Milo stepped closer, his brown eyes narrowing. "Accident or not, you lied to Wife, Julian. Do you even realize how wrong that is?" His voice was tinged with disappointment. "Do you think tricking her will make her care about you?"
Hearing him, Julian’s mossy green eyes became misty as he looked at Milo, his emotions pouring out like a flood he could no longer contain.
"You don’t understand, Milo!" Julian’s voice cracked, shaking with the depth of his emotions. "You don’t, because wife... she doesn’t want to divorce you. She cares about you! But she doesn’t see me... she doesn’t see how much I’m loving her!" His voice grew quieter but shakier as he continued, his hands clenching tightly. "Even if I tricked her, Milo... even then, she pushed me away again. I can’t bear it anymore. I don’t want to divorce her... I don’t want to lose her..."
Julian’s voice broke completely as he covered his mouth with his hands, muffling his sobs. Tears spilled down his cheeks, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as he tried to keep quiet. He didn’t want anyone else in the house to hear his cries, to know the depth of his pain.
Milo’s brown eyes widened in shock, his heart breaking at the sight of his usually composed and gentle brother falling apart . He didn’t know what to say, guilt washing over him for not realizing how deeply Julian was struggling.
"I’m sorry, Julian," Milo whispered, his voice shaky as he stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you felt this way."
Milo’s arms wrapped around Julian, and he gently rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. Julian buried his face in Milo’s shoulder, letting out muffled cries as Milo held him. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the only sound in the kitchen being Julian’s quiet sobs.
"You’re not alone, Julian," Milo murmured, his voice soft but full of sincerity. "We’ll figure this out together. She’ll see you... she’ll see all of us. Just... don’t give up, okay? Don’t lose hope."
Julian didn’t respond right away, but his grip on Milo tightened slightly, as if holding onto the only bit of reassurance he had left.
Julian pulled away from the hug, stepping back a little. The tension in the air was impossible to ignore, and Milo felt it right away. He bit his lip, guilt eating at him. He hadn’t meant for things to turn so awkward. It wasn’t that he wanted to hurt Julian or judge him—Milo just hated lying, especially to Ruby. She was their wife, and he truly believed she deserved the truth, no matter what.
Julian, noticing the discomfort, wiped his tear-streaked face with his sleeve, trying to regain his composure. "Let’s make dinner?" he asked, his voice softer now, almost hesitant. He glanced at Milo, offering a weak but genuine smile, as if to say he wanted to move on from the moment.
Milo nodded his head quickly, clutching onto the suggestion like a lifeline. "Yeah, okay. Let’s make dinner," he replied.
It was dinnertime, and the air was unusually quiet. Ruby sat at the table, looking at her husbands, who were busy with their food. She cleared her throat, breaking the silence and gaining their attention.
Everyone immediately looked at her.
"Are you okay, wife?" Julian asked gently, sliding a glass of translucent red water toward her. His mossy green eyes held concern, though Ruby noticed they were a little red. Had he been crying? She raised an eyebrow but decided not to ask.
She gave him a small smile. "I’m fine, Julian. I just wanted to share something."
Julian nodded his head, his attention fixed on her. "What do you want to say, wife?" he asked softly, his voice warm as always.
"Yeah, wife, what’s going on?" Milo asked eagerly, his brown eyes sparkling with curiosity. Karl, on the other hand, lowered his head, peeking at her from the corner of his baby blue eyes, while Adrian sat stiffly, his brow furrowed.
Ruby smiled at them all. "Actually... I got a job!" she announced.
For a moment, there was silence as her words sank in. Karl and Adrian both froze, their faces a mix of disbelief. Milo’s mouth fell open in surprise, while Julian’s face lit up with pride.
"Wife, you should have told me earlier!" Julian said, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I would’ve made something sweet for celebration. But I’m so happy for you! This is amazing news." His voice was full of genuine joy.
Ruby couldn’t help but smile at his excitement. "Thank you, Julian."
Milo, practically bouncing in his seat, asked, "What kind of job is it, wife? Can I come with you? Please take me with you!"
Ruby chuckled at his enthusiasm. "You can come if you want, Milo. I got a job as a video editor."
"Video editor?" Milo repeated, tilting his head in confusion. The others exchanged puzzled glances.
"Like for movies and shows," Ruby explained patiently. "After they shoot scenes, I’ll be editing the footage."
Everyone’s eyes widened in unison, their mouths forming perfect O’s.
"Movies? Like in Soulstream?" Milo gasped, his excitement bubbling over. "Wife! Can I meet the stars? Are they as good-looking in person as they are on screen?" His eyes practically sparkled with excitement.
Ruby couldn’t help but laugh. "We’ll see, Milo. You might meet them one day."
Julian smiled warmly at Ruby, his gaze full of admiration. "I’m so proud of you, wife," he said softly.
Karl, who had been silent the entire time, finally mumbled, "Congratulations... wife," his voice barely audible as he fidgeted with his fork.
Ruby glanced at him and gave him a small nod of acknowledgment before returning to her meal.
And suddenly,Ruby heard a low and smooth tone, "Congratulations!"
She froze for a second, surprised, and raised her head to look at Adrian. He didn’t glance up, his dark eyes fixed on his plate as he continued eating, his expression as expressionless as ever.
Ruby blinked, unsure if she had imagined it. Adrian rarely said anything, let alone something supportive .
—To be continued...🪄