Pampered By My Brother-In-Law

Chapter 1: Jade

Jade's fingers trembled as she stared at the picture on her cousin's i********: post. Shanell's hand, a tiny baby, and a masculine hand wearing that very familiar wristwatch. Justin's. Her husband.

It was supposed to be a happy day for her, a special day. Their wedding anniversary. But Justin had not come home.

He was too busy, he had said. Too busy with work. Yet Jade could swear it wasn't work at all. It was a woman. She had caught the sweet, cloying scent of Victoria's Secret perfume on his clothes lately, the kind that wasn't hers and certainly wasn't his. She had noticed the faint lipstick stains on the collar of his shirts. And those hickeys on his neck, dark little marks that appeared whenever he stumbled in late at night, too tired or too guilty to even touch her.

She had known there was another woman. But never in a million years had she expected it to be Shanell Montana.

Her own cousin.

The same girl she had shared her lunch with back in high school, the one she had trusted like family.

"No, no… no," her voice cracked as she shook her head slowly, the words barely making it past the lump in her throat. "It can't be true. Maybe it's someone else, some other man with the same watch."

But one look at that limited-edition Michael Kors timepiece and she was certain. She had given him that watch on their last anniversary. Her heart shattered all over again, the pieces cutting deeper each time the image replayed in her mind.

"Why?" The single word slipped out like a broken prayer. "Why would you do this to me, Justin?" She sobbed, letting go of her phone. It hit the cold tiled floor with a dull thud.

"Madam, is everything alright?" Leah, the old housekeeper, hurried over with eyes full of concern. She bent down, picked up the phone, and winced at the cracked screen. "The screen is broken," she said softly, handing it back to Jade.

Jade stared at the shattered glass for a long moment before taking the phone. "I know," she whispered, forcing a small, bitter smile as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

The screen could be fixed. But her broken heart? That was a different story altogether.

"Is anything the matter, ma'am?" Leah asked carefully, her voice gentle.

Jade ran her perfectly manicured fingers through her golden-brown curls and let out a heavy sigh. "What would you do if you found out your husband is fathering a child with another woman?"

She could ask Leah that because the older woman had always treated her like a daughter from the very first day she married into the Williams family. There was a quiet trust between them.

"That's a very bad thing," Leah muttered, her face clouding over.

Jade smiled through the pain twisting in her chest. "What would you do?"

Leah stood quiet for a while, thinking it over. "Is… is Sir Justin by chance…?" she started, then trailed off, unable to finish the question.

"Don't worry about it, Leah," Jade waved her hand dismissively. She had no real intention of spilling her marital troubles to the help. The best people to tell were Justin's parents. If only they hadn't gone off on their retirement holiday, she would have run straight into Rachel Williams' arms and poured everything out.

She thought briefly about calling them on the family intercom, but quickly dismissed the idea. It would feel too rude, interrupting their peaceful time with her mess.

"Please clear the dining table," she added, glancing at the beautiful setup she and Leah had worked so hard on. The scented red candles, the red and pink petals scattered romantically around the house, the sumptuous dishes still filling the air with their irresistible aroma. "I don't think my husband is coming home tonight."

"All this for nothing…" she mumbled to herself. Justin clearly didn't care. She would bet anything he didn't even remember what day it was.

Leah didn't move right away. Her face fell as she looked at the carefully prepared table too.

"Are you sure, ma'am?" Leah asked. "Sir Justin might still be on his way home."

Jade glanced at the front door one last time and tried to hold on to a sliver of hope.

"It's fine. Just leave it," she said quietly.

"Okay, ma'am," Leah nodded before slipping away to attend to other chores.

The clock ticked past ten o'clock.

Jade kept waiting. Her eyes stayed fixed on the entrance, willing Justin to walk through it and tell her that what she had seen was all a lie, some cruel misunderstanding.

But as the minutes stretched into hours, it became painfully clear he wasn't coming.

She held the side of the couch with all her strength, trying to lift herself up. Tears slipped from her eyes.

I wish I could walk,she thought to herself. I would have stormed to Shanell's house and checked things out in person.

I should just take my pills and sit in my comfort room, she thought.

She needed Leah's help to get there. Just as she opened her mouth to call for her, the doorbell rang.

Finally, he's home, Jade thought, a flicker of relief cutting through the ache.

"Leah… please get the door!" she called out.

Leah rushed from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. She reached the door and turned the knob.

Each second felt like an eternity to Jade.

When the door finally swung open, it wasn't Justin standing there.

Another man filled the entrance. Broad shoulders, a sharp jawline, and piercing jean-blue eyes that locked straight onto Jade. She stared at him, her brow arching in confusion and surprise. His black Armani shirt hugged his frame, the top three buttons undone, giving a teasing glimpse of his strong chest and defined abs.

