My older brother had only been married for a month when my sister-in-law announced she wanted to visit my villa.

I had someone prepare a full spread, but she still wasn’t satisfied.

“Adeline, as a woman, all you do is spend money and don’t even know how to cook. No man will ever want you.”

I frowned, clearly displeased. “I have money and a house. Why would I need to rely on a man?”

She rolled her eyes as if I had asked the most ridiculous question.

“Your money and your house belong to my brother. What do they have to do with you? Once you marry him, you’ll be expected to give birth to five sons and do all the housework. If you keep being this lazy and spoiled, my parents will never allow the marriage.”

I let out a cold laugh. Since when was I supposed to marry her brother?

——

If I remember correctly, Kinsley Granger used to live in the slums. Her father was a drunk who gambled, and her mother cooked in giant pots at construction sites.

As for her so-called younger brother, he was expelled from junior high for bullying and extortion. Just last year, he got arrested for stalking a lone woman with bad intentions.

It was only because my brother came begging that I bailed him out.

And now I’m expected to marry someone like that? Was I supposed to be brain-dead?

I forced down my rising anger, lips curling into a cold smile. “Sis-in-law, you’ve only had two sips of wine, and you’re already talking nonsense?”

“When did I ever agree to marry your brother?”

She replied with full confidence, “What’s yours, what’s mine? It’s all the same. My brother will be your husband. Since I’ve married your brother, it’s only right for you to marry mine.”

I was speechless. Were people still living in feudal daydreams?

Just because she married my brother, I was supposed to marry hers?

Was this some kind of twisted marriage exchange?

I instantly lost my appetite. I set down my utensils and looked at my brother.

He gave me an awkward smile, trying to smooth things over by handing me a drink.

“Adeline, your sister-in-law’s brother, just launched a new project. The future looks bright. If it all goes well, he could earn this much next year.”

He raised five fingers.

“Why not think about it? Your sister-in-law means well. You’re not getting any younger, and really, why let those benefits go to someone else?”

I leaned back in my chair, and this time, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

Ever since my brother got involved with Kinsley, I had known she was trouble.

But I never imagined even the brother I’d known for over twenty years could become this spineless.

It was true what they said: share a bed long enough, and even your backbone disappears.

Seeing I stayed quiet, Kinsley assumed I was giving in. Her chin lifted higher, and she looked down on me like I owed her the world.

“I’ve already chosen the wedding date, next month, on the 8th. No need for an engagement. Just go straight to the ceremony. You’re lazy, you can’t do housework, and your looks are average at best. So don’t even think about a banquet or gold jewelry.”

“Just take it as my brother taking a huge loss to marry a useless woman like you.”

Halfway through, she licked the fingers she’d just used to eat king crab and lazily ordered my brother to open another bottle of beer.

“Use the next few days to tally up all the money you have and transfer it to my brother’s account. There is no need to sell the villa; just change the property deed and gift it to him. Once you’re married, my parents will be moving in too.”

She didn’t even pause to breathe.

“Move quickly; my brother needs the money. But let me make one thing clear: that money isn’t your dowry. It’s compensation for the psychological damage my brother will suffer from marrying a useless burden like you.”

“As for the actual dowry, it should come from your in-laws. It doesn’t have to be much, just 8.88 million, for luck. Bring it on the wedding day and hand it over to my brother.”

Kinsley was spitting in every direction as she ranted nonstop.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Sister-in-law, if I remember it right, when you married my brother, your dowry was just 800 bucks and a quilt. But you demanded 500 grams of gold jewelry and a 6.66 million bride price.”

“That money, meant to help you two build a life, was given by my parents. And the very next day, you wired it back to your own family along with that so-called 800-dollar dowry.”

“What now? My brother’s money isn’t enough to waste, so now your little abacus beads are clicking in my direction?”

Kinsley, still sipping her vegetable soup, suddenly snapped. She slammed her bowl, spoon, and fork on the table with a loud crash.

She pointed straight at my nose and screamed, “What do you mean ‘transferred to my family’? That dowry came from my side in the first place! The bride price you gave? That was my family’s money too!”

“And you, you useless tramp living off my husband, eating his food, staying in his house, how dare you eye my money?”

“If it weren’t for my husband supporting you, you’d have starved to death long ago. You’re given a bit of respect and suddenly think you’re something special? You’re not even a proper woman, always out and about. Call it ‘work’ if you want, but anyone with eyes can see you’re just fooling around with men.”

“You filthy, cheap, shameless thing! If I hadn’t spoken up for you, do you really think you’d ever have the luck to marry a decent man like my brother?”

I stayed silent, but my gaze grew colder by the second. My brother noticed, his face paling as he quickly tried to pull Kinsley back.

“Enough. Adeline is my sister. Can’t you stop already?”

But Kinsley wasn’t done. “What, you scared of that worthless burden? You’re the only son of the family. The company, the inheritance, and everything your parents own will end up in your hands. And what’s yours is mine. Every cent Adeline spends is technically my money now. So what if I curse her a little?”

“If I tell her to eat sh*t, she better swallow it with a smile!”

I let out a cold laugh. “Brother, is that how you feel too?”

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, my brother gave an awkward laugh, trying to smooth things over.

“Adeline, your sister-in-law just has a sharp tongue. She doesn’t mean anything by it. Besides, she’s newly pregnant, and her emotions are all over the place. Don’t take it to heart.”

