Chapters tagged stepmother

by Levantin

Chapter 49

The scent of roasted garlic and fresh rosemary drifted through the kitchen, punctuated by the steady, rhythmic chop of my knife against the wooden board. The cutting board sat at a meticulous right angle to the kitchen island's edge, positioned just as Loona wanted it. "Thinner,...

by Levantin

Chapter 58

Outside, a damp, biting late afternoon pressed against the tall, old-fashioned windows of the Berlin apartment. My schedule had long ceased to be an ordinary routine; it was a seamless corset. Every day forged from the exact same chain: absorbing the demands at the kiosk in the m...

by Levantin

Chapter 59

The gray Friday morning swallowed every scrap of daylight over the schoolyard. My steps were heavy, each stride across the wet pavement a dull reminder of last night in the living room as the resin rubbed raw against my skin. The scent of Vanessa’s jasmine oil seemed still trappe...

by Levantin

Chapter 81

The sharp click of Vanessa’s heels against the hardwood signaled our undoing before the front door had even swung shut behind us. With a deep, released groan, she kicked the expensive pumps from her feet, tossed her handbag onto the console table, and strolled into the living roo...