After I married Leon Jameson, my mother-in-law Everly Quinn made it abundantly clear that she didn't approve of me, constantly finding ways to make my life difficult.

However, my father-in-law, Carter Jameson, was always there to defend me at every turn.

One day, while I was chopping vegetables in the kitchen, I accidentally sliced my finger. Before I knew it, Carter was rushing to find a Band-Aid.

As fate would have it, Everly walked in just as Carter was tenderly tending to my wound.

Her eyes blazed with fury.

"Celeste, what the hell is going on here?

"Can't you even try to keep things decent under my very nose? Have you no shame!" Without a second thought, she grabbed a broom and started swinging it wildly at me.

Carter quickly seized the broom handle and, with a swift motion, slapped Everly across the face. "Everly, what the hell is wrong with you today!" he bellowed, his voice trembling with anger and disbelief.

——

"Celeste, what the hell is going on here?

"Can't you even try to keep things decent under my very nose? Have you no shame!" Without a second thought, she grabbed a broom and started swinging it wildly at me.

"Mom, there's nothing going on between Dad and me," I stammered, standing there unsure of what to do next.

Carter swiftly grabbed the broom from Everly's grip and barked, "What's gotten into you this time?"

"Oh, so you've got the guts to stand up for this little tramp," Everly sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is that because you want me out of the picture so you two can be together?" With a dramatic flourish, she tossed the broom aside and plopped down on the floor.

Carter attempted to lift her up, but the weight difference was too much. Everly remained firmly planted on the ground, leaving Carter flushed and breathless. "All you do is spew filth. Can't you act like a decent human being?" he scolded.

I stepped forward to help, but as soon as I touched her hand, she swatted me away, snapping, "Don't you dare touch me. I find you revolting!"

I stumbled, nearly falling over the stool, but Carter's quick reflexes saved me by grabbing my sleeve. Once I was steady, he let go and ordered, "Get up already. As an elder, this behavior is disgraceful."

Everly's eyes blazed with fury at his words. "And what exactly am I supposed to be, Carter? You have the audacity to lecture me when you've clearly been fooling around with her," she screeched, her voice cracking with rage. "Is Leon even your son, or is he this... this... harlot's bastard?"

Before she could finish her tirade, a resounding slap echoed through the room as Carter's hand connected with her cheek. "Everly, shut your mouth!" he roared, his face contorted with anger.

Everly clutched her stinging face, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "You... you hit me for her?" she gasped before launching herself at Carter with a primal scream, "I'll kill you!"

The two grappled wildly, and I struggled to pull them apart, only to be kicked aside by Everly. Exhausted and panting, she finally broke free and reached for her phone, dialing Leon and his daughter, Mia Jameson. "You both better be home by six o'clock this evening, or else," she threatened, her voice trembling with fury.

Leon initially hesitated, citing an important engagement.

Everly's voice hardened, "Fine then. When you come back tomorrow, you can collect my body."

A week prior, Carter and Everly had moved in to help me recover from childbirth.

On the day they arrived, I was in the room nursing my baby when Everly barged right in, pulling Carter along.

"Lucy, my sweet granddaughter," she cooed, completely oblivious to the situation.

Hastily pulling down my shirt, I reminded her, "Mom, why don't you and Dad wait in the living room? I'll bring the baby out once she's finished eating."

Everly waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, we can see her right here."

Carter, sensing the awkwardness, turned to leave. Before I could protest further, the baby started wailing.

"Can't you see Lucy's crying? Feed her already, you're giving me a headache! We've seen it all before; what's the big deal?" Everly snapped.

Feeling a twinge of irritation but focusing on soothing my baby, I let go of the argument temporarily. "Mom, could you close the door for me?"

"Behave like a princess when you're not one. So many rules," she muttered as she walked out, leaving me to shut the door myself.

From then on, every feeding session required locking the door to avoid any more awkward encounters.

Everly wasn't shy about voicing her discontent, calling me high-maintenance and pretentious.

After the baby had been fed, I stepped out, only to find Everly engrossed in a series of episodes on the couch while Leon fiddled with his phone. Carter was busy in the kitchen, a solitary figure. Everly snatched the baby from me, but her awkward hold caused Lucy to cry incessantly. Irritated, she handed the baby back. "She's always crying. What a hassle for a little girl."

"Mom, whether it's a boy or a girl, she's still Leon's and my child," I couldn't help but retort.

"Girls are no good; they'll just marry off eventually. Boys are better. If it weren't for our Leon, would you even be here doing chores? Thinking of us first?

"In the end, it's your own fault for not bringing a boy," Everly shot me a contemptuous glance.

Leon, ever the peacemaker, was interrupted by grabbing a handful of nuts from the coffee table and handing them to her. "Mom, try these. They're imported, special from a friend."

He then took the baby from me. "Here, let me take Lucy. You rest."

With that momentary distraction, the issue was quietly settled.

The door shook with each relentless knock, jolting me out of my thoughts.

It was Mia on the other side. The moment Evley laid eyes on Mia, tears began streaming down her cheeks.

She sobbed, her voice trembling, "Mia, I can't keep living like this with your dad!

"Do you know what I saw when I got here today?

"They were in the kitchen, getting cozy, completely oblivious to my return.

"I've felt something was off for days now. Just the other day, this shameless old man was even washing her dirty laundry!

"I've got some dignity—how can they behave like this?"

"Everly, what do you mean washing dirty laundry? You're being completely absurd," Carter's voice echoed from the bathroom.

"Only guilty people feel the need to explain themselves so frantically," Everly shot back, her frustration palpable.

"Wait, that's not..." I started, but Mia's piercing gaze turned toward me.

"Celeste, this isn't your moment to chime in!" she barked, springing to her feet and shoving me back a few steps.

"Have you no shame, getting involved with my dad like that? You're not embarrassed to let this all get out?"

Carter, suddenly bursting out of the bathroom, roared, "Mia, is your mom going crazy? Are you losing it, too?

"She just spends all her time out playing cards while I handle every bit of housework! I'm the one who cooks and cleans—doing it all myself!

"Celeste's been the one covering for me even after her childbirth; your mother comes back and starts this craziness!"

"You're clearly blinded by that little vixen, Dad! You never would've talked to Mom like that before!" Mia snapped back defiantly.

"YOU!" It looked like Carter was about to raise his hand to Mia.

I rushed forward, my heart racing. "Dad!"

I feared that if he went through with it, things would spiral even further out of control. Just then, Leon came in, catching the commotion.

"What's going on? Why the blow-up?" Leon asked, gripping Carter's hand alongside me.

Mia, puffing out her chest defiantly, shouted, "You're actually going to raise your hand to me for some outsider? Go ahead, put me out of my misery!"

Carter's face turned a furious shade of red, but words failed him.

Leon edged Mia away, trying to mediate. "Hey, sis, don't talk to Dad like that."

Carter was visibly shaky, and I helped him to the couch, where I quickly fetched some heart medicine from my bag and handed it to him.