Plain ivy? No more!!
My stepmother covered her annoyance with another brittle smile and changed the subject, but Ivy kept looking at me like I’d just started speaking a language she didn’t know I was fluent in.
---
When the conversation drifted elsewhere, I leaned in, close enough that my shoulder brushed hers.
"Don’t look so shocked, Monroe," I murmured. "If we’re going to sell this thing, might as well make them believe you actually like me."
She smirked faintly. "You’re insufferable."
I tilted my head, pretending to study the menu. "You have spinach stuck in your teeth."
Her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide in panic, until she realized I was lying.