After Rebirth, I Discovered My Sister-in-law's Secret

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.