Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 267

Chapter 267

Chapter 267

“Brynlee, what important day is it? Why didn’t Dad know about this?” Finnian asked urgently.

“Today is Mom’s housewarming party! You’re so mean! How could you not come to something this important? Is your work more important than Mom and me? I’m ignoring you!” Brynlee shouted.

Finnian’s face froze. Was it the first day Kaia moved into her new home? Was she hosting a housewarming? She hadn’t even notified him.

“Brynlee, sorry. I will come over right now. Tell me the address, okay?” Finnian immediately apologized to his daughter.

“The apology is too late. I’m still very sad. I hate Dad,” Brynlee said before violently tapping the screen to end the call. She had been waiting for Anna, but deep down, she had been waiting for her dad the entire time. When everyone else had arrived but him, her little heart couldn’t take the disappointment.

Finnian sat frozen in the back of his Bentley.

Outside the bedroom, Kaia was still knocking when the door suddenly clicked open. Brynlee stood there, her eyes red and puffy, pouting heavily. “Dad is the worst. He forgot about today. I’m never talking to him again.”

Kaia’s mind went completely blank as she watched her daughter sob hysterically.

Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was Finnian.

Glancing at her guests who were already seated around the dining table, Kaia hurried over to Jane. “Mom, can you keep an eye on Brynlee? I need to take this.”

Kaia’s tense expression, Jane nodded and bent down to ask

that was wrong. The little girl mumbled something about a “bad

Chapter 267

daddy” and buried her face in Jane’s neck, crying softly.

Kaia quickly stepped out into the hallway before answering the call.

Finnian’s voice was dangerously calm. “You’re hosting a housewarming party today?”

“Yes,” Kaia replied evenly.

“Clause Four of our divorce agreement: Custody and Visitation,” he recited, his tone devoid of all emotion. “Both parties shall jointly maintain the physical and mental well-being of the child. Neither party shall allow the deterioration of the marital relationship to negatively impact the child’s upbringing. Furthermore, neither party shall disparage the other in the child’s presence, nor expose the child to marital disputes.”

He paused, letting the legal jargon hang heavily in the air. “Your actions today are a direct violation of this clause.”

Kaia’s grip on her phone tightened, but she kept her voice perfectly level. “I’m simply hosting a lunch. It hasn’t escalated to that level.”

“Hasn’t it? Brynlee just told me she hates me,” Finnian’s voice finally spiked with a sharp, lethal edge.

Kaia paused, utterly blindsided. She had no idea her daughter cared so deeply about his absence.

“You can call her back and explain that you’re tied up with work. She’s a smart girl; she’ll understand,” Kaia suggested, trying to de-escalate.

“The agreement explicitly states that we must put her emotional needs first and effectively co-parent. The stunt you pulled today makes it incredibly difficult for me to believe you have any intention of honoring that contract.”

A cold spike of dread hit Kaia. He was weaponizing the divorce agreement. He was building a case to snatch full custody.

“We’re sitting down to eat right now. Are you coming or not?” Kaia refused

Chapter 267

to give him ammunition. With his ruthless tactics and the army of corporate lawyers at his disposal, she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to rewrite the custody terms if she gave him a single excuse.

“No,” he spat out, instantly hanging up.

Kaia stood alone in the quiet hallway, rubbing her temples to fend off an impending headache.

She had never taught Brynlee to say she hated him. But his absence had cut the sensitive little girl so deeply that she lashed out on her own.

Jane stepped out of the apartment, holding the tearful toddler, her eyes full of concern. Kaia immediately masked her anxiety and took Brynlee into her arms.

“Mom, is Dad coming?” Brynlee sniffled, her large eyes swimming with hope.

“He’s on his way right now, sweetie. But he’s stuck in traffic and might miss lunch. He really wanted to be here…”

Brynlee stared into Kaia’s eyes for a long moment before resting her head heavily on Kaia’s shoulder, retreating into absolute silence.

Watching them, Jane’s heart ached.

How had such a beautiful family fractured to this point?

Inside the dining room, the guests shifted uncomfortably, stealing glances at the front door. Finnian’s blatant absence spoke volumes about the reality of their marriage.

Brynlee barely touched her food. Halfway through the meal, she grabbed Anna’s hand and dragged her into the bedroom, firmly shutting the door. Kaia picked at her food, her eyes constantly darting toward the closed

room.

After lunch, recognizing the underlying tension, the three men politely excused themselves. Anna said goodbye to Brynlee, promising to see

Chapter 267

her at school on Monday.

By four o’clock, Warren and Jane packed up and left. Kaia sat on the sofa, holding Brynlee close. The little girl’s mood had flatlined, and she eventually drifted off to sleep against Kaia’s chest.

Kaia stared out the window. The bright morning sun had given way to rolling black clouds. A low rumble of thunder echoed through the sky, followed quickly by a torrential downpour.

The heavy rain lashed against the glass.

Kaia was brilliant when it came to navigating a medical laboratory, and she poured every ounce of her soul into being a flawless mother. But she was slowly realizing that protecting a child’s heart was infinitely more complicated than she had ever anticipated.