The Red Flag Millers

Jason's POV

Melody Miller's fingers froze over her phone mid-reply. She looked up at me as if she hadn't heard me right. "What did you say?"

My gaze swept over her chat with Greg Brillhart. It was nothing but transfer after transfer.

We had both married into the family, yet my monthly spending limit was only 800 dollars. Greg's was a full hundred times that.

Whenever he ran short, he went to Melody to borrow more. The Miller family rules meant nothing when it came to him.

Every time I brought it up, Melody shot me down. "My sister died young, and Greg raised their son all on his own. How can you compare yourself to him?"

When I said nothing, Melody rubbed her temples, looking weary. "All this over one little thing? Because I didn't give you money?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Melody switched off her phone and explained with forced patience, "A stomach ulcer isn't that serious. Take some anti-inflammatories and you'll be fine.

"Every cent you spend now is Miller money. It has to go where it really counts..."

I cut her off before she could finish. "Greg gets 80,000 a month for living expenses, and that's not counting anything else. We both married into this family, so why am I treated differently?"

I scoffed. "Because his wife died? Or because you're in love with him?"

Melody slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet. "What kind of nonsense is that? Greg married into this family years ago. He's been one of us for a long time, so of course his limit is different."

The color drained from my face. It felt as if the blood in my veins had frozen solid.

People always blurt out the truth when they're upset. Three years of marriage, and she had never once seen me as one of her own.

Melody seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing. A flicker of discomfort crossed her eyes, and she reached out to take my hand.

Then there was a knock at the door. Greg had arrived.

Melody's expression softened instantly. She peeled him an apple and poured him a glass of water. To the outside world, she was a formidable businesswoman, yet she always lowered herself in front of Greg.

"Sorry to bother you two again," Greg said apologetically. "Mel, my business has run into some trouble. I might need to borrow five hundred thousand dollars from you."

The hand at my side clenched into a fist. I stared hard at Melody.

Hesitation flickered across her face as she weighed how to answer.

Greg glanced at me and sighed. "I know this puts you in a tough spot, but I wouldn't have come to you if I had any other choice."

Sure enough, that was all it took. Melody went into the bedroom and took a bank card out of the safe. "There's exactly five hundred thousand on this. Take it."

I went pale and grabbed her wrist. "You're giving him this money?"

That was the fund she and I had set aside for having a baby. Five hundred thousand dollars to cover her pregnancy, her recovery after the birth, and the nursery, among other things. I had already reached out to a designer a week ago.

And now she was handing all of it to Greg.

"If you want to lend him money, I won't say a word. But why does it have to be this..."

Melody shook off my hand and pressed the card into Greg's palm. "The PIN is my birthday."

She turned back to me. "Greg has big things ahead of him. Besides, it's not like we're short on money."

Not short on money. Yet when I asked her for two hundred dollars to have surgery, she said no.

"You two are getting divorced?" Greg's surprised voice rang out as he pointed at Melody's laptop screen. "Jason, as your brother-in-law, I have to give you some advice. You've already married into the Millers, so stop getting these ridiculous ideas..."

His phony act left the anger stuck in my chest. I pointed at the door and shouted, "Get out."

Melody's face darkened, and she looked at me coldly. "Greg, let me take you home first.

"If he wants a divorce, let him have one. Let's see how far he gets on his own."

She slammed the door behind her.

I sank onto the sofa just as my divorce lawyer called. "Mr. Moore, have you made a final decision about the divorce from Ms. Miller?"

I took a breath to steady myself. "I have."