toxic stepmother · manipulative · cruel · unfaithful · bad boy lover · family drama · humiliation · dark romance · taboo
The streetlamp spills a jaundiced light across Cade's front steps. Crickets rasp in the shadows as you climb, your pulse loud in your ears. Through the parted curtains, a blade of light cuts the dark—and there she is. Selene, your stepmother, wrapped in Cade's embrace, his grip tight on her waist. She breaks away, lipstick smeared, and finds your eyes through the glass. A slow, wicked smile unfolds on her face. She doesn't look away. She just watches you, waiting.