What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 182

Heather finally looked up at her slowly and said, "Noelle, I'm in love with Miles Kendrick."

Noelle stared at her in surprise, totally caught off guard.

"I've liked him for years." A bitter smile crept onto Heather's lips. "I've kept this secret buried deep inside. I've never told anyone."

After the initial shock wore off, Noelle laughed. "Wow, you played it incredibly close to the vest. You're not a very good friend for hiding this!"

Heather let out a self-deprecating laugh. "When you like someone, you're supposed to say it, not keep it locked away. But I... I'm too scared to say it. And yet, I'm terrified that if I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Noelle could certainly relate to that feeling. However... the idea of Heather liking Miles felt a bit jarring to her.

The people in their circle had been coming and going for years, but they had all been hanging out for nearly a decade. Noelle had actually always admired Miles. His personality was the most similar to Finnian's: steady, powerful, gentle, and disciplined.

Because of that, Noelle had a soft spot for Miles and had even tried to catch his eye a few times in the past.

She never expected that Heather had also discovered this hidden gem of a man, and was now laying her feelings out on the table.

"What are you afraid of?" Noelle's bright eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"I'm afraid," Heather took a sip of tea, her fingers curling tighter around the mug. "I'm afraid someone else is going to snatch him away soon. If I don't do something now, I... I'm going to hate myself."

Noelle was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Who could possibly snatch him away? Miles said it himself last time. He's not looking for a relationship right now. He just wants to focus on his career."

"And you believed that?" Heather gave a soft, mocking laugh. "You don't seriously believe he only cares about his job, do you?"

"Doesn't he?" Noelle feigned an expression of pure shock.

"He likes Kaia. I saw it ages ago," Heather said, her voice tinged with emotion. "To be more precise, he's been waiting for Kaia."

For a split second, Noelle's gaze turned dark, but she quickly adjusted her expression. "Then you must be seeing things. Why would Finnian have feelings for me?"

"Everyone in our circle always assumed you two were a couple. Kaia is the one who inserted herself into the picture. Years ago, we all thought you and Mr. Sanders were going to get married. But then, you married Rafael. It was shocking. We all felt it was such a tragedy that you and Finnian missed out on each other."

Heather was pouring her heart out, holding absolutely nothing back.

Noelle looked as if she had been struck by a massive blow. She looked devastated. She covered her face with her hands, the perfect picture of someone struggling to accept a painful reality while trying to stay strong.

"Noelle, I'm only talking to you about this because you're my best friend. Please don't be mad, okay? I know you must have your own unspeakable difficulties. But right now, with Rafael gone, you and Mr. Sanders..."

"Stop." Noelle cut her off, her voice laced with sorrow. "He already married Kaia. Whatever beautiful things we had, let them stay in the past. Right now, I just want to focus on my work..."

"He doesn't love Kaia! He married her to spite you, can't you see that? Even I can see it, and I'm just an outsider." Heather's voice grew agitated. "Less than a year after you married Rafael, he suddenly married Kaia. Wasn't he just looking for a replacement? You're in research, so he found someone else in research. He was clearly looking for a stand-in, a shadow to heal his broken heart!"