Chapter 2 - The Stepmother's Smirk
Her stepmother, Dana, stood near the fireplace. The late-30s woman was impeccably dressed in a cream sweater and dark trousers, her neatly styled blonde hair not showing a single strand out of place.
Dana wasn't oblivious to the glaring disparity between the children's gifts. She had orchestrated it. Ever since marrying Adam three years ago, Dana had made sure her son, Mason, received everything, while Natalie was treated like a burden.
Dana smiled with practiced, arrogant confidence as she bent down to collect a sheet of torn wrapping paper.
"Be grateful for what you have, sweetheart," Dana said to Natalie, her tone dripping with fake, condescending sweetness. "Christmas isn't about expensive things. It's about being thankful."
Across the room, Natalie’s father, Adam, sat in a heavy armchair. He wore a gray sweater, gripping a ceramic coffee cup with both hands. He didn't say a word to defend his daughter. He just stared down into his black coffee, entirely avoiding Natalie’s heartbroken eyes. He was too cowardly to challenge his new wife.
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But sitting opposite the children was someone who wasn't afraid of Dana at all.
👉 Who is watching this cruel scene unfold, and what are they about to do about it?
