Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 118

Looking down at Noelle, who was still clinging affectionately to her arm, Elaine felt the scales of her affection tip entirely in Noelle’s favor.

Kaia didn’t stay for dinner at the estate. Instead, she took Brynlee out to a chic Italian restaurant to meet up with her best friend, Celine.

They had reserved a quiet, highly private booth tucked away behind lush indoor greenery.

Celine arrived first. As a fashion designer, she looked like she had just stepped off a runway, wearing a minimalist white linen suit paired with massive, statement hoop earrings that screamed confidence.

The moment Kaia and Brynlee walked in, Celine couldn’t resist scooping the adorable little girl up into a massive hug. “It’s only been a few days, but you somehow got even cuter!”

‘You smell so pretty, Celine! I love it!” Brynlee giggled, burying her face in Celine’s neck and taking a dramatic sniff. “Mmm, like flowers!”

Celine burst out laughing and pulled a small, beautifully wrapped box from her designer bag. “Here you go! A little back–to–school present.”

Brynlee took it eagerly, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Thank you so much! But I didn’t bring you a present today.”\

‘That’s perfectly fine. Just tell your mom to upgrade her skincare formulas and send me a few free sets,” Celine joked, winking at Kaia.

‘Deal,” Kaia smiled.

“Wow! A mini fashion designer kit! It has a little doll and all these tiny dresses! I love it!” Brynlee’s big dark eyes sparkled with pure joy.

As the appetizers arrived, Celine shot Kaia a loaded look, silently asking for an update on the nightmare at home. Kaia’s smile immediately turned

bitter.

Seeing her expression, Celine’s eyes softened with sympathy. The booth was isolated, and Brynlee had already trotted over to the empty seat next to the window, completely absorbed in dressing up her new doll.

Celine leaned in, keeping her voice low. “Did Finnian pull another stunt? Is he still prioritizing his precious sister–in–law? What fresh hell did he come up with this time?”

Kaia stared down at her plate in silence for a moment, took a sip of her water, and gave a brutally concise summary of the week’s events.

“That is the most deranged thing I’ve ever heard.” Celine looked genuinely horrified. “So, the whole widow–and–brother–in–law scandal wasn’t twisted

enough for them, so now they’re going for an adoptive brother–sister forbidden romance? Has Finnian pickled his brain in expensive whiskey? Or did that homewrecker slip him a literal magic potion?”

Kaia opened her mouth to speak, but Celine held up a hand.

“No, let me finish. A billionaire CEO is furious that his precious ‘first love‘ couldn’t cut it in the boardroom, so he blames you for being too competent and making her look bad? What kind of garbage logic is that? Why doesn’t he just mandate that all of Aethelstan’s competitors legally surrender so his little princess never has to try?”

Kaia had thought the same thing a hundred times. The sheer absurdity of it was laughable, but it was also her waking nightmare.

‘He thinks you’re being ‘petty‘? The man’s heart is apparently big enough to coddle a manipulative widow, but he can’t handle his own wife actually succeeding at her job!” Celine was practically vibrating with rage, her face flushed.

“Celine…” Kaia murmured. A lump formed in her throat. Over the past few weeks, whether it was the suffocating pressure from the Sanders family or Finnian’s gaslighting and favoritism, she had internalized it all, analyzing the situation with cold, clinical logic.

But right now, hearing her best friend viciously validate her pain and call

out the absolute insanity of it all… it broke the dam. She couldn’t suppress the storm of emotions anymore.

“It’s completely unfair, isn’t it?” Celine reached across the table and grabbed Kaia’s hand, her eyes shining with fierce loyalty. “You’re an idiot, Kaia. Sometimes, being the ‘strong, independent woman‘ who handles everything perfectly is a curse. It just means you carry the entire world on your shoulders and have to hide in a closet when you want to cry. Look at you. You deserve so much better. Why are you putting up with this absolute garbage?”

Celine glanced over at Brynlee, who was happily snapping a tiny green dress onto her doll, and lowered her voice even more. “Brynlee is young, but she’s not stupid. She’s growing up. She’s going to notice things. Do you really think faking a happy marriage is good for her?”

That hit the deepest, most terrified nerve in Kaia’s heart.

She tightened her grip on Celine’s hand, looking at her sweet, innocent daughter with a mixture of overwhelming love and crushing guilt.

“Brynlee isn’t a normal kid. I can’t take risks with her heart condition. Right now, she absolutely adores Finnian. Her cardiologist was very clear–she cannot experience severe emotional stress. I… I can’t risk my daughter’s life just to escape my own misery.” Tears finally welled up in Kaia’s eyes. For the first time in months, the calm, collected, untouchable Dr. Chavez broke down. She wanted to crawl into a dark hole and scream until her

lungs gave out.

A tear slipped down her cheek. Kaia immediately grabbed a napkin and wiped it away aggressively, terrified her daughter would turn around and

see.

Celine sighed heavily. A mother’s love truly was her greatest weakness.

“Okay. Deep breaths. We’ll take it one step at a time. The world isn’t ending. Whenever you do finally walk away from the Sanders family, you are going to thrive. You’ll be richer, happier, and totally free.”

Chapter

Right on cue, Brynlee trotted over, holding her doll high in the air.

“Mommy! Celine! Look at her! I put her in the green dress because it’s my favorite!”

Kaia swallowed the lump in her throat, forced a bright smile, and praised the outfit. Celine quickly pivoted the conversation, keeping the mood light and fun for the rest of the dinner.

After dinner, Kaia drove Brynlee back to the villa.

While stopped at a red light, Kaia’s phone lit up with a text.

She glanced at the screen. It was from Finnian: “Got tied up. Won’t be home tonight.”