Stepfather. Part 10

Mom picked herself up after that, or that’s what the society pages said. She began dating a wealthy hotelier. She looked tons better than she did the day I visited, but there was still a haunted expression on her face in some of the photos.

When I showed Dad at the breakfast table, he muttered a, “good for her,” and went about buttering his toast.

I thought about what she said to me all the time. It was unfathomable to me she could hate me so much, but I knew it was true. It wasn’t just Alex, either. She’d always hated me. Alex was merely the icing on top.

Ella poked me in the ribs. “Time to get dressed for the galaaaaaaa.”

Both my father and I groaned.

Ella rolled her eyes. “C’mon, it’s going to be such fun. And our dresses are gorgeous. Besides,” she added, standing and coming around to my father and plopping right on his lap, “it’ll be nice to see you dapper for a change.”

“I’m always dapper.”

It was weird for me to see my father act flirtatious