At dinner, my wife's little brother Darren shot me a nasty look. "Other guys hook their wife's brother up with houses and cars. Mine won't shut up about covering a lousy twenty grand.

"Wade Watson, transfer your house to me today, or I swear, I'll make my sister divorce you."

My hand stalled mid-serve as I placed food on my pregnant wife's plate.

That house was all my parents left me. Best school district in the city. Worth over three hundred grand.

I looked at Vanessa, waiting for her to back me up. For the baby.

She slammed an abortion appointment slip onto the table.

"It's because I married a useless guy like you that my brother still isn't married. Wade, you get one choice—the baby or the house."

Wade's POV

At dinner, I brought out the last dish, set it down, and dropped into my seat beside my wife, Vanessa Sutton.

Before I even touched my fork, her brother Darren jumped in. "A couple days ago at a reunion, I heard this guy say his brother-in-law bought him a luxury condo when he got engaged—downtown, huge place, fully paid, fully furnished, just move in.

"And another dude? Dirt poor family, but his sister married some rich heir. Right after graduation, boom—a supercar. He totaled it in two days, and the guy didn't even care. Just bought him another."

Darren laid it on thick, eyes sliding to me the whole time.

Yeah. This was aimed straight at me.

He'd been spoiled his whole life. Dropped out of middle school, stayed home gaming, living off his parents. Now he was thirty—never worked a day, never dated. No one even bothered setting him up.

Until two months ago. He met some girl in a game and went all in on a long-distance thing. Sending her food, cash, everything. Already talking about meeting up and getting married.

I warned him about online scams. At two-fifty, he took it as me saying no attractive girl would ever want him. We blew up, and he hadn't spoken to me since.

So yeah, this whole act? Meant to get under my skin.

I ignored him and focused on Vanessa, placing food on her plate.

"Honey, don't you love roasted branzino? Try this."

Vanessa—who usually loved roasted branzino—picked up her fork, then paused when her mom, Jennifer, coughed beside her.

She set it back down. "Not in the mood. I'm not really hungry."

Something felt off. I paused mid-bite. "Jennifer, is something wrong with the food?"

We'd been married five years. Every holiday, I handled the groceries and cooking. I knew their tastes and restrictions by heart.

There shouldn't've been any mistakes.

Jennifer shot me a sideways look, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Wade, I married my daughter to you to gain a son-in-law, not some clueless cook. Darren just went on and on—didn't you hear a word?"

Yeah, she was coming at me, but I kept it steady. "Since Vanessa and I got married, I've treated you like my own mom and Darren like my own brother.

"I've helped whenever I could. I even lined up over a dozen job opportunities for him.

"And three years ago, when he got hooked on online gambling, I paid off the twenty grand he owed—"

I didn't get to finish.

Darren chucked a wineglass at me, eyes twisted with a sneer. "Other guys hook their wife's brother up with houses and cars. Mine won't shut up about covering a lousy twenty grand.

"Wade Watson, transfer your house to me today, or I swear, I'll make my sister divorce you."

Ignoring the cut on the back of my hand, I froze.

"Darren... what kind of joke is this? You want my house?"

Darren picked at his teeth, then snorted.

"Who's joking? Lily's the only daughter in her family. I need a place downtown in my name, plus one hundred grand before she'll marry me."

Lily—his online girlfriend from that game.

"Wade, I know you're just a salaried worker. Money's not easy for you," Jennifer said, smiling like she was being reasonable. "Paul and I already talked it through. For the one hundred thousand, we'll sell this house, add our retirement savings, borrow from friends and family. We can make it work.

"But the place Darren will live in after he's married? That's on you, as his brother-in-law."

I looked at her smile, and my blood went cold.

Vanessa and I were set up through relatives. By then, we were both past the usual age to marry. She was quiet, gentle—felt like someone you could build a steady life with. Things just... moved forward.

When we talked about marriage, Jennifer asked for $30,000 in cash. I didn't even hesitate. I drained my savings.

Back then, I really thought once we were married, we'd be family. That if you showed sincerity, you'd get it back.

I didn't expect it to be the start of me turning into their personal ATM.

Not long after the wedding, Vanessa quit her job, said she needed to prepare for pregnancy. She didn't do housework. I handled all three meals.

Every month, I gave her $1,800 for expenses—and sent Jennifer another $300.

