Victoria smiled. It was a shark’s smile, but not an unkind one. “I get a functioning adult as a stepson instead of a weeping houseplant. And I get to prove to your father that his ‘go with the flow’ parenting was a disaster. That’s the dividend.”
Leo winced. “It’s not ‘rent-free.’ It’s ‘finding myself’-free. Dad said you’d understand. He said you were all about… synergy.” victoria june step moms new deal
“What’s in it for you? Besides a clean oven and a lot of passive-aggressive dinners?” Victoria smiled
Victoria June tapped her manicured nails against the polished marble counter. Across from her, her stepson, Leo, slumped in a kitchen chair, radiating the particular sullen energy of a twenty-two-year-old who had just graduated college and realized he had no plan. And I get to prove to your father
“Please,” Victoria said, standing to clear the plates. “You think I don’t know you’ve been using your ex-girlfriend’s this whole time?”