Chapter 1

I walked through the front door carrying bags of gifts, smiling and wishing everyone a Happy New Year. Yet the expressions on their faces were far from cheerful.

My brother-in-law, Calum Russell, looked particularly furious. His face was practically twisted with anger. I wondered if they had gotten into an argument.

I glanced at my older sister, Eliza Stark, and said in a slightly firmer tone, "Eliza, did you upset Calum again? I know you're pregnant, but that doesn't mean you can go too far. Before you lose your temper, think about how good Calum has been to you. Do you really have to make his life miserable?"

Eliza looked at me briefly and said nothing.

Calum let out a cold snort. "Are you the head of the Stark family now? It's the New Year, yet you're here lecturing your pregnant sister. No wonder people say you should never marry a woman with a younger brother. I must have the worst luck in the world to end up with a brother-in-law like you."

I froze instantly. I was clearly defending him. How had that turned into lecturing Eliza?

Was Calum's anger directed at me? I thought back on our recent interactions and was certain that things between us had been going smoothly. We were close enough to be brothers. None of this made sense.

My dad, Leon Stark, let out a couple of chuckles. "Alright, alright. Look at all the gifts Jeremiah brought. Let's see what he got us."

My mom, Bertha Sloan, agreed awkwardly.

Even though I was irritated, I figured that looking after Eliza during her pregnancy might have worn out Calum's patience, so I forced a smile. "That's right. Calum, I got you a lot of things. There's your favorite—"

Before I could finish, Calum shot to his feet, snatched the bags right out of my hands, and hurled everything outside in one go. He even spat on the ground in disgust.

"I don't want your trash. I've already looked—these are all brands I've never heard of. You show up on New Year's, hauling this garbage and acting like a big shot. Who do you think you are?"

This time, I was genuinely furious.

Calum was a few years younger than Eliza and the same age as me. We had always gotten along well. Even if we weren't brothers, we were close enough to be called best friends.

Although he chose to marry early, he had always supported my decision to stay single and child-free. Whenever Mom, Dad, or Eliza pushed me to get married, Calum always took my side.

"That's outdated thinking. Choosing not to marry or have kids is completely normal these days. Instead of forcing Jeremiah to get married and have kids, why not let him live happily?"

"Jeremiah, don't worry. Whatever you decide, I'll always have your back. If you change your mind and want a kid someday, I can even let you adopt my second or third child. We're family, after all. Just focus on enjoying your life to the fullest."

His words still echoed in my mind. How had he suddenly become so cold and aggressive?

I couldn't hide my irritation. "Calum, what's going on? Did I do something to upset you? If there's been some kind of misunderstanding, just say so. We're family."

The moment the word "family" left my mouth, Calum sneered. "Family? Dad, Mom, Eliza, the baby, and I are the real family. You're just some unwanted thing they picked up off the street. What gives you the nerve to call us your family?"

Calum was right. I was adopted by Mom and Dad, but he had known that for a long time. So why was he suddenly bringing it up today?

While I was still processing everything, Calum pulled a stack of papers from the coffee table drawer. "This is an agreement to dissolve the adoption. Sign it. Once you do, we won't have anything to do with each other anymore."