What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 478

"Enough." Finnian had zero interest in hearing any more of her excuses. "I don't think I ever truly knew who you were."

"I only did all of this because... because I've always loved you!" Emboldened by desperation, Noelle laid all her cards on the table. "It's true! Rafael and I had too much to drink that night, and it was a total accident that we ended up in bed together. When I woke up, I cried for hours. I was so consumed by regret that I didn't even want to live. He dropped to his knees and begged me to marry him. But my feelings for him... there was always something missing." She sobbed into her hands, spinning the narrative to make herself the tragic victim of her own marriage.

"If you agreed to marry my brother, you should have loved him and been faithful to him. How could you exploit my sympathy and spin a web of lies just to manipulate me?" he demanded, his tone dangerously cold.

"I... I just couldn't accept it! You were the one I truly loved! But Rafael... he swore he loved me, swore he'd never marry anyone else. He even admitted he came into my room on purpose that night. I was a victim too! I couldn't marry the man I actually loved, and it broke my heart!" she cried, piling on the excuses.

"We're done here." Refusing to listen to another word, he held up a hand. "From now on, you live your own life. Since you chose to carry his children, step up and be the mother they deserve."

"I will," she sobbed, aggressively wiping her tears as she tried to project fragile strength. "Losing him so suddenly left me drowning in guilt. I will protect these babies with my life."

"If that's your choice, then you better follow through with it," he said grimly.

"What about what you said before? You promised you'd help me raise them. Does that still count?" She took two desperate steps toward him. "Finnian, I'm still so terrified and lost..."

"If you're that lost, you should have thought it through before deciding to have them. I'm taking back what I said." His gaze briefly dropped to her stomach. "I am not my brother. I cannot play the role of their father. I only have one child, and that's Brynlee."

Was he feeling guilty about Kaia now? Was he about to spend the rest of his life trying to atone for his mistakes?

She stood near the doorway, tears streaming silently down her face.

She had finally gotten the answer she wanted, but it was completely meaningless now. That coveted spot in his heart had already been claimed by someone else.

If she hadn't been so greedy back then—if she hadn't chosen Rafael—would she be the one wearing Finnian's ring today?