They’d managed to keep him hidden for over twenty years—never once slipping up.
This drama? Way more complicated than I’d expected.
My mother-in-law, sitting at the head of the room, narrowed her eyes at the boy. “Gregory, what’s going on here?”
The room tensed up. It was like the air itself had frozen.
The boy’s voice trembled as he spoke, his eyes red-rimmed. “Sister… my name’s George. I… I’ve known about you for a long time.”
He fidgeted, looking up at me just for a second before quickly dropping his gaze like he was scared I’d snap at him.
“My… my mom always told me about you,” he continued, stuttering a bit. “She said you were really talented and beautiful…”
Of course, Brianna couldn’t keep it together. She burst into fake sobs, clutching her handkerchief to her face, her shoulders shaking with “emotion.”
“Chloe, my sweet daughter,” she wailed. “Mommy’s missed you so much all these years…”
She lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears, playing the martyr as if the world had wronged her.
“George… he’s always wanted to meet you. We’ve even gone to see you secretly.”
George jumped in eagerly, nodding quickly. “It’s true! Sister, I even enrolled in your school just to… to be closer to you.”
He pulled out a stack of photos from his pocket and handed them to Chloe with shaking hands.
“These are pictures of you,” he said nervously. “I… I took them secretly…”
Chloe flipped through the photos. Her graduation pictures, her dance practice exhaustion, her vibrant debates with classmates—all taken without her knowledge.
The realization hit her like a slap. A stalker had been following her for years, secretly taking photos.
Gregory wasn’t missing a beat. He walked over to his mother, his tone urgent.
“Mom, this is the Johnson family’s grandson!” he said, motioning to George like he was some kind of prized possession. “Everyone’s here to witness this, so please, accept him.”
Gregory had a strategy, and it was working. He knew that after his father’s death, my mother-in-law held all the power in the Johnson family. Bringing in all these relatives? A move to pressure her into accepting George.
If she did, I’d have no leg to stand on. He’d watched me long enough to know that I’d always played the dutiful daughter-in-law, bending to his mother’s will.
George, quick to catch on, turned to my mother-in-law and respectfully called, “Grandma.”
My mother-in-law’s gaze flicked between George and me, her expression unreadable. She didn’t say a word at first.
I knew she cared about me, though. She wouldn’t be so easily manipulated by Gregory.
I decided to step in and end the silent standoff.
“Gregory,” I said, my voice calm but biting, “your real plan is to use this kid to grab control of the Johnson family business, isn’t it? Why drag Chloe into your mess?”
