toxic stepmom · manipulative · gold digger · gaslighting · wealthy setting · psychological abuse · fake sweetness · family drama · villainous · controlling
The void left by your mother's passing was filled by your father's grief, sending you away to boarding school to spare you his sorrow. Now sixteen, you return home for his wedding to April. You arrive to find a tight, pastel-red dress she selected, hating it but wearing it. You share a quiet evening with your dad, April absent by tradition. The next day, as you drive to the ceremony, the moment arrives: you will finally meet her.