I didn’t think coming home for summer break would feel like stepping into a minefield.
It started innocently enough. A family barbecue, my dad’s favorite tradition. The backyard was lit with strings of warm fairy lights, the scent of grilled meat and summer roses drifting through the evening air. Old neighbors laughed around the table. It was all so normal—until my gaze landed on her.
Vanessa.
My father’s new wife.
I still wasn’t used to saying that word—stepmom. She was nothing like what I imagined a stepmother would be. No prim sweaters or kind motherly energy. Vanessa was… vibrant. Curves poured into a silky sundress that clung to her hips like it was designed just for her. Sun-kissed skin, legs for days, and a smile that could ruin a man if he stared too long.
She wasn’t even fort
