Chapter 16 An Excellent Mother-in-Law

My mother-in-law's voice resonated from outside, "Charlie, Rosalie, are you asleep?"

Charlie quickly stuffed the divorce agreement under the covers and went to open the door. "Mom, why aren't you asleep at this late hour?"

"I was just about to sleep, but I noticed that your bedroom light was still on, so I wanted to see if you were asleep," my mother-in-law replied from the doorway.

"Mom!" I took off the face mask and joined them at the door, putting on a show of being a loving wife. "Charlie and I were just about to go to sleep."

As I spoke, I even wrapped my arm around Charlie's and sweetly leaned on his shoulder.

Charlie glanced at me expressionlessly, without saying a word.

"It is indeed late. Your dad is coming to New York the day after tomorrow to attend the Peak Business Forum, so he rushed over without intending to stay at a hotel. He'll be staying with you for a few days," my mother-in-law said, smiling at me.

My in-laws usually resided in Chicago, not too far from each other.

I showed a happy expression. "That's great! It's been so long since I've seen you and Dad. I'll take you to eat delicious food!"

"Okay, you two should go to sleep early and not compromise on your rest," my mother-in-law advised, before turning to leave.

In my past life, I had a misconception that Charlie was a free spirit who seldom listened to his family. I had solely focused on him, believing that as long as he loved me, the opinions and blessings of the Bennett family were not important.

But later, when I saw him desperately seeking the recognition and blessings of the Bennett family for Lauren's sake, I realized that family bonds were very important to him.

If I had a good relationship with my in-laws, or if I had been pregnant, maybe I wouldn't have lost in my previous life.

After closing the door, I breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a meaningful look with Charlie.

"Should I sleep on the bed and you sleep on the couch, or the other way around?" I started to worry about this issue.

Charlie casually sat on the bed and replied indifferently, "There's no need to go through that trouble. Do you think anything will happen if we sleep together?"

I had to admit, Charlie had a strong command of sarcasm.

"Alright then." I didn't waste any words and just went to sleep on the other side.

Since getting married, this is our second time sharing a bed. The first time was on our wedding night, and he didn't touch me then either.

We lay back to back, as if we were not there for each other.

After a while, I finally spoke up, "Can you give me Dylan's WhatsApp or phone number?"

Charlie didn't say anything, so I turned around to look at the back of his head. Could he have fallen asleep?

"I want to give him a good scolding," I added.

"I've already scolded him," Charlie's voice came out cold and blunt.

Well, I had to close my eyes and try to fall asleep again. At that moment, the sound of rumbling thunder could be heard outside the window; a thunderstorm must be approaching.

With a thunderous boom, I grabbed the blanket and covered my head.

The thunder couldn't drown out Charlie's gnashing teeth as he angrily uttered, "Rosalie!"

I poked my head out and looked at Charlie's displeased face. I explained in a low voice, "Sorry, I'm scared of thunder."

"What does it have to do with me?" Charlie had never been sympathetic towards me. He snatched the blanket back without hesitation.

"BOOM!" Another earth-shattering explosion of thunder shook the room. Like an arrow, I instantly darted into Charlie's embrace. Divorce could wait; overcoming the current difficulties was the most important thing.

Charlie's body visibly stiffened, seemingly unable to accept the situation.

Who can accept sleeping with a woman they don't like on a stormy night?

Charlie pried my arms off, and his face turned sour. "Don't touch me, okay?"

"Then don't take my blanket!" I suppressed the embarrassment and bitterness surging in my heart, pretending to be calm.

Charlie kicked the blanket back to me with one foot and then got off the bed. He pulled out another set of blankets to sleep on the floor.

I wrapped myself tightly in the blanket, kept my gaze on Charlie on the floor, and imagined every little detail of his future with Lauren. If it were Lauren who was afraid of thunder, he would probably want to cuddle her into his body.

That night, I dreamt of my previous life again. The despair and unwillingness etched into my memory.

The next day, when I woke up, Charlie was no longer on the floor.

After changing clothes, I went downstairs. Elizabeth was already preparing breakfast, and the other servants were cleaning. My mother-in-law was trimming the flowers and plants that had been ravaged by last night's heavy rain, while my father-in-law did yoga.

"Dad, Mom, why are you up so early?" I went out and greeted my in-laws politely.

"At this age, we can't sleep too long. It's good to get up and move around," my mother-in-law smiled.

I walked over and naturally held my mother-in-law's hand, ignoring her surprised gaze, and started talking to her, "Mom, I have a friend who owns a jewelry store. She recently acquired a pair of violet jade bracelets, which are very beautiful. But she urgently needs money now. I thought you like collecting jade, so I bought them. I'll pick them up in the next few days and give them to you then."

My mother-in-law loved collecting all kinds of precious jade. There was even a dedicated collection room in the house. I deliberately catered to her interests to improve our relationship.

It wasn't because I wanted to win back Charlie.

I just wanted to make things difficult for him and Lauren out of malice. It was also a way to seek a small revenge.

Sure enough, my mother-in-law's eyes lit up. "A violet jade bracelet? Alright, bring it back and let me have a look. If it fits, I'll pay you for it. I'll buy it!"

"How can I let you spend money? I'll bring it back to you in a couple of days," I replied with a smile.

Indeed, I had a pair of violet jade bracelets that my mother gave me a couple of years ago. They were worth a million dollars. If it could make my mother-in-law like me more as her daughter-in-law and be more critical of Lauren in the future, then I thought it would be worth it.

"I know you have filial piety, but I can't just let you give without receiving anything in return," my mother-in-law said, patting my hand with kindness.

I shook my head. "Mom, don't say that. We, as the younger generation, can't always be by your side to take care of you. We can only make up for it with money. As long as you and dad are happy and healthy, no amount of money is too much."

My father-in-law and mother-in-law exchanged glances, probably a bit puzzled. In the five years since Charlie and I got married, I had never said such things before.

My father-in-law stopped and brushed off his sleeve. "Rosalie, your thoughtfulness is more than enough. Your mom and I don't have any other wishes, we just want to have grandchildren as soon as possible. So you and Charlie should try harder!"

Speaking of this matter, my mother-in-law seemed to remember something. She pulled me aside and hesitantly asked, "Rosalie, have you and Charlie gone to the hospital for a check-up? Is it because he's been sleeping around and ruining his health?"

My heart trembled. It was the first time I realized that my mother-in-law was so exceptional. The first person she suspected of such a thing was her own son, not her daughter-in-law.