My younger brother, Mark Green, joined his teammates on an expedition to the Alaska Glacier. Unfortunately, he slipped into an ice pit and went missing.

One of his teammates called for help, but my husband, Richard Miller, repeatedly hung up.

When the call came again, this time he blocked the number.

I was deeply worried.

“It’s my brother’s teammate calling—there must be something urgent.”

His tone was impatient and filled with anger.

“Use your brain. Your brother is skiing in Alaska right now—how could anything have happened?”

“And even if something did happen, your brother is a grown man. Can’t he figure out how to save himself? Why waste our time and money?”

Then came his harsh threat:

“If you dare go, if you even think about using our joint marital assets, I’ll divorce you and make sure you never see Ethan again.”

His words froze me. But in that moment, I suddenly understood.

He thought the missing one was my brother, which was why he tried so hard to stop me.

But what if the missing person had been his own brother?

…

I spoke faintly.

“Alright.”

Hearing me agree, Richard finally relaxed.

To ensure I wouldn’t change my mind, his face turned fierce as he warned again and again.

“Don’t get clever. If you dare sneak behind my back to save him, you’ll regret it.”

As he spoke, he snatched my phone and barked another order.

“I’ll keep your phone. You’ll get it back once everything’s over.”

He turned to leave, but I caught his arm.

After all, this was a human life. If I did nothing, my conscience would never rest.

During my years with the Miller family, his brother David had never offended me in any way.

I whispered softly, “Are you really going to let your brother die without lifting a hand to help?”

Richard turned, face full of irritation.

He shook off my grip.

“Enough already. I told you to stay out of it. Just do what I say.”

“How can you just ignore a life? What if something really happens?”

His face darkened.

“Stop bringing trouble on yourself. Just take care of your own business. Remember—you married me. A man’s word is law, and this household answers to me.”

Seeing his stubborn authority, I held my tongue. I knew once Richard decided something, it was nearly impossible to change his mind.

I tried another approach.

“Well… fine, I won’t get involved. But can I have my phone back?”

His face fell immediately.

“What for? Planning to call someone for help?”

I quickly shook my head.

“No, I’m just worried I might miss other important calls. If you keep my phone, what if someone else needs to reach me?”

He lowered his head, thinking for a moment, but still refused.

“If someone calls, I’ll bring you the phone. Until then, don’t even think about making any other moves.”

“It’s almost noon. Go make lunch. The kitchen is your battlefield.”

I looked at him and suddenly felt like he was a stranger.

When we first married, he wasn’t like this.

Turns out it had all been an illusion.

His face twisted with fury whenever this subject came up, as if it was cursed.

The sight made me sick to my stomach.

Fine. His brother—if he wanted to save him, he could. If not, so be it.

I wasn’t going to fight him anymore.

But when the truth came out, he’d regret it.

With that, I went to cook.

The whole meal passed in silence, not a single word between us.

The house remained silent all afternoon.

It wasn’t until evening, when Richard brought Ethan home from school, that I forced a smile.

“Ethan, you’re back! Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner.”

Just then, the phone rang. It was Richard’s parents.

He answered, then told me sternly:

“My mom wants us to bring Ethan over for dinner. They miss their grandson.”

“Get Ethan ready—we’re leaving soon.”

I nodded, giving a faint “Mm” from my throat.

Richard kept watching me closely. Even when I bathed Ethan and changed his clothes, he set a timer, checking every ten minutes and rushing me again and again.

He already had my phone—what else was he so afraid of?

After all, this was his own brother. Did he really have no compassion at all?

Even if he thought it was my brother, Mark, wasn’t that still his brother-in-law?

He was acting like he couldn’t wait for Mark to die.

Cold-blooded.

I shot him a displeased glance and told him to drive.

At the Millers’ house, his parents rushed out happily to greet Ethan.

Richard and I handed them the gifts we’d brought, and their smiles grew wide.

Every visit was the same—we always brought things, sometimes even money.

They were practical small-town folk, valuing what they could hold in their hands more than warmth or words. Over time, that became the unspoken rule between us.

Every visit meant gifts—or cash.

I knew their calls to “come for dinner” were never about genuine family bonding. It was about what Richard and I could bring them.

And Richard always insisted we go, using Ethan as an excuse.

