Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

"Big Brother..." James Horne cried out in pain, his handsome face contorted with agony. He cradled the photograph in his arms, recalling the protection Glades Horne had offered him during their childhood. He knew that Glades actually hadn't wanted him around either, because his existence had affected their father's relationship with his stepmother. But since he was there, Glades chose to accept him. In the Horne Family, he bore the title of the fourth young master, yet during his younger years, he was bullied by his brothers.

Back then, the Horne Family hadn't separated households. Several uncles lived together, and even the aunts often came back to stay. With so many children in the family, he was the only one without a mother by his side. His father loved him but was always preoccupied with business. Even though his mother visited the Horne Family every day, ostensibly to see him, in reality, she was there to spite his stepmother and hoped to move into the Horne household.

His brothers always isolated him and refused to play with him. Even when they did play together, they would still torment him by cutting his new clothes to shreds, pulling his hair, or burying his shoes in the mud. This was especially true during quarrels between his stepmother and two of his aunts; his brothers would then bully him with even fewer reservations.

He silently endured it all, until one day, Glades Horne discovered it. That year, he was eight and Glades was twelve.

He remembered wearing a new children's suit that day. It was a gift from their grandmother, who thought he was naughty because he always seemed to be ripping his clothes. He followed his three brothers to play in the courtyard. They were all of similar ages and, despite constantly fighting, they still enjoyed playing together. Besides, since they all lived under one roof, it was only natural for the children to spend time together.

No sooner had he stepped into the courtyard than Harry dragged him to a secluded spot. Harry was quite chubby as a child and very strong. Once he was dragged away, Harry and his twin brother pinned him down and began tearing at his new clothes.

"Don't cut my new clothes; they were a gift from Grandma!" James remembered struggling non-stop and even starting to cry, but his new suit was still mutilated by those demon twins. Harry somehow produced a pair of scissors and skillfully snipped his new clothes. With just a few cuts here and there, anyone would think they were accidentally torn.

"What are you doing?" When he was helpless and in tears, Glades suddenly returned from school and walked toward the three of them.

"Big Brother." The twins respected Glades quite a bit. As soon as they saw him, they dropped James's clothes and happily ran toward Glades. Meanwhile, James cried, wiping his tears and picking up his shredded clothes to put them on silently.

Before he could get dressed, a pair of strong hands examined his torn clothes. Even though Glades was only twelve at the time, James felt those hands were very powerful. Glades's eagle eyes then spotted the scissors Harry had thrown on the ground. Glades understood everything.

He saw Glades's handsome face darken in an instant, like that of the Thunder God himself. Glades's imposing presence was innate, overwhelming even at such a young age. He turned, glared at the twins with a frosty look, and asked coldly, "Have you been the ones cutting his clothes all this time?"

"Big Brother, we..." Faced with Glades's dark expression, the twins were frightened. They began to back away, attempting to flee.

"Who dares to run!" Glades sensed their intention and growled.

The twins' feet seemed nailed to the spot; they dared not move.

"My brother! Who dares to bully him!" Glades said icily. With a quick motion, he dragged Harry over to him. James felt his admiration for his big brother soar at that moment. Harry was so heavy, yet Glades could pull him over with one hand. What followed shocked everyone. Glades stripped Harry's clothes completely bare. Then, picking up the scissors, he cut Harry's clothes until they resembled strips of cloth, like ribbons, but without severing them entirely. He threw the tattered but oddly stylish clothes back at Harry and said coldly, "This is what happens to those who bully my brother! Wear it and get inside the house!"

Harry was stunned. He cried too. An eight-year-old boy, stripped bare—how could he not cry? The servants noticed, but he dared not follow them back into the house. The adults all came over when they heard the commotion, and Viola Hanley screamed.

But Glades remained silent, and Harry didn't dare tattle. Moreover, under Glades's stern gaze, he obediently donned the ribbon-like clothes. At that moment, Viola Hanley was so angry she wanted to hit Glades. But upon encountering his icy stare, she, his aunt, dared not lay a finger on him.

From that time on, the brothers didn't dare bully him again—because Glades had said that he, James, was his brother!

His stepmother didn't like him. The aunts called his mother a mistress and a vixen, and they disliked him even more. Besides his father and grandmother, the only other person from whom he could feel warmth was his big brother.

Perhaps his feelings for his big brother had grown gradually, slowly morphing into something else.

For his sake, Glades was also scolded by their parents that time. He remembered Glades retorting angrily to his stepmother, "Who asked them to bully James? They are also my brothers, but they are cousins. James and I, however, are blood brothers!"

He also remembered that his stepmother had been furious that time; she hated both him and his mother. He had felt her animosity from the moment he first stepped into the Horne Family. Because of that incident, his stepmother even had a huge fight with his third aunt.

That's why Adele Horne used to say that if Glades hadn't cared for him as a brother, he would have been worth less than a servant in the Horne Family.

He admired his big brother and respected him, yet slowly his feelings had shifted off-course. He knew it was wrong. Homosexual love was not accepted by society. Beyond that, even if it were, he and Glades were brothers—blood brothers—a fact that would only invite ridicule from the world. He kept holding back, enduring.

And his feelings for Julia had also started in childhood. She was like a little princess, with a good family background and doting parents; she was utterly carefree. Every time she came to the Horne Family, the brothers liked to circle around her. Even the demon twins competed to please her. Seeing the perfectly adorable Julia, he naturally found himself liking her too.