She approached gracefully, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Those serpentine eyes were fixed on my face, and I could see the tension in her jaw. Such restraint must’ve been painful.

Maintaining a calm smile, I watched them eagerly begin the performance. Myra was so nervous that she hardly dared to breathe. She nudged me several times, and Carol was gearing up for a fight. I grabbed her and gently pushed her back down.

"Oh! I was wondering who it was. It’s my sister-in-law!"

I smiled at her. "Melanie, what game are you playing? We had never called each other that before. Where's the 'sister-in-law' coming from?"

Carol wasn't going to let it slide. She immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Matthew is already yours, so where's the 'sister-in-law' coming from? You have a son now, so maybe start acting like a mom. Chloe has already taken a step back for you."

Suddenly, Melanie adopted a pitiful look. Her eyes reddened, and her lips quivered as if she had been wronged.

The whole