"Who are you?" Jade mumbled, completely breathless. Justin was handsome, sure. But this man looked like something carved from a dream, an angel who had tumbled straight down from heaven.

The stranger stepped inside, and only then did Jade notice the brunette woman behind him. Her excited eyes darted around the grand foyer like a child who had just walked into a treasure trove.

The two entered fully as the Williams' housekeeper, Collins, dragged in their luggage.

Okay, Collins knows them, Jade thought. At least the man isn't a complete stranger.

"Hi… I'm Timothy Williams," the man said with an easy smile, extending his hand for a shake. "But my friends call me Tim."

Jade didn't take his hand. She just stared at him, stunned, as if an alien had dropped from Mars.

"Oh… I forgot you don't know me," he smirked lightly. "I'm Justin's brother."

Jade's jaw dropped.

How was that possible? The Williams family had never once mentioned they had another son besides Justin.

"And this is my friend, Elise," Tim added, nodding toward the brunette. "Elise, meet Jade — Justin's wife."

"It's so nice to meet you," Elise said with an exaggeratedly cheerful smile. She leaned in and planted soft, quick pecks on both of Jade's cheeks. "Muah… muah."

"It's a pleasure," Jade replied, her voice coming out nervous and small.

Tim smiled. "Forgive Elise. She's like that. Comes with being from Paris, I guess."

"Oh… I see," Jade managed a polite smile.

"Where's everyone?" Tim asked suddenly, noticing how quiet and empty the mansion felt.

"Everyone is out," Jade answered.

"Including Justin…?" Tim frowned. He had purposely timed his return for his brother's wedding anniversary, wanting to surprise him. Instead, he was the one walking into a surprise.

"He…" Jade started, but Elise's excited squeal cut her off.

"Oh my goodness! Tim, come look at this dining setup!" Elise clapped her hands, her lips stretching into a wide grin that showed off her perfect veneers. "Did you ask them to arrange all this for us?" She tugged at Timothy's sleeve, her eyes bright with something close to hopeful expectation.

"No," Timothy replied curtly. "Today is actually Justin's wedding anniversary."

"Oh…" Elise pouted playfully. "I thought you wanted to…"

"Stop thinking, Elise," Tim groaned, rolling his eyes.

Elise began inspecting the wine bottles on the table. "I can't find my brand," she sighed in frustration.

Tim rolled his eyes again. "You're not in Paris, dear."

Jade watched the two of them with a small, wistful smile. They looked so adorable together, so alive. She wished she and Justin had something even half as warm and easy.

"I will go check out the stores," Elise announced suddenly, snatching the car keys from Tim.

"At this time of night?" Tim scoffed. "You don't even know your way around here."

Elise walked toward the door, her Chanel heels clicking sharply on the tiles. "I'll use Google Maps."

Tim sighed as she disappeared out the door. He turned back to face Jade.

"Why is Justin not home on his wedding anniversary?"

"He is busy at work. Something very important," Jade lied, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.

"Oh, okay," Tim nodded.

"I was just about to clear the table," Jade said. "Justin won't be coming home."

"No, you don't have to do that," Tim replied firmly. "You are celebrating today, right?"

Jade nodded slowly.

"Let me celebrate with you," Tim said. "Me and Elise."

Jade smiled faintly. "You don't have to."

"I want to," Tim insisted, walking over to the sound system. "We can't let all this beauty go to waste." He pointed at the romantic setup on the dining table.

5

"What's your favourite music?" he asked.

Jade's lips parted awkwardly for a second.

Wow… Tim is so friendly. So full of life. Nothing like the cold, moody Justin.

How could two brothers be so different?

"Endless Love," she mumbled anyway, naming her favourite song.

After all, Justin was probably enjoying his night with Shanell. Why couldn't she have one small moment too?

"You have good taste," Tim said, putting the music on.

The sweet, familiar melody began to fill the room.

Tim walked back to where Jade sat on the couch. He stretched out his hand to her. "Come dance with me."

Jade stared at his open palm. Tears welled up in her eyes, hot and sudden.

"I don't walk," her voice came out barely above a whisper.

Tim frowned, confused. "Come on, don't be shy. It doesn't mean anything."

Jade shook her head, more tears slipping down her cheeks. "I'm not shy." Her eyes drifted to the wheelchair sitting neatly in the corner of the living room.

Tim's gaze followed hers. His mouth fell open in shock.

"I can't stand," she said quietly, the raw truth hanging heavy in the air between them.

Tim stood there frozen, the weight of her words sinking in. Hell no. It couldn't be.