What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 269

Kaia immediately looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Mom, why won't you let Dad stay here?" Brynlee let go of Finnian and ran over, grabbing Kaia's hand and swinging it desperately. "Why? His office is super close to here!"

Looking down into her daughter's devastatingly hopeful eyes, a suffocating wave of despair crashed over Kaia. Finnian had committed the ultimate betrayal, yet somehow, she and her daughter were the ones paying the agonizing price. It was entirely unfair.

"Brynlee, please don't make this harder on me," Finnian stepped in smoothly. "Mom and I made this decision together. If you miss me, you can always come back to the estate and stay with me."

"No! I don't want to split up! I want all three of us together!" Brynlee cried, clutching Kaia's hand tighter. Her lower lip wobbled dangerously. "Mom, don't you love Dad anymore? You told me you loved him very, very much..."

Kaia's heart seized. She shot a panicked glance at Finnian.

A strange, dark flicker crossed Finnian's eyes as he stared back at her, his gaze heavy with intense scrutiny.

She really would say anything to pacify the child, wouldn't she?

"Loved him very, very much?"

Since when? Why was this news to him?

"Alright, Brynlee, this is grown-up stuff. It's too complicated for you to understand right now," Kaia said softly, quickly bending down to scoop the girl into her arms. She walked swiftly toward the dining area to break the tension. "Didn't you say you wanted those bunny-shaped candies earlier? I'll get you a few."

"Yes! I really want them!" Brynlee cheered, her emotional crisis instantly derailed by the promise of sugar.

Finnian stood rooted in place, his somber gaze tracking Kaia's every move. He deliberately chose not to expose her lie.

Walking over to them, he shoved his hands into his pockets. "We're having dinner at the estate tonight. Grandmother's orders."

Kaia offered a curt hum of acknowledgment.

Finnian then turned to Brynlee. "Want to ride back with me first? Mom will meet us there later."

"Okay!" Brynlee agreed easily. Finnian effortlessly lifted her into his arms and headed for the front door. Pausing with his hand on the knob, he looked back. "Say goodbye to Mom."

Munching happily on a candy, Brynlee waved her little hand. "Bye, Mom! I'm going with Dad, see you later!"

"Alright, be good," Kaia forced a smile just as the door clicked shut behind them.

The silence that followed was deafening. Kaia's heart felt like it had been violently punctured.

He hadn't come here to apologize or check in. He came here to rip Brynlee away from her, using their daughter as leverage to force her compliance.

"Mom, are you finished?" Kaia interrupted, her gaze chillingly flat. She had endured this exact lecture countless times over the years, but today, every syllable felt like acid.

Elaine choked on her breath, stunned by the sheer audacity of the interruption.

Kaia set her teacup down with a quiet "clink". "You keep raving about their glorious sacrifices, so I actually did some research on these perfect wives. Take Mrs. Jones next door. Her husband has at least three mistresses and a handful of illegitimate children. She plays dumb because, as a full-time housewife, she's terrified of losing her lifestyle in a divorce."

Kaia leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a lethal calm. "Then there's Mrs. Smith four estates down. Everyone praises her for being a saint. She waited twenty agonizing years for her husband to finally 'settle down.' And do you know why he finally stopped cheating? Because his body gave out. He's suffering from severe erectile dysfunction. She brought him to my clinic just last month for treatments."

"Oh, and let's not forget Mrs. Brown—the one who so 'nobly' quit her job to care for her ailing mother-in-law. The old woman died a year ago. Why don't you ask around your little country club and see how her divorce is going? She's currently fighting her husband in court over alimony."

"How... how do you know all this? Why are you digging into other people's dirty laundry?!" Elaine shrieked, her perfectly powdered face flushing a furious crimson.

Kaia offered a razor-thin smile. "You brought them up first as glowing role models. I simply wanted to learn how to be a 'good wife,' so I paid attention. Turns out, behind closed doors, every single one of their lives is a complete mess."

"You..."

The grand living room fell into a suffocating, dead silence.

Kaia's tone turned frigid. "I'm not trying to be disrespectful, Mom. I'm just stating facts. The women who play the 'obedient, self-sacrificing' role aren't winning at life. They are victims playing a part. Don't be fooled by the illusion."