What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 119

Kaia tossed her phone into the cup holder, not bothering to reply.

Back at the house, Kaia stuck to their usual routine. She helped Brynlee with a little English reading, read her a bedtime story, gave her a bath, and tucked her in. But once the house was quiet, Kaia found herself staring at the ceiling, wide awake.

Ever since she had stood on that third-floor balcony after Rafael's memorial and heard the sickening truth, her sleep had been fractured and shallow.

Around 2:00 AM, she finally managed to drift into a heavy sleep, only to be jolted awake by the aggressive roar of a car engine pulling into the driveway.

Absolutely furious, Kaia threw off the covers. She decided she was going to march downstairs and finally scream at him. She grabbed her robe and stomped out to the landing.

The lights in the foyer flicked on. Dexter and Charles, the chauffeur, were practically dragging Finnian through the front door.

Finnian couldn't even stand on his own. He was missing his suit jacket, wearing only a rumpled gray dress shirt and vest, and he looked like he had been submerged in a vat of whiskey.

"Mrs. Sanders, I'm so sorry for waking you," Dexter apologized frantically when he spotted Kaia glaring down from the top of the stairs. "Mr. Sanders was out with a few investors tonight. He drank way too much... we couldn't stop him."

Kaia stood at the top of the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest, staring down at the pathetic scene.

Under the bright chandelier, the untouchable, perfectly groomed CEO of the Sanders Conglomerate was completely gone. In his place was a messy, drunken disaster.

"Dexter, since you brought him home, you can stay and take care of him. There's Advil and some electrolytes in the pantry cabinet."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked right back into her bedroom, shutting the door. She didn't even pretend to care or offer to help.

Dexter stood there, stunned. "..."

Charles looked equally shocked.

Usually, if Mr. Sanders came home even slightly tipsy, Kaia would rush down the stairs, full of concern, and personally take care of him until he was comfortable.

Finnian seemed to have caught fragments of Kaia's dismissal through his drunken haze. He collapsed heavily onto the sofa, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Don't bother my wife. You... stay..."

Dexter had no choice. He rummaged through the pantry, found the hangover pills, and forced Finnian to swallow them with a glass of water.

Once he wrestled Finnian into the guest bedroom, pulled his shoes off, and shoved him under the covers, Dexter collapsed onto the small sofa in the corner and instantly passed out.

The next morning, Kaia woke up at her usual time. She meticulously did her makeup, dressed in a sleek, professional outfit, and then went to get Brynlee ready.

Brynlee slipped into her crisp new school uniform, slung her little backpack over her shoulders, and spun around happily. "Mommy, do I look pretty? I'm going to go show Daddy!"

Today was her first day of school, and she was bouncing off the walls with excitement. Without a trace of morning crankiness, she skipped down the hall and threw open the door to Finnian's guest room.

Dexter jerked awake on the sofa, nearly having a heart attack, only to see Brynlee standing in the doorway.

"Uncle Dexter? Why are you sleeping in Daddy's room?" Brynlee tilted her head in confusion. She immediately trotted over to the bed to find Finnian, but the second she got close, she pinched her nose. "Ew! Daddy, you smell gross! You smell like yucky medicine water!"

Finnian groaned, peeled his eyes open, and saw his daughter. He pressed his fingers hard against his temples.

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