Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law-Chapter 518: Love Planted Wrongly, Hard to Sever (1)_1
James Horne stared intently at the photo of his brother and sister-in-law. His face grew increasingly grim as he listened to his mother's cruel, taunting words, his eyes filled with icy coldness, his brows furrowed tightly.
It was undeniable that he was truly surprised and pained when he learned that his elder brother, Glades, had married Julia Bluen. Because of this, he had sought out Julia in private. Although they had known each other for so many years, they had never had any personal interaction before that encounter. That meeting, despite lasting only a few brief minutes, had caused him excruciating heartache.
He had struggled to suppress his own pain and had asked Julia coldly, "Why?"
Julia, however, had countered, "What do you mean, why?"
She couldn't see into his heart at all, nor could she sense the feelings he had harbored for her over so many years. He didn't blame her for not sensing them. After all, apart from casual greetings when they met, they had no real interaction. Even if he had told her then—that he loved her, liked her, had a secret crush on her—she wouldn't have believed him.
Yet, the affection for his elder brother, Glades, an affection that had built up since childhood, threw him into an agonizing internal struggle. Back then, his feelings for Glades had been abnormal, and even now, a trace of that unnatural affection lingered. However, as his love for Julia deepened, those feelings for his elder brother had transformed into deep respect and admiration. Therefore, he didn't want to break up Glades and Julia, no matter their reasons for marrying. As long as they were married, they were his brother and sister-in-law.
Initially, he couldn't bring himself to call Julia "sister-in-law." The words felt like a sharp sword; each utterance stabbed at his heart.
His astute elder brother, Glades, had subtly reminded him. By then, Glades must have guessed his feelings, right? No, given Glades's shrewd nature, he had likely noticed James's inappropriate feelings very early on. That was why Glades had been so cold to him in recent years. Glades hadn't wanted to ruin him; that was why he had endured in silence, not piercing that thin veil.
After the wedding, Glades's doting affection for Julia made James realize, step by step, that Glades, like him, had also been in love with Julia for a very long time. Glades simply hadn't realized it because he and Ruby Bluen had been in a romantic relationship.
Since Julia was the woman Glades truly loved, James felt he had even less right to try and take her for himself.
His fingers unconsciously caressed Julia's image in the photograph. All these photos had been taken outdoors, likely candid shots captured while Glades and Julia were out. In every photo, regardless of when it was taken, Julia wore a smile—sometimes gentle, sometimes playful, but most often, a smile of happiness and contentment.
If Glades didn't exist, would he be the one standing beside her? If Glades didn't exist, he would have had the chance to confess his love to her. But that was merely an opportunity to confess—would Julia definitely choose him, fall in love with him? No, the answer to that was negative. Julia wasn't the type of woman to accept a man simply because he confessed his feelings. Moreover, in terms of status, identity, and wealth, Julia was his equal, if not his superior. What could he possibly offer to make her fall in love with him? Of course, without his elder brother, his chances would indeed be much greater, but they were far from one hundred percent.
So, although his mother's instigating words deeply wounded him and stirred turmoil in his heart, his reason remained intact. He wouldn't let his mother's words sway him.
"James," Pheobe Rogers said, a flicker in her eyes and her words laced with provocation as she watched her son gently stroke Julia Bluen's photograph, "even though Julia is now married to Glades Horne and pregnant, she's still young, growing more beautiful and charming by the day. If you can't let go of her, if you feel you can't love any other woman, then be bold and take her. Don't feel like you're betraying your elder brother; he owes you. If it weren't for his existence, you wouldn't have had to live under the shadow of being an illegitimate child, nor would you have been denied any part of the Horne family's inheritance."
Recently, she had been goading James almost daily to turn against Glades and fight for the family assets, using the same arguments. Today, using Julia Bluen as the catalyst, she felt her words were even more persuasive.
She believed that for domineering men who were devoted in their affections, once they fell deeply in love with a woman, they would inevitably yearn to possess her. That was why she used Julia to provoke her son.
Of course, in her heart, she didn't truly want James to marry Julia. After all, Julia was already married, and her son's own love life was still a blank slate; she didn't want her son picking up someone else's "leftovers." She was merely using Julia to incite James to fight for the inheritance. Once James was successfully manipulated by her and secured the inheritance, she would then begin to obstruct and oppose any union between James and Julia.
Pheobe Rogers had been quite beautiful in her youth; otherwise, she wouldn't have captivated Gian Horne. She, too, had been deeply infatuated with the mature, reliable, and wealthy Gian Horne at the time. This infatuation led her to shamelessly seduce him, despite his being married, drawing Gian first into an emotional affair and then a physical one, making him fall deeply in love with her.
She admitted that, at first, she had been content merely being with Gian Horne, receiving some money, and living a life of luxury. But human desires are insatiable and restless. As time passed, she yearned for public recognition; she aspired to bear the title of Mrs. Horne.
Thus, she confronted Mila Anderson, challenging her.
Pheobe had been Gian Horne's secretary and was professionally competent.
Mila Anderson came from a wealthy family. After marrying into the Horne family, the Anderson family business merged with the Valence Group, becoming a part of it. However, Mila didn't understand business and provided no professional help to Gian Horne. In terms of capability, Pheobe was definitely superior to Mila.
Her challenge, naturally, devastated Mila. Any woman would be in agony upon learning of her husband's infidelity.
Mila, like most women, cried, made scenes, and tried to win back Gian Horne's love. However, her efforts were futile; instead, Gian spent even more time with Pheobe. Gian Horne himself requested a divorce and was willing to transfer all the Anderson family's shares that had been merged into the Valence Group back to Mila. However, Mila refused to divorce. She and Gian Horne already had Glades Horne, the legitimate eldest son and grandson of the Horne family, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. From birth, Glades was lavished with affection; everyone in the Horne family doted on him. The family matriarch also forbade the divorce. Additionally, the Anderson family pressured Gian Horne. To maintain stability within the Valence Group, and unable to defy the matriarch, Gian Horne eventually stopped bringing up the matter of divorce.