His blind devotion to his parents was known across the neighborhood—everyone praised him for it.

At dinner, they laughed and joked while I sat silently by Ethan’s side, sullen and heavy-hearted.

Mrs. Miller Sr. noticed my mood and asked what was wrong.

I glanced at Richard, who glared back at me with wide eyes.

I shook my head and lied, “Nothing.”

But she pressed me, promising,

“Don’t worry, Anna, you can tell us. Your father-in-law and I will make it right.”

She patted Richard’s arm suspiciously.

“Is Richard bullying you?”

Richard’s face hardened, and he shot me a sharp look.

“You always stir up trouble.”

“My mom asked you a question—answer her! And don’t you dare accuse me falsely.”

I gathered my courage.

“It’s not Richard. It’s my brother. He went missing on the glacier.”

“What?” Mrs. Miller Sr. gasped, her face turning pale.

“You mean David?”

I opened my mouth to say “yes,” but before I could, Richard cut me off.

“No, not David. It’s her brother, Mark Green.”

The moment my brother’s name came out, both Mr. and Mrs. Miller Sr. let out a breath of relief.

So much for compassion.

Mr. Miller Sr.’s frown melted away.

“I knew it. David’s just on a trip to Alaska. He’s with a whole group, they’re watching out for each other—how could anything happen to him?”

Just a few days ago, both David and Mark had gone to the glacier. The difference was, David went for adventure, while Mark went for sightseeing.

But in truth, David Miller had concealed his real plans. He told his family he was just going sightseeing, when in fact, he had gone on an expedition.

To this day, the Miller family believed David was safe on a casual trip, while Mark was the one exploring. Naturally, they were convinced the missing person had to be my brother.

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to myself.

After Mr. Miller Sr. spoke, Mrs. Miller Sr. chuckled openly.

“Anna, you should really explain things clearly next time. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Richard gave me a disdainful look, then tattled to his parents.

“That’s just how she is. When her brother’s friend called, she wanted to rush all the way to Alaska to rescue him—using our joint marital assets.”

He emphasized that last part, as if afraid his parents might not hear it.

Mrs. Miller Sr. nodded gravely.

“Anna, you can’t spend Richard’s money to save your brother. You two still have a household to run.”

“We sympathize with what happened to your brother, but financially, we really can’t help. You know we’re just an ordinary family. How could we possibly fund a rescue mission that far away? It must cost a fortune.”

“There are professional rescue teams over there already. You just stay home and wait for updates.”

Wait for updates? Updates of what—his death?

I had thought, at the very least, Richard’s parents would have a sense of right and wrong. But no, they were as cold and calculating as their son.

For the first time, I even pitied David.

Whether he lived or died would depend only on his luck.

To protect myself from blame later, I carefully laid out my next words.

“Well, what if it were David who went missing? Would you try to save him?”

All three of them froze, stunned.

Mrs. Miller Sr. recovered first, her voice sharp and trembling.

“How dare you! Cursing my son, are you?”

“Just because your brother is missing, you want my son to die too? You’re jealous, that’s what you are.”

Her voice cracked as she accused me.

At once, I became their target.

Mr. Miller Sr. shook his head in disapproval, calling me disrespectful.

Seeing his mother cry, Richard lost his temper.

He slammed his chopsticks on the table.

“If you don’t want to eat, then leave! If you’re upset we won’t spend money on your brother, then divorce me. Saves us from seeing your sour face every day—we don’t owe you a thing.”

Then, with a glance at Ethan, he smirked and added:

“But remember this—if we divorce, you’ll never see your son again.”

“You—!”

I was so furious I couldn’t speak. Clutching Ethan tightly, I stormed out.

Afraid I might take Ethan back to my parents’ house, Richard quickly chased after me.

The moment he caught up, he shoved me into the car.

I shouted angrily, “Careful! Don’t hurt the child.”

He dismissed my warning.

“So you know how to worry about him? Then why don’t you ever listen to me?”

He slammed the gas pedal, the car shooting forward so fast the buildings outside blurred.

I held Ethan tightly, trembling in fear.

“Not afraid of getting a ticket?”

He ignored me.

Back home, he yanked Ethan from my arms and shoved me into a room, locking the door behind me.