The Night I Learned I Wasn't the Only Son‑in‑Law

I quickly played the voice message.

He let out a bitter laugh and said, "Six years ago, I thought I was Natalia's boyfriend too. Later, I went looking for her and ran into Vincent. Her parents called me crazy and told me to leave.

"I called the police, but nothing came of it. Their whole family stuck to the same story. Do you have any proof?"

The voice message finished.

"I'm collecting proof right now. I need your help," I replied.

"Got it. I'll email you the evidence I've gathered. Stay safe," he said.

I set down my phone and opened my laptop. Theodore's email had arrived. The email contained a large number of attachments, including photos, chat screenshots, and bank transfer records.

I called home. Mom answered, her voice cheerful. "Marcus, did you meet Natalia's parents? Were they happy?"

I took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, something terrible happened."

I told them what had happened as briefly as I could. After I finished speaking, silence fell on the other end of the line.

Dad snatched the phone from Mom, his voice shaking. "That shameless woman… Where is she? I'm heading over right now!"

"Mom, Dad, I'll wait for you to get here," I said.

After I hung up, my phone buzzed. Natalia had finally contacted me. "Marcus, we need to talk."

I stared at the message for a while, then blocked her without replying to it. After that, I used the hotel phone to call one of my friends. He ran a social media channel. "I've got a huge story. Are you interested?" I said.

"What kind of story?" he asked.

"The case involves bigamy, marriage fraud, and financial scamming. I have a complete chain of evidence," I replied.

"Tell me more," he said.

"I've forwarded everything to you. I need you to film the whole thing, but don't release it early."

"Understood," he answered.

After the call ended, Levi sent over the legal documents, and I printed them out. I walked to the window and watched the occasional burst of fireworks. Those were from other families celebrating their reunions.

My phone started buzzing again. An unknown number flooded my phone with over a dozen messages.

"Marcus, pick up the phone."

"We can talk this through."

"I'll give you anything you want."

"Don't blow this up."

The last message arrived ten minutes earlier. "Marcus, let's handle this privately. I'll agree to whatever you want."

I laughed out loud, unable to understand how Natalia could still be this naive.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from Levi. "Marcus, the earliest flight tomorrow was canceled because of a blizzard. I'll rebook and get there by noon."

"Okay," I replied.

I lay down but couldn't fall asleep. Over the years, I had developed a habit of checking the doors and windows before bed. I walked to the door and made sure the chain lock was fastened. Just as I turned around, I heard a faint click.

My hotel room was on the third floor, with an old air-conditioning unit platform right outside the window. I held my breath and slowly moved toward the curtain, peering through the gap. A shadowy figure was using a tool to pry open the window latch.

My heart nearly stopped. Instead of screaming, my first instinct was to lunge for the laptop and phone on the nightstand. I shoved the laptop under the pillow, grabbed my phone, and slipped barefoot into the bathroom.

I locked the bathroom door and sat on the toilet lid, my fingers shaking as I sent Levi my location and pleaded for help. "Someone is breaking into my window. I'm in room 307 on the third floor."

The moment I hit send, I heard the window being pushed open, followed by footsteps inside the room. The intruder was rummaging through my bag. The sound of zippers opening and items being dumped out drifted through the door.

The man kept his voice very low. "I've got the laptop."

My phone screen lit up. Levi replied, "I've called the police. Hang on for five more minutes."

Soon after, sirens echoed from below. I heard the intruder slide down the drainpipes outside.

By the time the police knocked on the door, I was slumped against the floor. The laptop was gone, but my spare phone was still in the trash can, and the recording was still running.

Natalia, neither of us would have a peaceful Christmas this year.