What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 190

Finnian looked down at her adorable little face, unable to stop the rush of sweet memories from flooding his mind.

When Brynlee was a baby, she could never sleep alone. Someone always had to be next to her, and she demanded that they drape their arm across her chest. If they tried to pull away, even while sound asleep, her tiny hands would reach out and yank the arm right back.

Smiling at the memory, Finnian leaned down and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

Just then, Kaia walked into the room. She pretended she hadn't heard him and walked straight to the closet to find her pajamas.

Finnian stood up, looked toward the closet, and swallowed hard. Deciding not to push it, he turned and quietly slipped out of the master bedroom, pulling the door shut behind him.

Kaia didn't even look up to watch him leave. It was only when her eyes landed on her daughter's sleeping face that the icy walls she had built finally melted, leaving only a soft, maternal warmth.

Back in the VIP suite at the hospital, the sterile smell of bleach hung thick in the air.

Noelle leaned back against the elevated bed, some color finally returning to her cheeks. But her eyes were still red and puffy, making her look both heartbreakingly fragile and fiercely determined.

Elaine stormed back into the room after hanging up the phone, her face still twisted in anger.

As a mother-in-law, being thoroughly and logically shut down by her daughter-in-law was a deeply humiliating and infuriating experience.

In other wealthy families, the daughter-in-law was expected to be seen and not heard, basically a glorified servant. When did they ever dare raise their voice to the matriarch?

Only in the Sanders family did a woman like Kaia—armed with her career and independence—dare to treat her mother-in-law with such blatant disrespect.

"Kaia is completely out of control. Whatever happened to the quiet, respectful girl she used to be? Now she's like a walking thornbush, just stabbing everyone around her." Elaine vented her frustration openly in front of Noelle, completely unable to stomach the blow to her ego.

"Mom, please don't be angry. It's not worth getting yourself worked up over," Noelle said softly, leaning dependently against Elaine's arm. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I'm the reason you're so upset."

Looking down at Noelle—so pale, so vulnerable, with tears pooling in her eyes—Elaine's heart melted completely.

Compared to the cold, calculated machine she had just spoken to on the phone, Noelle was a completely different species. You couldn't even compare them.

Elaine took Noelle's cold hand, her voice softening. "Noelle, this isn't your fault. It's Kaia's. We're supposed to be a family, yet she attacks us like enemies. She is so petty and vindictive she can't stand to see anyone else succeed. I was just trying to give her some constructive criticism, and she snapped right back at me, treating me like I'm nothing."

Noelle looked even more heartbroken. "No, Mom, it's my fault for not being stronger. I let those comments get into my head. I guess I really do need to change my personality and stop caring so much about what other people think. Kaia is so strong and mentally tough. I guess I need to take a page out of her book. That kind of personality is better suited for the corporate world."

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