A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 560

A smile like that was far more terrifying than her previous outbursts. This was slow, deliberate torture.

Fairfax took a deep breath. “Your reach extends all the way to Maxlandia. It seems you hold a special place in Kael’s heart.”

“Isn’t it a good thing I have this kind of power?” Starla replied calmly. “At least now, you can’t bully me anymore.”

“Bully you? Who could possibly bully you?” The word ‘bully’ sounded absurd to Fairfax now.

Starla let out a dry laugh. “You can’t now, but you all had a grand time doing it before, didn’t you?”

“Before, that was…”

“Was that bullying? Is that what you were about to say?” Starla cut him off, her voice laced with mockery. It was true what they said: it’s easy to dismiss pain when you’re not the one bleeding.

Fairfax knew what kind of person his mother was. He knew what his sister was like, and he certainly knew what Brinley was capable of. But what could he do? They were Yelchins. Whatever they did, Fairfax would probably just dismiss it with a simple phrase: “That’s just how they are.”

She remembered him saying that about Xenia once, so casually. “Xenia is just like that, her mouth runs away with her. Don’t take it personally.”

So, they were allowed to be “like that,” and if she got upset, she was the one in the wrong.

Hearing Starla’s biting words, Fairfax opened his mouth to argue but then thought better of it. No matter what he said, she would twist it back at him. He swallowed his retort.

Fairfax remained silent, the old argument about Petal Villa grating on his already frayed nerves. He was dealing with enough, and her bringing this up again made his temper flare.

“Is that what this is all about?” he snapped. “Is this why you’re tearing the entire family apart? Because of these petty little things you can’t let go of?”

“I don’t need to dwell on them now, do I?” Starla countered coolly. “You’re the one bringing it up, trying to score points for something you never really did. It sounds like you’re the one who’s still hung up on it.”

He had tried to claim he’d made some great effort for their relationship, but was that really the case? And now he had the audacity to ask if what they did was even bullying.

So that was the deal: the Yelchins acted however they wanted, and everyone else was supposed to live with it?