My Stepmom’s Black Card

My dad remarried a beautiful young woman, and I was the only one who knew she was secretly loaded.

At dinner, I sat with my head down, peeling shrimp for her and carefully removing every last vein.

My aunts sat nearby, snacking on sunflower seeds and watching me with open contempt.

“Emily, your stepmother’s only been here two months, and you’re already her little maid?”

“Your dad paid for those shrimp. You haven’t eaten a single one. They’re all going into her bowl.”

My cousin chimed in with a sneer.