What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 38

Finnian let out a soft laugh, nodding as his voice remained gentle. "Alright."

In that split second, Kaia felt as if an invisible, vicious hand was squeezing her heart, hurting so much she couldn't breathe.

The decision to divorce meant freedom and a new life for her, but what about Brynlee?

Brynlee was just as fiercely attached to Finnian as she was to Kaia.

If she violently ripped this tiny, fragile girl out of the only complete family dynamic she'd ever known, how confused and traumatized would she be?

Kaia curled her fingers into fists, her nails digging so hard they almost broke the skin.

She couldn't even stomach the thought of the day when Noelle and Finnian would walk out in public holding Brynlee's hands, the day Brynlee would have to start calling Noelle 'Mom.' That thought alone would destroy her.

"Mommy, can I play in the bath a little longer?" Brynlee's sweet, soft voice broke through her thoughts.

"Okay, go play. Mommy will sit right here and watch you." Kaia took her to the playroom. The little girl's favorite thing to do was build with blocks; she declared she was building a giant house.

Kaia sat beside her, picking out the right blocks for her as Brynlee carefully stacked them, piece by piece.

Kaia had never imagined she'd have to make such an agonizing choice while still trapped in a marriage.

But as a mother, protecting her child was pure instinct.

If someone had to take the fall for this tragic, collapsing marriage, it was not going to be her and her daughter.

Looking at the happy curve of her daughter's smile, seeing the pure curiosity in her wide eyes, Kaia forced her decision deep down to the absolute bottom of her heart for now.

She wasn't backing out of the divorce; she just needed the right moment.

Pulling all her emotional investment away from Finnian wasn't about punishing him—it was about giving herself room to breathe.

She needed an airtight plan. She needed the people who actually broke this marriage to pay the price.

Kaia leaned down and gently kissed her daughter's hair, silently promising, "Baby, Mommy is going to be incredibly careful. I will walk you out of this briar patch, and I will be right beside you to beat this illness."

Completely absorbed in her game, Brynlee had no idea of the sheer, desperate courage her mother was building. She just reached out her little hand. "Mommy, hand me one more! The roof is almost done!"

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