When I came downstairs for prom in my dream dress, I found my stepmother, Carol, standing in our living room wearing the exact same outfit. She claimed it was to “support” me, but the cruel smirk on her face told a different story. What happened next at prom exposed her true intentions and changed everything between us forever.
You know that feeling when something seems too good to be true? That’s how I should have felt about Carol from the start. But when you’re 14 and missing your mom, you want to believe in fairy tales.
You want to believe that maybe, just maybe, your dad found someone who could love you like a real daughter.
I was wrong.
Two years earlier…
