Chapter 2

I forced myself to swallow the burning rage, deciding to bide my time and observe them.

Over the next few weeks, they became completely shameless, treating me like a ghost in my own home.

During the day, Tyler would sit right next to Chloe, their fingers intertwined, exchanging loving glances.

One night, while the entire family was gathered at the dinner table, Tyler actually picked up a piece of steak with his fork and fed it directly to Chloe.

Chloe didn't even hesitate. She ate it, giggling as she used a napkin to gently wipe a bit of sauce from the corner of Tyler's mouth.

Richard, Eleanor, and Tyler's mother acted as if this was completely normal.

Whenever I tried to bring it up, my in-laws would shut me down, claiming they were "just close friends" and blaming me for never being home.

They claimed Tyler had been the one stepping up to take care of the household while I was away. They called me ungrateful.

Out of sheer guilt for my constant absence, I had tolerated it. But this time, the sheer disrespect snapped something inside me. I slammed my fork onto the table.

"Chloe! What the hell is this?"

"Are 'friends' supposed to act like this? Do 'friends' sleep in the same bed?"

"You're pregnant, Chloe! I've stayed quiet for months, and you’re still trying to play me for a fool?"

Realizing the jig was up, Richard slammed his fist on the table and stood up, pointing a finger at my face.

"Lower your voice! Look at yourself—all you do is obsess over your pathetic little job. How much do you even make?"

"Can you give Chloe the life she deserves? Tyler can give her everything. Can you?"

Eleanor chimed in, "Exactly! You're a nobody. After all these years, Chloe hasn't gotten a single luxury from you."

"Tyler is ten times the man you are. He knows how to treat a woman, and he actually makes real money."

My hands shook with rage as I glared at them.

"Are you all seriously standing there telling me these lies?"

"Do you not see how much I've sacrificed for this family? And now you're teaming up with an interloper to lecture me?"

"Sacrificed? You call that a sacrifice?" Richard laughed coldly.

"Tyler makes more in a single business deal than you make in a year."

"You don't even compare to him. Chloe marrying you was the biggest mistake of her life!"

Richard's words were like poisoned daggers piercing my heart.

I let out a cold, bitter laugh, turning my gaze to Eleanor.

"So you're all perfectly fine with raising this bastard child?"

"Your daughter cheated on me, and you're standing here defending her?"

Eleanor’s face darkened instantly. "Don't you dare call my grandchild that!"

"This child is Chloe’s flesh and blood. He is family, and we are keeping him, no matter what."

Chloe stood up, opening her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by a loud, sudden knock on the front door. Seconds later, a squad of local police officers burst into the house.

They weren't federal agents, so I didn't recognize them. They flashed their badges, tackled Tyler to the ground, and cuffed him.

As Tyler was dragged toward the door, his smugness evaporated into pure terror. He thrashed and screamed, "Why are you arresting me?!"

"It was you! You set me up, you bastard!"

Chloe panicked, screaming at me, "Did you do this?!"

"How could you be so cruel? If anything happens to him, I will never forgive you!"

Richard and Eleanor went ballistic. Richard lunged at me, his finger practically poking my eye.

"You psychotic piece of garbage! You actually used your badge to lock up Tyler!"

"If he goes down, we will destroy you!"

Eleanor wailed, "You heartless monster! How could you do something so wicked? Call your friends and get Tyler released right now, or Chloe and the baby are finished!"

The lead officer stepped in, his voice cold and stern. "Tyler Brooks is under arrest for international wire fraud and running offshore cryptocurrency scams. We have solid evidence."

Hearing this, Chloe froze, a look of utter disbelief washing over her face.

But Richard and Eleanor refused to back down. Richard screamed at the officers, "You have the wrong guy! Tyler is a good boy. He would never do that! Someone framed him!"

Eleanor nodded frantically. "Yes! Someone must have set him up! You can't just lock up an innocent man!"

I pulled out my federal credentials. The lead officer saw the gold badge and my agency's acronym on my tactical bag. He immediately straightened up and saluted me.

After a quick exchange, I learned that Tyler had been under investigation for months. He had defrauded victims of millions of dollars. The case was airtight.

I tried to calm Chloe and her parents down.

But Chloe threw herself at me, scratching and hitting my chest like a wild animal.

"You're lying! Tyler is a good man! You're just jealous of him, so you framed him!"

"If you don't get him out, I will hate you for the rest of my life!"

Richard was shaking with fury. "Don't play the hero here, Liam. You just can't stand to see Chloe happy."

"If you don't pull some strings to get Tyler out, I will go to your headquarters and protest. I'll get you fired!"

Eleanor joined in, "That's right! You ungrateful bastard, Chloe was blind to marry you. If you don't fix this, we'll make your life a living hell!"

Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. It was an urgent dispatch from headquarters, ordering me to report for an emergency deployment briefing.

I walked out, leaving their screams behind.

Looking back at Chloe as she held the baby in the present day, I remained completely silent.