My Stepfather, My Ruin

2

Roxy

I never answered it. I just stood there, still turning it over, until my legs ached from standing and the question hadn’t moved an inch.

A knock came at the door.

“Roxy,” I heard my mother’s gentle voice call from the doorway.

I turned around and opened the door to find her standing there, a soft, hesitant expression on her face.

“Mom,” I said, surprised. “Is anything wrong?”

“No.” She shook her head, stepping inside the pink-adorned room. “I just came to check on you.”

I looked at her closely, trying to read what her smile was hiding. I hadn’t expected her to come up so soon.

“Roxy, darling,” she whispered, reaching out and taking my hands in hers. “I am so sorry for everything.”

“What are you talking about, Mom?”

“I know you didn’t want to come here,” she added, her gaze locking onto mine with deep motherly concern. “But… I couldn’t leave you alone in that tiny apartment.”

“Mom, I love it here,” I blurted out, trying to reassure her. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’m completely fine.”

“No, you’re not,” she countered softly. “I noticed how uncomfortable you were downstairs. You are my daughter, Roxy. I know when something isn’t right.” She gently squeezed my hand.

“Mom, really. I’m going to try my best to live happily here with you and your husband. I’m sure he’s a good man.”

Silence stretched between us, heavy and unspoken, as neither of us knew what else to say.

“Darling?” Her husband’s deep voice echoed from down the hallway, shattering the quiet in my room.

“You should go,” I said smoothly.

“I will come back later, honey.” She pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before slipping out the door.

Mom. She noticed.

Time passed in a quiet blur. I was lying across my massive bed, staring at the ceiling, when a soft knock sounded at the door.

“Yes, come in.”

“Young miss,” Mary’s polite voice rang out as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Dinner is served. The Master and Madam are waiting for you in the dining room.”

“Okay.” I placed my phone on the nightstand and slid off the bed. “Let’s go.”

I followed Mary down the sweeping grand staircase to the dining hall. Mom and Dorian were already seated at the foot of a lavish table laden with dozens of exquisite dishes. Mom was giggling like a blushing schoolgirl while they chatted softly.

“You’re here,” Dorian noted the moment his eyes landed on me.

“Yes, Dad.”

“Please take your seat.”

“Thank you.”

I pulled out a chair and sat down as dinner began.

Throughout the meal, Mom and Dorian never stopped displaying their affection for one another. He was attentive to her, constantly making sure her glass was full and occasionally leaning toward her to whisper something that made her smile.

But every now and then, I caught him looking at me.

Not openly. Just brief glances that disappeared whenever our eyes met.

Maybe I was imagining it, or I was simply looking for something wrong because I still hadn’t gotten used to being here.

After finishing our meal, we moved to the main living room to relax. I was just about to excuse myself to go back upstairs when Dorian brought up a new topic.

“So, tell me, Roxy—which university are you attending?”

“I’m in my final year at Crestmont University,” I replied politely.

Something shifted behind his eyes. “My son went to Crestmont as well,” he mumbled.

“Your son?” Mother asked, blinking.

“Yes, Evander. But he left the country to complete his studies abroad.”

Evander.

Something in my chest went very still. My breath caught in my throat. My ex-boyfriend—the guy who had broken my heart—was named Evander. There is no way it’s the same person. Absolutely no way.

“Roxy? Roxy?”

I snapped back to reality. “Yes...?”

“What’s on your mind?” Dorian asked, studying my face with sharp precision.

“Nothing, sir.”

He lingered on my expression for a long moment before speaking again. “Well, he is your new brother now. He’ll be returning home soon, and I can’t wait to introduce the two of you. Evander has always wanted a sister. He’ll be thrilled to meet you.”

He kept talking, praising his son, but I barely heard him.

What if Evander was his son?

No. The Evander I dated was just a regular guy from a poor background, just like me. It’s just a coincidence.

“Dad, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll head up to my room now,” I said, rising. “I need to rest.”

“Of course. Goodnight, Roxy.”

I hurried back up to my room. As soon as I closed the door, I leaned against it and pressed a hand against my chest.

Why was I so unsettled?

I walked over to my nightstand and grabbed my phone. My fingers moved quickly through my old photo gallery until I found what I was looking for.

Thank God. I still had one old picture of my ex-boyfriend saved in a hidden folder. I stared at the photograph for several seconds.

It was an old picture, taken back when we were still together. Back when I had believed he loved me.

I swallowed hard before pressing the call bell on my nightstand. Within seconds, Mary appeared.

“Young miss?”

“Mary,” I said, turning the phone toward her. “The young master… Evander. Do you know what he looks like?”

“Yes, young miss.”

I showed her the photograph. Mary leaned closer.

For a brief second, something flickered across her face.

Surprise? Recognition? I couldn’t tell.

Then it disappeared.

She straightened. “No, Miss Roxy. That isn’t the young master.”

I studied her face. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in her voice this time.

“Okay. Thank you, Mary. You may leave.”

She bowed and walked toward the door. I watched her carefully until the door closed behind her.

Maybe I had been overthinking everything. But that brief look on her face wouldn’t leave my mind.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my hand with an incoming text from Anna, my best friend.

'Are you planning to ditch me now that you’re a rich young miss?'

A genuine smile finally touched my lips as I typed back: 'No way in hell.'

'I know! I’m just teasing,' Anna replied instantly. 'How is the mansion? I’m dying to know! Spill EVERYTHING!'

'What the heck, Anna... there’s nothing to spill yet. I’m completely exhausted. Let’s talk tomorrow.'

'As you wish, princess. Bye, rest well!'

I set my phone back on the nightstand and headed into the bathroom for a hot shower. After washing away the long day, I slipped into a soft silk nightgown and climbed under the heavy duvet.

I didn’t realize how drained I was until sleep dragged me under.

Hours later, I woke up with my throat feeling bone-dry. I sat up, parched, and decided to slip out of my room to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen down below.

The hallway was pitch-black and deathly quiet. I made my way toward the staircase, one hand trailing the wall.

A sound stopped me. It was low and muffled. I couldn’t tell what it was.

It came again, closer this time, from somewhere down the hall.

I followed it, each step slower than the last, until a narrow sliver of warm light caught my attention. It was coming from the cracked door of my mother’s master suite.

I shouldn’t. I knew I shouldn’t. I stepped closer anyway.

Through the gap, my mother’s voice—soft, broken, and unmistakable—reached me before my eyes could make sense of what they were seeing. Dorian’s hands. Her back arched against the sheets. The sound she made when he moved.

I stumbled back from the door, my hand flying to my mouth to stop the gasp that threatened to escape.