Three years ago, Darren ran up twenty grand in online gambling debt. Collectors showed up, splashed paint on Jennifer's house, even threatened to break his hand. Vanessa cried every day. I couldn't watch it—I stepped in and paid it.

To cover it, I slept four hours a night for three years, grinding through four jobs back-to-back.

I never thought everything I gave would get me zero gratitude.

Instead, they just got bolder—and set their sights on my house.

"Jennifer, you know that house is the only thing my parents left me. It's in the best school district in the city—worth over three hundred grand. If I give it to Darren, what happens to Vanessa and me? Where are we supposed to live?"

I looked at her, almost pleading. "Even if you don't care about me, think about the baby Vanessa's carrying. You can't have a kid with no home."

Jennifer didn't budge. She let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

"The baby in Vanessa's belly is your family's problem. Whether there's a home? That's something your dead parents should've figured out. I only care about the Sutton name carrying on."

Paul sat beside her, chuckling like he agreed.

I turned to Vanessa, stunned, hoping she'd think about the baby and shut this down.

She didn't.

She slammed an abortion appointment slip onto the table.

"It's because I married a useless guy like you that my brother still isn't married. Wade, you get one choice—the baby or the house."

In five years of marriage, I wasn't perfect—but I gave her everything. I put her first, always. People used to envy her, said she married right.

And now? At her family's push, she was using our own child as leverage.

"You're pregnant. I don't want to argue." I kept my voice low. "Just think about it. How much have we put into this? How long have we waited? That's your child too. No matter how upset you are, you can't treat abortion like it's nothing."

Vanessa sniffed and shook her head, firm. "No. My mom's right. No matter who I marry, he's responsible for my brother's future.

"If you really care about me and this baby, you'll transfer the house to Darren—no hesitation—so he can settle down. Then my parents can have their grandson sooner. That's my duty as his sister."

I'd known she used the money I gave her to support her family. I let it slide. Money was just money—as long as she was happy.

But this? I didn't expect her to follow her parents this far. She was even willing to put our child on the table.

That was when it hit—just how bad it really was.

Darren shot to his feet. Plates crashed as he grabbed my collar and shoved me straight to the door.

"Wade Watson, you've got seven days. Either you come transfer the house, or wait for my sister to abort the baby and divorce you. Either way, she can remarry. Hell, I'll find her some rich guy and cash in even more!"

The door slammed in my face.

Just like that, I was out.

I pulled out my phone and called Vanessa.

Blocked. Instantly.

Outside, it was freezing. Wind cut straight through me. I couldn't stop shaking—hands and feet numb.

I got home on autopilot. That night, the fever hit hard. Then the pain—appendicitis.

Right before surgery, a nurse asked for an emergency contact.

I hesitated... then gave Vanessa's number.

The call connected. The nurse explained everything.

Vanessa snapped. "Who the hell are you, teaming up with Wade for this pathetic stunt? Are you serious?

"I'm telling you right now—even if he drops dead, if he hasn't signed that house over to my brother, I'm not claiming his body!"

Her voice blasted through the speaker, sharp and vicious, filling the whole room.

In that moment, whatever hope I had left for Vanessa just... died.

Under the sympathetic looks around me, I swallowed the humiliation and the pain and gave them my boss's number instead—Helen Hart.

She was three years older, sharp, and seriously capable. Already a senior exec, known for being decisive and all business. You almost never saw her smile.

I didn't think she'd agree.

But the second she heard, she said she was coming—she'd handle everything as my emergency contact.

When I came out of surgery and saw the concern on her face, my eyes stung.

"Ms. Hart, thank you. If it weren't for you tonight..."

She sighed and waved me off. "Just focus on getting better. Don't think about anything else. I've covered your bills and meals for the next few days, and I hired two caregivers. If you need anything, call me."

Something twisted in my chest.

I gave everything to my wife, and she walked away without a second thought.

But my boss—someone I barely knew outside of work—showed up and took care of me like this.

***

Over the next few days, I sent the Suttons message after message. No replies.

Vanessa never showed. Never unblocked me.

Seven days—just like that.

I was handling my discharge alone when a caregiver called out, "Wade Watson? Something here from Vanessa Sutton!"

My chest tightened. Maybe she finally came to her senses. Maybe she sent some essentials.

"I'm here!"

The caregiver glanced at me, shoved a white foam box into my arms, and rushed off like I was bad luck.

A faint, metallic smell hit me.

I frowned and opened it.