When I got home, my dad immediately noticed Charlie wasn’t with me. His face darkened as he asked, "Did you quarrel with Charlie?"

His question broke the dam I had been holding back. My frustration and pain, buried deep inside, erupted all at once under the weight of his concern. My throat tightened and tears welled up in my eyes. I tried to wipe them away quickly, but my emotions betrayed me.

My mother, noticing my distress, rushed over with a tissue in hand, gently wiping my tears. "What happened, Mia?" she asked, her voice soft yet full of worry.

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I told them everything—how Julie had ordered me around like I was her servant, how she had treated me with disdain and how Charlie had done nothing to defend me. As I spoke, I could see my parents’ expressions harden. With every word, their faces grew colder, inch by inch.

When I finished, my dad leaned back in his chair, his voice calm but full of reproach. "I’ve told you before that marrying into Charlie's family wouldn’t be easy. His brother may be good to him, but you’re the one who’ll bear the brunt of it."

Hearing his words, I lowered my head in shame. In my previous life, I hadn’t understood my dad’s warnings. I thought Charlie’s loyalty to his brother was admirable and I saw it as a mark of his character that he would care for Julie during her pregnancy. But now, after everything, I finally saw the truth. Charlie could have hired a nanny for Julie, but he expected me to do it instead. It wasn’t kindness—it was outsourcing his responsibility in the name of “family duty.”

My mother squeezed my hand tightly, her eyes filled with sympathy. "Whatever decision you make, Mia, we’re here for you. You don’t have to go through this alone."

As I sat there, surrounded by my parents’ support, my mind raced. On the drive home, I had been filled with anger and frustration. I had wanted nothing more than to divorce Charlie and escape from the hell my life had become. But after seeing Charlie’s behavior today—his eagerness to defend Julie—I couldn’t shake the feeling that something more was going on between them. Could their relationship be more than just familial loyalty?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. I couldn’t afford to act rashly. If there was something deeper between them, I needed to uncover it before making any decisions.

After a long silence, I finally raised my head and looked at my parents. My voice was steady and my resolve was firm. "Mom, Dad, don’t worry. I have my own plan."

Though their faces were still etched with concern, my parents nodded. They trusted me. And this time, I was determined to take control of my own fate. No more playing the victim. If Julie and Charlie thought they could continue to manipulate me, they were in for a rude awakening.

After returning home for a week, there was complete silence from Charlie. No phone calls, no messages—just eerie quiet. The frustration of it all gnawed at me and in a moment of spite, I swiped his credit card. I knew it was a petty form of revenge, but the sting of being ignored had reached its peak. It didn’t take long for him to call me, his voice filled with anger.

"Why are you acting so ignorant?" he demanded, his tone sharp and impatient.

I sneered into the phone. "Ignorant?" I repeated. "That’s just another word for controlling a woman's life, keeping her bound by expectations. If that’s what it means to be praised, then I’d rather not have it!"

His sigh on the other end was laced with fatigue and barely concealed anger. "Do you even realize what you've done? Your reckless behavior stressed Julie out and now she’s in the hospital. Premature delivery! Luckily, both mother and baby are safe. But if anything had happened, how would I face my brother?"

Then came the line that nearly made me drop the phone.

"My brother raised me like his own child and Julie... Julie is like a second mother to me. How can you make such baseless accusations?"

His defense of Julie was so emphatic, so filled with emotion, that it set off alarm bells in my mind. I had suspected something between them, but now I was almost certain. His words sounded less like a dutiful brother-in-law and more like a guilty man covering something up.

Suppressing the rising disgust, I decided to play along. "Well," I said sweetly, "since my sister-in-law has given birth, it’s perfect timing for your brother to take her back. It’s been a while since we’ve had any time alone, just the two of us."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence on the other end. I waited, wondering if he would see through my act. Finally, his voice came through, much lower, almost reluctant.

"I'll pick you up. We should talk about everything in person."

Even though the last thing I wanted was to see his face, I agreed. This was about gathering evidence, not indulging in my feelings.

Charlie arrived in his car to take me to the hospital. The drive was silent, his eyes focused on the road, mine scanning the scenery, though my mind was elsewhere, thinking of how to get the truth out of them.

When we reached the hospital, I walked into the ward with him. Inside, Harry was already there, having rushed from the countryside to see the baby. He held the newborn girl carefully in his arms, a flicker of pride mixed with hesitation in his eyes.

I stood back, watching the scene unfold, not saying a word. Julie was lying in bed, looking pale but pleased with herself, a fragile smile on her face as if she had just conquered some great feat. She noticed me and gave me a weak smile, her voice soft but dripping with hidden arrogance.

"Thank you for understanding, Mia," she whispered, her eyes gleaming.

I wanted to roll my eyes at her dramatics, but I kept my composure. I needed to see how far this charade would go. If they thought I was here to play the obedient wife, they were sorely mistaken.

The three of them exchanged glances and Harry, clearing his throat, hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

"Mia, I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but since Charlie mentioned you were upset with him because of Julie, as his eldest brother, I feel I need to step in and say a few words."

His tone had that heavy, paternal weight to it, the kind that made you feel small, like a child being scolded for not understanding the "big picture." I crossed my arms, mentally bracing for whatever nonsense he was about to spout.

He rambled on for several minutes about how deeply bonded he and Charlie were, about how normal it was for family to help each other and that I was being too narrow-minded, causing a stir over nothing and ruining Julie's reputation.

I almost burst out laughing. Ruining her reputation? It was like he had completely rewritten the narrative, turning me into the villain. I had to physically swallow down my frustration, my stomach twisting in disgust. He didn’t even give me the chance to respond before dropping a bombshell.

"You've been married for two years without children. We don’t know who’s to blame for that, but I’ve discussed it with Julie and we think it’s best if you adopt her baby. It’ll be raised under your name."

My breath caught in my throat. I stood there, stunned into silence. This hadn’t happened in my previous life. Could it be that my rebirth had caused everything to shift? Was I stepping into an even more twisted game?

Julie’s lips curved into a triumphant smirk, her voice oozing with self-satisfaction. "Even though our parents-in-law passed away early, our family bloodline mustn’t end with our generation. Don’t worry, Mia, this child will be raised to respect and honor you."

It was too much. The absurdity of it all crashed over me like a wave. What kind of mother would willingly give her own child away so easily? Something about this didn’t sit right with me. There was more to this baby than met the eye.

And then it hit me—this baby could be the key to everything, a potential crack in their carefully crafted façade. If I could find out what was really going on with this child, I could use it as leverage, perhaps even as evidence in my divorce. The thought made my pulse quicken, a new plan forming in my mind.

I nodded slowly. "I understand," I said with a forced smile. "This is a big decision, but for the sake of the family, I’ll take care of the adoption paperwork later."

Julie's eyes sparkled with smug satisfaction, clearly thinking she had won. Little did she know, this was just the beginning of the unraveling.