Lisa's bonus chapter

LISA

I was furious. No—fuming. My blood boiled as I stormed into the kitchen, my heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor. This wasn’t how I’d imagined my evening unfolding. Walking in on my daughter and my stepson in a compromising position was not part of the plan. I had envisioned tonight as a celebration of my promotion, the culmination of years of hard work finally paying off.

More responsibility. A higher salary. The opportunity to work fewer hours and spend more time at home. It was supposed to mean a new chapter for me—a chance to fix things with Violet before she left for college.

We’d hit a major milestone recently, hadn’t we? For the first time in years, I felt like we were reconnecting. She was starting to open up to me, little by little. I thought maybe—maybe—we could finally bridge the gap between us and build the kind of mother-daughter relationship I’d always wanted.

And now this.

I yanked open the fridge door with more force than necessary, grabbing the water jug from the shelf. My hands trembled slightly as I twisted off the cap, skipping the glass entirely and chugging directly from the jug. The cold liquid did little to cool the fire raging inside me.

I set the jug down with a loud thunk, leaning against the counter as I took a deep breath to steady myself. My heart was pounding in my chest, my thoughts racing. Why was I so angry? They were both adults, weren’t they?

They were old enough to make their own choices, to date whoever they wanted. But each other?

I shook my head, my mind struggling to process what I’d seen. Ryan and Violet had never been particularly close. They bickered more often than not, keeping their interactions polite at best and tense at worst. I had never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that this was even a possibility.

What had I missed? When had they crossed this line?

I sighed, rubbing my temples as the weight of the situation settled on my shoulders. It wasn’t just about what I’d seen. It was the implications, the ripple effects this could have on our family. On my marriage.

Max.

My stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of my husband. He adored Ryan, his only son, and had taken to Violet surprisingly well after our marriage. But this? I couldn’t begin to predict how he’d react to the idea of Ryan and Violet together.

Reaching for my phone, I hesitated for a moment before unlocking it. My fingers hovered over the screen, unsure of what to say.

What was the right way to tell your husband that his son and your daughter were… involved?

Finally, I typed out a short, clipped message:

We need to talk. Now.

I hit send, setting the phone down on the counter with a shaky breath. The thought of confronting Max about this made my chest tighten, but I couldn’t ignore what I’d seen.

My chest felt tight, and I couldn’t help but replay the scene in Violet’s room over and over again in my mind.

Her face had been flushed, a mix of embarrassment and panic, while Ryan had sat there, calm as you please, like he hadn’t been caught with his hands all over her. That boy’s audacity knew no bounds.

How had it come to this?

I closed my eyes, exhaling sharply. The answer was obvious, wasn’t it? It was my fault. All of it.

If I had been more present, if I had paid closer attention, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe Violet wouldn’t have looked to Ryan for… whatever it was she thought she was getting from him.

She had been my everything after her father’s death. I’d promised myself I’d protect her, that I’d do everything in my power to give her a stable, happy life. But somewhere along the line, I’d failed.

I thought back to those dark days after her father passed. I was drowning in grief, barely holding it together, and Violet had been caught in the tide. I’d thrown myself into work, thinking it was the only way to keep us afloat. I told myself it was for her, that building a stable life was what she needed most. But what she really needed was me.

And then Max came into my life. He’d been a lifeline, offering companionship and stability when I was at my lowest. I thought he would bring us closer as a family. I thought he would help me give Violet the security I had always wanted for her. But now, standing here, the weight of tonight pressing down on me, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been wrong.

I’d wanted Violet to have the kind of family she’d lost when her father died. But instead, I’d created a situation that was spiraling out of control.

My stomach churned at the thought of Violet and Ryan together. They were stepsiblings. Family. This wasn’t just messy—it was wrong.

What'd this mean for our family dynamic? I’d worked so hard to create a sense of normalcy after the wedding, to blend our two households into something functional, if not perfect. Max and I had come from such different worlds, and our children reflected that divide in so many ways.

Ryan was confident, charming, and unapologetically himself—a carbon copy of Max in many ways. Violet, on the other hand, was reserved, sensitive, and still finding her footing in the world. They couldn’t be more different. How had those differences drawn them together instead of pushing them apart?

No matter how mature they thought they were, no matter how deep they believed their feelings ran, this couldn’t happen.

It wouldn’t happen.

My phone buzzed on the counter, jolting me out of my thoughts. I snatched it up, seeing Max’s name on the screen.

“What’s wrong? Coming home already.”

I stared at the message, my grip tightening on the phone. Part of me was relieved—at least he was taking this seriously. But another part of me was apprehensive. What would he say when he found out?

I glanced toward the staircase, where Violet’s room was. Part of me wanted to march up there and demand answers. I wanted to shake her, to make her see how reckless and dangerous this was. But I couldn’t trust myself to stay calm, not yet.

Instead, I stayed rooted in the kitchen, my thoughts churning..

If I had been more involved in Violet’s life, maybe she wouldn’t have turned to Ryan. Maybe she would have come to me with her problems, confided in me the way daughters were supposed to confide in their mothers.

I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. This was my failure. My distance, my absence, my inability to see what was right in front of me—it had all led to this.

But no more.

I straightened, squaring my shoulders. It didn’t matter how long this had been going on or how deep their feelings ran. I was her mother, and it was my job to protect her—even from herself.

This wasn’t about being the fun, understanding parent. It wasn’t about making peace or avoiding conflict. This was about doing what was right, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it might be.

I would talk to Max, and together, we would put a stop to this. Whatever it took, however long it took, I would make sure this ended.

Violet might not understand now. She might hate me for it. But one day, she would see that I was only trying to protect her.

I glanced at my phone again, willing Max to hurry. The sooner he got here, the sooner we could address this.

And no matter how messy or painful it got, I would see it through.

Because no matter what, this relationship—whatever it was—was going to end.

It had to.