Pierre et Jean – Guy de Maupassant

"A lawful kiss is never as good as a stolen one."

The comfortable life of the Roland family is disrupted when the younger son, Jean, inherits a fortune from an old family friend. His brother Pierre, consumed by jealousy, begins to investigate the reason for the legacy. He uncovers a dark family secret: Jean is the illegitimate son of the friend, revealing their mother's past infidelity.

Maupassant's short novel is a brilliant psychological study of jealousy and suspicion. It dissects the destruction of family bonds and the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie with ruthless precision.