CHAPTER 16. FAMILY. ~~ASHLEY’S POINT OF VIEW~~ “Ash—baby,” my stepmother coos, her voice sickly sweet. I blink, trying to figure out why she’s suddenly sweet to me. She’s never been sweet—not even from the first day Dad brought me home. For Daisy she’d smiled and fawned, happy to have another sister, but with my stepmom, she’d been hostile from the moment my feet touched that house. They stand side by side, both wearing wide smiles that make my stomach turn. My stepmother moves first, gliding toward me. She hugs me like we're a long-lost family reuniting after years apart. “Oh, my dear Ash,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry for your loss. We came as soon as we heard. So sorry, my love.” Her hand rubs my back in slow, practiced circles. I sit rigid in the chair, arms pinned awkwardly at my sides. “Losing your husband just days after you married must be tragic,” she murmurs. “But I’m sure it’s for the best.” Dad steps forward, his hand coming down heavy on my shoulder. His grip is fi
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