My eyes fell on the table full of half-empty liquor bottles, and I frowned. “She’s pregnant and still drinking?”

Kinsley deliberately puffed out her barely-there belly, a smug smirk curling at her lips.

“I drink what my husband pays for. What’s it to you? I’m carrying the golden grandson of your family. If you dare piss me off, I’ll go abort this baby and see how long you last before your precious mom and dad kick you out.”

My brother’s face drained of color. He instantly grabbed her hand and glared at me.

“Adeline, we’re all family. Why stir up trouble over nothing?”

“Mom and Dad dream of a grandson. Do you really want to drive them into a heart attack?”

“Now be sensible. Apologize to your sister-in-law and say you’re willing to marry her brother.”

A chill crept down my spine. I never imagined the brother I’d called “brother” for over twenty years would put more weight on the words of a woman he’d known for less than six months than mine.

The impatience on his face, the thinly veiled annoyance in his eyes, it all struck me harder than I expected. A wave of cold disappointment washed over me.

But he was right about one thing: our parents were aging. Dad had battled high blood pressure for years. I didn’t want to give them any more reason to worry.

I inhaled deeply, again and again, forcing down the disgust bubbling in my chest. I chose silence over argument.

Kinsley, thinking I had been cowed, let out a cold snort, puffing herself up like a triumphant one.

“Trash like you is everywhere in our village. Being allowed to marry my brother is the kind of blessing your ancestors must’ve prayed for. Now that you’re marrying him, learn to clean, serve my parents and my brother, and pop out a baby boy before the year’s over.”

My fingers curled tightly into my palm. My temples throbbed from the rising frustration. I was scared that if I stayed another second, I’d lose control and slap her across the face.

I made a call to the residential security and turned to head upstairs.

As she was being escorted out, Kinsley took the chance to swipe two bottles of beer from my table, still cursing all the way to the door.

I sat alone in my room for a long time, turning everything over in my head, before finally deciding to call my parents, who were away on a business trip in another province.

The next morning, when I woke up, I saw a message from my brother.

He apologized, saying he’d been too harsh the day before. He claimed Kinsley had spouted all that nonsense because she’d had too much to drink and that she felt terrible once she sobered up.

To show her sincerity, he said, she had specially booked a dinner table to apologize in person.

I didn’t want to go at first. But my brother blew up my phone with over a hundred calls, so many that I couldn’t even focus on work.

In the end, I gave in.

But when I opened the door to the private room at the restaurant that evening, I froze.

Not only were my brother and Kinsley there, but also her mother and that scummy younger brother of hers.

Before I could say a word, her mother, Cassandra Granger, strutted over and smacked me twice, hard, right on the butt, then began circling me with a face full of disdain.

“Kinsley, this girl’s butt is so flat, she’ll have a hard time giving birth to a son. If she were from our village, she’d be married off to some blind cripple if anyone took her at all.”

Her younger brother, Bailey Granger, gave my chest a lecherous once-over, rubbed his chin, and chuckled.

“She’s a bit thin, but not bad. Got some curves. I guess I’ll reluctantly agree to marry her.”

Cassandra shot him a disapproving glare.

“Marry? What marry? Bring her home first. Once she gives birth to a boy, then you can get the certificate. What if she turns out to be a hen that can’t lay eggs? Our family’s not taking that loss.”

Kinsley glanced at me like she was doing me a huge favor and said in a sickeningly generous tone, “Did you bring the property deed? My brother made time today just for you. Go ahead and transfer the villa to him. If he’s satisfied, he’ll take you home tonight.”

When rage reached its peak, laughter was the only thing left.

And today, I finally understood what it meant to be shameless beyond redemption.

I swept my gaze across every one of their faces, then locked eyes on my brother, who stood there with his head bowed like a guilty child.

“Maxwell, you’re just going to stand there and let this happen?”

He stepped over hurriedly and tried to pull me aside, lowering his voice like we were co-conspirators.

“Adeline, your sister-in-law is pregnant. She can’t be upset. Just go along with her for now. Keep the peace.”

I stared at him, stunned.

“Your own sister is about to be handed over like some object, and you’re telling me to humor her?”

He looked away, unable to meet my eyes. “You’ll get married eventually. What does it matter who it is? Marrying Bailey, it’ll strengthen family ties.”

I was trembling, my blood boiling, my chest tight, and my breath shallow.

And just as I tried to calm myself, Cassandra suddenly lunged forward, yanked my bag out of my hand, and dumped its contents onto the table.

She snatched up my wallet and tore it open, and the moment she saw that stack of red bills, her eyes sparkled with unrestrained greed.

She stuffed the entire wad of cash into her pocket, then pulled out my bank cards one by one, grumbling with a sneer, “Didn’t you say you made good money? This is it?”

“Let me tell you, women in our Granger family aren’t allowed to keep money. Try hiding a stash, and we’ll slice your tendons clean.”

Bailey stood up with a wicked grin. “Mom, she probably tucked some away on her body. I’ll do a thorough search. I won’t miss a single cent.”

My fury exploded.

As he came near, I slammed a brutal kick straight into his groin.

He dropped to the floor, howling, curling up like a dying shrimp. I didn’t even spare him a glance as I grabbed Cassandra’s hand and yanked my bank cards back.

She stared at her now-empty hands, then at her son’s purpling face, her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull.

Then, out of nowhere, she let out a high-pitched wail and bolted out of the room, flinging herself down the hallway, kicking and screaming like she’d just lost her soul.