No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 849

Four years. He had secretly tested their daughter four years ago and kept her in the dark the entire time. It was unforgivable. Despicable.

The line went silent for a moment, filled only by the sound of his heavy breathing.

"I'm sorry," Ian's voice came back, low and hoarse. "It was my fault."

More apologies. She hated it.

"Ian, what gave you the right?" she demanded, her voice shaking with fury. "What gave you the right to strip me of my parental right to know? Who are you to make these decisions about Evelyn on your own? In your eyes, am I just some burden who gets in your way whenever there's a problem?"

"No," he denied sharply, then repeated, "I'm sorry. I never should have hidden it from you."

His passive acceptance of her tirade only fueled her rage. "Sorry? Is ‘sorry' supposed to fix everything? You're always like this, Ian—high-handed and self-righteous, acting like you're some kind of savior! What else have you been hiding from me? Do you think you're so incredibly noble?" The words tumbled out, and she felt hot tears welling in her eyes.

The overwhelming emotion sent a sharp, stabbing pain through her chest. Her breath caught, and she instinctively clutched her heart as she stumbled and sank to her knees.

Joel, who had been watching her with concern, saw her collapse. His face paled, and he rushed to her side in an instant, grabbing her shoulders. "Eleanor, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with alarm.

Eleanor leaned against him, gasping for breath.

"Joel, could you get me a glass of water?" she asked, looking up at him.

He quickly brought her a glass of warm water. "Breathe slowly. Nothing is worth getting this worked up over."

After a few sips, she felt a little better and leaned back against the cushions. She didn't explain that the argument wasn't about work. A new thought had taken root in her mind—a desire to keep this secret from the world. If word ever got out and reached her daughter's ears, the knowledge that she might one day get sick could be devastating, even at her young age.

As her breathing steadied, she reflected on the intense pain she had felt in her chest. Was it because she had pulled an all-nighter?