Baby-in-Law

Raymond and Jason were both embarrassed, so they changed the subject and started talking about when Raymond and I might get married.Jason faked a cough and said, "Since the two of you are doing well together, we'll make sure you're taken care of when you join the family. For your financial security, I'll give you three percent of the company's shares. Consider it a small gift."I declined at once. "There's no need for that. That's far too valuable."What I really thought was that I would have to be insane to join a family with a mother-in-law like this. Forget three percent, I wouldn't even marry Raymond for thirty percent. Besides, my family had our own company too. Such a small amount of shares weren't that valuable to me.Brandy caught the word "shares" and started another scene. "What did you say? You're giving what's mine to that gold digger? All of you lied to Dee Dee!"She charged around the table and raised her hand. I leaned back, but her nails still scraped my cheek a

How could there be a woman as insane as Brandy? She was over forty and had spent twenty years pretending she was a baby. I thought about how Jason had enabled her… Most of the blame lay with him.Raymond flooded me with texts all night. I didn't answer any of them.His last text came at three in the morning. [I now know that my family isn't normal, but I can't leave her yet. Give me some time.]I read it five times, then locked my phone.-At eight the next morning, pounding on my front door woke me up. "Open the door, thief! Open the door for Dee Dee!"Brandy's voice pierced the door, and her pounding triggered every sound-activated light in the building. I rubbed my eyes, got up, and looked through the peephole. She stood there with her head raised, fierce and determined.I took a deep breath and opened the door.As soon as she saw me, she charged inside and smacked me in the face with a stack of papers. "You stole company documents! My husband asked Dee Dee to keep

The next afternoon, I learned exactly how much worse things had gotten.I had just returned to my desk after a project meeting when my business partner, Dawn Lane, shoved her phone in front of me."Look at this." Dawn wore a strange look.The screen showed a screenshot from a private group chat for the wealthy wives. Brandy used a pink cartoon profile picture. She had posted a long warning about a woman named Fran Reed who used business meetings as an excuse to approach rich young men. According to Brandy, this woman was so good at manipulating men that she had Raymond completely under her spell. Everyone should keep an eye on their children.A string of emojis followed along with replies, such as [Goodness Gracious] and [Got it].I stared at the screen for several seconds, then handed the phone back. Anyone who willingly spent time with Brandy couldn't be too bright. My family name was indeed Reed, but it was the same Reeds who owned the Reed Group. Why would I need to pur

Brandy was sitting on the couch. She was wearing a cream sweater, and her hair was pinned up. Her makeup was simple and neat, but something about her face was off. Her eyes were swollen, and her lips were pale.When she saw me, she pressed her lips together and stopped herself before calling me a gold digger.Jason sat behind his desk. Printed chat records and an IP trace report were spread before him. Four or five cigarette butts filled the ashtray.I remembered Jason was not a smoker."Ah, you're here." He motioned toward a chair. "Please, have a seat."I chose the seat farthest from Brandy with Raymond standing beside me.The office fell silent.Brandy lost patience first. She jumped up from the couch and pointed at me before shrieking, "Why did you call her here?! She's only here to laugh at Dee Dee! Both of you are working together to bully Dee Dee!""Sit down." Jason did not raise his voice, but Brandy froze. After two seconds, she slowly sat.I opened my computer, pulle

I was a little stunned as I heard Raymond's words. "Your father gave you full authority?""Yeah," Raymond said. "He said he spent all these years focused on taking care of my mother and let the company suffer. From now on, he'll take care of her, and I'll take care of the company."The setting sun shone through the hallway, casting warm light across his handsome face when he was saying that. I glanced at him, then looked away."Then do your best," I said as I turned toward the elevator."Fran," he called from behind me.I did not turn, but I slowed."After I clean up this mess," his voice carried down the hall, "I'll try to win you back the right way."I stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, I saw him through the narrowing gap, standing there and waving.Over the next two weeks, I never contacted Raymond first, but he sent me messages every few days. I read every one. Most of the time, I replied with an [Okay] or a [Got it.]Once, Dawn leaned over to peek at my pho