

"I had everything perfectly planned!" she vented. She had arranged every detail of the divorce. She had him cornered from all sides—Yardley, Herbert, and her own relentless pressure on the Yelchin family had suffocated him. Even if there had been some lingering affection between them, it should have been completely annihilated under that kind of stress.

By the end, he should have been more desperate to sever ties than she was. Instead, he pulled the rug out from under her.

"I don't even know what he gets out of keeping us married. He's probably just doing it to make me miserable," she muttered angrily, taking a bite of her breakfast. If this entire charade was just a petty attempt to irritate her, she'd ensure he paid dearly the next time they crossed paths.

Herbert didn't respond immediately.

Was he just trying to make her miserable? Herbert highly doubted it.

"Don't dwell on it right now, alright?" he coaxed gently, looking at her puffed-up, angry cheeks. His voice was warm and soothing, making it incredibly hard to stay mad.

True to form, his calming presence helped her frustration ebb away.

Seeing the mountain of luggage piled in the living room, he stopped in his tracks. "Starla, are you heading out?"

Heaven knew the agonizing night he had just survived. When he returned to the Larson family home, his grandfather had beaten him black and blue for helping Fairfax. Everyone in Marina City was terrified of the fallout between Fairfax and Herbert. Seeing a titan like Fairfax brought to his knees by Herbert had sent shockwaves through the city's elite. No one dared associate with the Yelchins right now.

Caden's grandfather had nearly suffered a stroke from the stress. At the crack of dawn, he had literally kicked Caden out of the house, ordering him to clean up his own mess with both Herbert and Starla. His grandfather had made it clear: if Caden didn't fix this, he would be publicly disowned.

That was how deep the fear of crossing Herbert and Fairfax ran.

Remembering the old man's fury, Caden slumped into a chair across from Starla, looking thoroughly defeated. "Is there any breakfast left? I haven't eaten a single thing since last night!"

He was starving. After driving back from Hansville City, he had been lectured for hours and was booted out the door before he could even grab a piece of toast.