What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 205

Noelle quickly smoothed out the fabric, carefully folded the dress, and placed it back into the suitcase. "I'll handle this myself, Ava. Don't worry about it."

With that, Noelle grabbed the suitcase by the handle and hurried out of the room.

Ten years.

A triumphant smile crept onto her lips. She had thrown it away like garbage, yet he had secretly cherished it for a decade.

And he had never breathed a word of it to anyone.

Noelle carried the suitcase straight back to her bedroom, grabbed a damp towel, and began meticulously wiping the dust off the leather, inch by inch.

Maybe it was time to finally bring this ten-year-old secret into the light.

Kaia finished her physical therapy session with Josephine and stepped out into the hallway, where she found Elaine waiting.

Elaine gave her a quick look. "How is she doing?"

Kaia gave a straightforward medical update, and Elaine nodded approvingly. "You really do have a gift. Grandmother's legs depend entirely on you these days."

"It's just old age. Joint pain is inevitable," Kaia replied evenly. "The most important thing is keeping her warm."

Elaine nodded. "It's almost time for lunch. Give Finnian a call and see when he's getting here."

"You should call him, Mom," Kaia deflected smoothly. "I'm going to go play with Brynlee."

Elaine's expression instantly soured, but she didn't say anything as she turned and headed downstairs.

Finnian never showed up for lunch. As soon as they finished eating, Kaia took Brynlee and headed home.

Brynlee always took an afternoon nap. Kaia laid with her until she fell asleep, then quietly slipped out of the room and headed to her study to catch up on some work.

By 4 PM, Kaia was downstairs eating a bowl of soup Layla had prepared for her. Out of habit, she opened her phone to scroll through social media—one of her few moments of mindless relaxation during the day.

Her thumb brushed against her feed, and she saw Noelle's profile picture. She had posted an update just a few minutes ago.

The caption read: "Ten years, carefully cherished."

Below it were three photos.

The first was a shot of a vintage leather suitcase, angled perfectly so the initials of Finnian's name were clearly visible.

The second showed a pale yellow dress laid out next to an open photo album and a notebook. The album was open to a solo photo labeled '18th Birthday', showing Noelle wearing that exact yellow dress.

The third was a close-up of the dress's hem. There was a dark, dried stain on the fabric. Any woman would know exactly what it was—a reminder of the time she unexpectedly got her period during the party.

Kaia stared at the three photos, her breathing slowing to a crawl.

Elaine had mentioned this morning that the maids were cleaning out the old wing.

Kaia felt a sudden tightness in her chest as she noticed the very first "like" on the post.

It was from Finnian.

Suffocating under the weight of it all, Kaia locked her phone and slammed it face-down on her desk.

She stood up and walked over to the window. The trees outside were a vibrant green, bursting with spring.

Her mind was in too much turmoil to focus on work. She quietly walked back to the master bedroom.

Brynlee had woken up at some point and was sitting in the middle of the bed, crying quietly, looking completely lost.

When she saw Kaia, she let out a wail and threw herself into her mother's arms.

"Mommy! I had a terrible dream! I dreamed you disappeared!"

Kaia's heart shattered. She hugged her daughter tightly, pressing kisses into her hair to soothe her. "Don't be scared, baby. I'm right here. Mommy's always right here. I'm never leaving you."

But Brynlee was still trapped in the panic of the nightmare, her little mouth trembling as she continued to sob.

Kaia felt her chest tighten painfully. Brynlee had always been a light sleeper and used to wake up crying all the time when she was younger. Kaia thought she had outgrown the night terrors, but here they were again.

"Don't cry, Brynlee. Mommy's going to stay right here with you. There's nothing to be afraid of."