My Stepmother's Secret Affair

n't s

on my ribs from wrestling

l sitting in my drawer, unr

now walking a line so thi

leep becau

le

ything sacred and wrapped it

r. The mother of the c

yb

now if I believ

ch part was real, and which part they wanted you t

sun came up, painting the sky

one b

mess

enthouse. Now

le

cou

the city my father and I had built-brick by bloody brick. Only

athe

d

en, wrapped in a deep emerald coat, hair twiste

he looked when she was

running," I said a

yer who already knew the outcome. "

ha

ser. "An opport

"You sent the pho

n't eve

us both u

ated the i

hy

u wouldn't

d

ast en

, cutting straight

e. Fire. War. So I

ked ever

isk," she whispered.

ward her. "And what d

glittered

hitched. "

something stronger than lies and shame. It

ing toward the glass do

a public statement," s

o her. "Ab

dmit to sleeping with me. You're goi

mmed into my

ing to tak

he rug out from under every version of r

Eventually. Quietly. After I'

"You're trying to i

ing, Nathan.

s not how this works. You're not

be. In t

you talk

d up a

. Trust fund redirect

tamped. N

andwriting fo

ed his si

u think this is

is f

is sur

her, breath

go to

s me as the victim of an affair, abandoned

loves a fallen queen. But they

u'd sacrifice me

d yourself, Nathan. Th

lked c

my

t over he

have a future? Then he

s to him?" I

ruel little smile. "He'll be di

y don't lo

nd soon, I'll lov

n and whispe

lie about

n she k

. Fi

hat sealed a contr

e press got an

aff

ir to Delacroi

new st

oids wen

t every n

Cele

rst interview t

ar

t v

n. I was lonely. I didn't even know he

ore w

dn't n

dn't h

ctors called an e

r didn't

all over the tabloids

sault. Threa

mons to app

te di

ency medical privacy

the

s acc

d to block it, she already

ndustries..

, she'd moved into the

oved out of

d

ke an indefinite

e was

gacy,

see her on

ted me i

et. No

wine. Red

e said. "They beli

t ever

d a brow.

u're not going to cl

sm

N

aled.

hen you're broken. People under

like me f

ose. "I like y

d expos

won

ve pr

rying yo

fr

"You'll never have to face prison. Or shame. But you'll keep yo

if I

lean

our child

racked someth

ver lov

the way y

d me one

I

not

hat I had made the big

r wasn't

s sui