Elsie's POV
The poor girl I used to sponsor suddenly announced that she was pregnant with my dad’s child. She even had the nerve to say, “From now on, I’m your stepmother. You’d better learn how to treat me with respect, or I’ll have you kicked out of this house.”
I was completely stunned. My dad’s been dead for almost twenty years.
When I didn’t play along, she got furious and, out of nowhere, called my dad.
And he actually showed up.
She clung to his arm and accused me of bullying her. Then, looking all pitiful, she dropped to her knees and apologized.
“I know you don’t like me, but the three sons I’m carrying are innocent. They need a father!”
I snorted and nodded like I was fine with the idea of her marrying my “dad.”
What she didn’t know was that the man she was hanging onto wasn’t my biological father. He was my stepdad.
——
I heard there were some new designer bags at the boutique. Since I had the time and enjoyed shopping, I turned down the store assistant’s offer to send them to my place and decided to check them out myself.
When I got there, the assistant, Celia Brewer, someone I’ve known for a while, looked awkward and uncomfortable.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, “Miss Ramsey… um… your stepmother was just here. She’s looking at the bags you reserved. She’s waiting for you in the VIP room.”
My stepmother?
I blinked. “What stepmother?”
Before Celia could answer, the VIP room door opened and out walked a whole group of people. I recognized all of them. They were my college classmates, but we were never close. The last one to walk out was Maggie Robertson, the girl I once sponsored.
Gone was her usual timid look. She walked up to me, chin held high.
“I’m your stepmother now,” she said smugly. “We split up the bags you picked. Think of it as a gift from a daughter to her new mom.”
I pinched the palm of my hand just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The sharp sting told me this was very real.
“Maggie, are you out of your mind? I’m Elsie Ramsey, the person who sponsored your education. I’m not your stepdaughter.” Then I scoffed. “What’s wrong with your brain? Studied too much law? Need me to check you into a psych ward?”
As such, she flushed with anger but stayed behind the group, yelling from their shadows.
“I’ve been with your dad for over a year now. I’m pregnant with triplets! We’re getting married soon. So tell me, how am I not your stepmother?”
I stared at her, absolutely floored.
My dad passed away shortly after I was born, and my mom’s been gone for years now, too. So, who exactly was Maggie pregnant with, and how was it my dead father’s baby?
This wasn’t some big family secret either. Everyone knew my father had been gone for twenty years. How could she not know?
I stood there speechless, but she looked smug as ever.
“What, cat got your tongue? Weren’t you just calling me crazy a minute ago?”
She scoofed then continued, “Better start sucking up to me soon. Once I give birth to these three boys, I’ll have every right to kick you out. Don’t forget, I’m carrying sons. You, on the other hand, are just a worthless girl. You only got to live like this because you’re the Ramseys’ only heir. But once I have my sons, your place in this family will be over.”
The others around her started chiming in.
“Yeah, hurry up and buy those bags. Give them to Maggie as a welcome gift. That way, she might still let you stick around.”
