She felt like she might not have been there at all.

[shootingstar]

Hugo, she concluded, was a strange person. For a man who had been so intimate and deep in his conversation, he was very detached from the moment. Maybe if you lived as many lives as he had, the only person you really had any kind of intimate relationship with was yourself. She felt like she might not have been there at all. And in a few moments, she wasn't.
(The Midnigt Library by Matt Haig, episode If Something Is Happening to Me, I Want to Be There)

Is "like she might not have been there at all" part of a conditional sentence or does it express disapproval or criticism? What does "might not have been there" express? Why is "might" used instead of "would"? Could the author have used "would" instead of "might" in this context? If so, what would be the difference as to the meaning between the use of "might" and "would"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Are you suggesting "She felt like she would not have been there at all" as an alternative? What does "might" usually suggest?

 

[shootingstar]

Are you suggesting "She felt like she would not have been there at all" as an alternative? What does "might" usually suggest?

No, not really. I want to know, if "like she might not have been there at all" is part of a conditional sentence or expresses disapproval or criticism.
As for "What does "might" usually suggest" I'm asking why "might" is used instead of "would" in this context. Is there a reason for doing so? Is it cogent there to use "might" instead of "would". Are there essential differences in meaning between "might" and "would" in this context? Could the author have used "would" instead of "might" in this context without much difference in meaning? So, what is the difference in meaning when you use "would" instead of "might" in this context?

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm confused. If you're not interested in "She felt like she would not have been there at all" as another version of the sentence, why do you keep asking about "would"?

 

[jutfrank]

The modal 'might' expresses possibility. Because Hugo seems to be ignoring, she's wondering if it's possible that she is not actually there at all, since her presence doesn't seem to matter much to him.

No, 'would' doesn't express possibility.