My stepfather demanded I pay for his daughter’s new house — but what he didn’t know was that my mother had been hiding a 19-year secret that would change everything.
Growing up, my stepdad, Liam, spared no expense on his daughters—Disney trips, new phones, big birthdays—while my brother Nick and I stayed home, pretending it didn’t hurt. After our biological father left, Mom worked nonstop to keep us afloat. When she married Liam, we became a blended family of six, at least on paper. In reality, we lived parallel lives.
Liam and Mom split expenses “equally,” but she earned far less. His extra money went to Cleo and Emma. They had their own rooms; Nick and I shared bunk beds. They traveled; we weren’t invited. Over time, we learned to expect less and rely on ourselves. We left at 18, built careers, and created stable lives without his help.
Years later, Liam called me into his study and demanded that Nick and I each give $25,000 to help Cleo buy a house—hinting our inheritance depended on it. I refused.
When I confronted Mom, she admitted she’d been afraid of losing another marriage. But she revealed something Liam didn’t know: she secretly owns 40% of the house through her inheritance. Now he can’t sell without her. For the first time, Mom chose us—and we’re finally done pretending we were ever second-class.
