What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 128

Silas smiled and accepted her birthday wishes, watching as the mother and daughter got into the car.

The moment Silas turned around, his smile still perfectly in place, he saw Finnian standing frozen exactly where he had been.

His face was completely unreadable under the dim light of the porch.

"What's wrong, Cousin?" Silas asked, wearing a look of pure, innocent feigned ignorance.

Finnian grabbed a glass of amber liquor off a passing tray. He stared Silas down for a long moment, downed the drink in one gulp, and slammed the glass down. "Nothing. Happy Birthday."

With that, Finnian turned and strode away.

Sunday night, the twenty-eighth. It was the Sanders Family's first formal family dinner since the holidays.

Extended family elders and core members were all gathered at The Sanders Estate.

The estate was brightly lit. Everyone took their seats around the massive mahogany round table.

Josephine sat at the head of the table, her expression grave and serious.

Elaine and Finnian sat next to her, both completely silent. Finnian in particular looked like he was staring into space, lost in his own thoughts.

Kaia sat further down the table, holding Brynlee as the two whispered back and forth.

Noelle was also there today, but she knew better than to act out at the estate. She sat perfectly behaved, offering polite smiles and brief answers only when directly spoken to.

Dish after dish was served. The atmosphere was decent as everyone ate and chatted.

But Elaine had been nursing a grudge for days. She cast a supposedly casual glance at Kaia, the anger boiling over. It was time to lay down the law.

Elaine set down her utensils, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and spoke up. "Kaia, I heard you were busy working overtime during Finnian's birthday party and didn't attend."

The sudden question caught Kaia off guard.

The entire table went dead silent, all eyes turning to Kaia.

Brynlee blinked her big dark eyes, looking around the room.

Noelle kept her head down, eating her food to hide the victorious gleam in her eyes.

"Elaine!" Right as Kaia apologized, Josephine suddenly spoke up, her voice ringing with absolute authority. "Don't cross the line."

Elaine froze and immediately turned to the matriarch. "Mom, I..."

Josephine stared her down sternly. "Kaia has always known her boundaries. Asking her to juggle both family obligations and a crisis at work is putting her in an impossible position. Even if she did make a mistake, you shouldn't publicly reprimand her like this. As a senior member of this family, you are severely lacking in grace and broad-mindedness."

Elaine never expected to be scolded so bluntly in front of everyone just for bringing the issue up. Her face flushed bright red.

Josephine didn't care how embarrassed Elaine looked. She kept going. "How do you think the Sanders family got to where it is today? Kaia knows the big picture. She handles herself impeccably at home, and she holds her own at the company. She has brought so much honor and glory to this business. Stop harping on trivial marital matters and making a public scene. Learn to prioritize."

Elaine's face went from red to a dark, furious purple. Her biggest, most painful insecurity was that since marrying into the Sanders family, she had never once participated in running the company. Josephine had built the empire from the ground up alongside her husband and knew the business inside and out. Now, Kaia was a pillar of the corporation, capable on all fronts.

Josephine's words hit Elaine right where it hurt the most.

Of the three generations of women in the family, Elaine was the only one who stayed home and contributed nothing, yet still tried to give orders without knowing a thing about the industry.

Elaine forced her expression back to neutral and said respectfully, "You're right, Mom. I was too impatient and short-sighted. I was just thinking of the family."

Josephine nodded. "Your intentions are fine, but mind the occasion. Minor things like this can be resolved with a quick phone call. Don't drag it out in public and waste everyone's valuable time."