Chapter 1
On my first day back home for summer break, I wore Mom’s earrings to drop off some documents at Dad’s office.
The moment I walked in, his assistant lunged at me and grabbed my earrings.
“You little homewrecker!”
“Such a young girl already going astray-my man giving you a job here was generous enough, and you dare wear my earrings!”
Then came the stinging slap across my face.
I looked up and recognized her immediately.
Quinn Hartley-last year’s executive assistant hire, and Dad’s pick for my new stepmom.
I’d fought against this whole thing at first.
Especially when I found out Quinn was fresh out of college and only three years older than me. The whole situation made my skin
crawl.
St
4
But Dad wouldn’t shut up about her during our phone calls:
“Sweetheart, Daddy’s new little assistant is such an innocent girl. She really loves me.”
“She’s such a klutz-spilled coffee all over me today and couldn’t stop apologizing.”
From across the ocean, I was speechless about this walking disaster.
But my boyfriend talked sense into me:
“Your dad raised you as a single parent-that wasn’t easy. At his age, he deserves a shot at happiness.”
I gave in and reluctantly agreed to let them get married.
This summer trip wasn’t just for my company internship-I was supposed to attend their wedding too.
Thinking she’d misunderstood, I quickly explained:
“Hey, Lincoln Ashford is my dad.”
That just made her even more pissed.
“You dirty little whore, so now you’re into role-playing too?”
“Wearing MY earrings that my man gave me, flaunting it at the office-does that get you off?”
“Listen up, bitch-just because you’re halfway decent looking doesn’t mean you can steal my husband.”
Her voice carried through the entire office, and suddenly everyone was staring at me.
I’d rushed over and didn’t have anything to prove who I was, so I pulled out my phone to show her our photos.
“Lincoln really is my dad. This is from last night when he picked me up at the airport.”
Quinn stared at the photo, her eyes turning bloodshot.
“So last night when Lincoln ditched me at home, it was to pick up you, you little slut.”
“What kind of grown daughter makes her daddy pick her up from the airport in the middle of the night? I don’t buy for a second that you two aren’t fucking.”
“Everyone look! The side chick’s trying to show up the wife!”
This was the sweet, innocent little airhead Dad had been raving about??
She was nothing but a crazy, unreasonable bitch!!
Several employees were already filming with their phones.
I tried to break free from Quinn’s grip, but she slammed me down hard.
My wrists scraped against the rough floor, drawing blood.
The pain made me shout:
“I’m calling my dad right now!”
