A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 463

Sally had leverage on Brinley, but Brinley had leverage on her, too. Trying to leave now wouldn't be easy. But the subject had been broached, and the pleasantries between them vanished.

...

In the middle of the night, the doctor called Brinley again, reporting that the baby’s condition had taken a turn for the worse.

Panic seized Brinley. She immediately called the Seabrook family driver, asking him to wait for her at the intersection. As she got up, she shook Sally awake.

Sally had endured a long day, and her relationship with Brinley had already soured before they went to bed. Woken up so abruptly, her sleepy face was etched with impatience.

"What is it?" she asked, her tone sharp.

Her attitude only fanned the flames of Brinley’s anger, but she forced herself to hold back. Starla was truly devious. She had managed to turn even the most loyal Seabrook servant against her.

“That damn bitch!” Brinley thought. “She better hope I never get back on my feet. The moment I do, I'll make her pay a thousand times over.”

"Get up," Brinley said. "You're coming to the hospital with me."

"Now?" Sally glanced instinctively at the pitch-black night outside, her reluctance obvious.

"Yes," Brinley insisted. "I'm scared to walk alone at night."

The road leading out of the estate was sparsely populated. Even with streetlights, walking it alone was unnerving. Sally was hesitant, but Brinley’s fear was genuine, so she pressed the issue.

"Fine," Sally sighed. "Give me a minute."

"Hurry up. The hospital has called several times today."

"What are you doing down here?" Darleen snapped, redirecting her anger at Brinley.

"Your grandson is in critical condition at the hospital," Brinley shot back. "Shouldn't his grandmother be doing something?"

"Look at me!" Darleen cried. "What can I possibly do?"

The obvious sarcasm in Brinley’s voice made Darleen’s anger boil over. In just a few short days, She, who had always tried to maintain a facade of dignity, could no longer keep up the pretense.

Starla’s tactics, though seemingly childish, were devastatingly effective. She had systematically dismantled the fragile alliance between Brinley, Darleen, and Fairfax.

Now, standing in the foyer, the two women couldn't even be bothered to pretend to be civil.