Mother-in-Law Knows Best

After three years as a full-time housewife, I felt like I'd lost touch with the world. Luca was still so little, and after everything I'd endured to bring him into the world, I couldn't let him suffer.Honestly, I was shocked Claudia let me stay. During my marriage, she was polite but distant—never mean, but definitely not warm. Now, looking back, I wondered if her tough exterior hid a softer side.One morning, while I was soothing a crying Luca, Claudia casually said to Hailey, "You should learn how to take care of children. You'll need the practice for when you have your own."Hailey gave Luca a disgusted look. "He's not my kid. I'm not dealing with him."Claudia snapped, "He's Joe's son. If you want to be part of his life, you take care of his family and this household. If you're not up for it, the door's right there."Hailey, clearly fuming, grabbed Luca and awkwardly tried to soothe him. When he finally fell asleep, she dumped him into his crib and stormed off to her room, wa

Claudia set her spoon down. "These days, anything can be faked. A pregnancy's no different. You can steal an ultrasound online or have someone else take the test for you. I need to see it for myself to believe it. Isn't that what's best for this family?"Claudia's years as a writer had sharpened her mind to a deadly edge. Without hard evidence, she trusted no one. That was all it took. Hailey's bravado cracked, and she collapsed to her knees with an audible thud."Claudia, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I lied! I'm not pregnant." Tears streamed down her face as the confession poured out. "But I really love Joe! I just wanted to marry him, so I made it up."Joe's face went blank. "You're not pregnant?"Hailey nodded miserably. "Every time I see Vera call you, I get so jealous. You said if I got pregnant, you'd marry me. But we've been together for so long, and still—nothing, so..."Her voice broke, and she hugged Joe, sobbing harder. "Joe, you promised you'd love me no matter what. That h

Joe grabbed Hailey's hand and shot her a quick wink, like he was telling her to pipe down. "Let's just get the marriage certificate first. We can figure out the rest later.""That won't work! I'm my parents' only daughter. Just signing papers without a wedding or bride price? That's humiliating. This is my first marriage, Joe. My parents expect a big wedding."Hailey clutched his hand as she went on. "Oh, and I saw this gorgeous three-carat diamond ring the other day. I NEED it. Plus, my family's bride price is $80,000. And I want an outdoor wedding on a lawn—super trendy right now. I mean, don't you want it to be perfect?"The longer she talked, the darker Joe's face got. When she finally stopped, he yanked at her sleeve. "I don't have eighty grand lying around, Hailey. Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?"Hailey's eyes darted to Claudia. "You don't, but your mom does! Didn't you say your mom's books made her a fortune? She could pitch in for the bride price and the wed

Joe said, "I wasn't thinking straight! I didn't know you were planning to steal my mom's manuscript to make money. You're disgusting!"Hailey cried even harder.When she was taken away, Joe crouched on the floor and sobbed for a long time.But then the plot twist hit: Hailey was pregnant.The news kept her out of jail, but she didn't dare come back to the Powell house. Instead, she scraped together enough cash to rent a tiny apartment near Joe's office. She wasn't sticking around for Claudia's wrath—or the cameras. Survival mode engaged.***Meanwhile, my own life was finally on the upswing. The novel I posted online blew up fast, racking up recognition and bringing in solid income in just a month.Claudia, always one step ahead, invited me to join her writers' association. She even offered me space in her studio to work during the day—with Luca in tow.Of course, I said yes. After being out of the game for so long, I jumped at the chance to rebuild my life. It wasn't just abou

I couldn't figure out if Frank was so kind because I was his old friend's ex-wife and Luca's mom, or if he genuinely cared about me.His little gestures were constant. He'd text or call to share snippets of his day, things that made him laugh, or just to check in. Sometimes, he'd show up with a homemade strawberry cake, setting it down in front of me with that warm, easy smile of his.When I hit writer's block, he'd cheer me on, help me untangle my ideas, and offer advice that always seemed to click. Rain or shine, he'd be there, driving me to and from work every single day without fail.Even the hardest heart would crack under that kind of care, and I wasn't immune. I found myself deeply moved.But the more I let myself feel, the more it hurt to remember how Joe had never treated me like this.When I was pregnant, I craved strawberries so badly I'd begged Joe to pick some up on his way home. After reminding him over and over, he'd either forget or brush it off, claiming he was to