Page 138 of Second-Rate Superstar

Still reeling from coming face-to-face with my stepmother—if we were being technical—I walked further into the house.

I wasn’t going to bond with this woman about being so blinded by love that you did things others would view as wrong. Not that what I’d done was any less damaging. Instead of tearing apart a ready-made family, I stopped one from even beginning.

I came to a stop when I reached a wall of portraits. For the first time in my life, I laid eyes on my siblings, whom I’d never met. Two teenage boys appeared to be older than a girl who looked close to Amelia’s age, if I had to guess.

“Is my dad home? I came to speak to him.” I turned to face Michelle.

She shook her head. “No, but he will be soon. He’s coaching Griffin’s high school team these days. Likes to keep his hand in the game.” Stepping up beside me, she pointed at the shorter of the two boys, with dirty blond hair. “That’s him there. He’s seventeen.” She gestured to the taller boywith brown hair like his mother. “Grant is the oldest at nineteen and just finished his freshman year at Hartford State. Then, there’s Ginny.” Michelle motioned to the only girl. “She’s thirteen and loves to dance.”

Nodding, I kept moving through the house. Sitting on a couch without waiting for an invitation, I folded my hands in my lap and tried to keep my knees from bouncing.

Michelle sat opposite me. “You know, I never approved of how your father handled things in the divorce.”

I sighed. “I don’t know why you’re telling me this. It doesn’t change anything.”

“You’re right It doesn’t,” she agreed. “I guess a part of me wants you to know I’m not a bad person. Honestly, I never saw him leaving the two of you. He was content keeping up the status quo. Yes, he had two families, but I understood his need to split time. You and your mother deserved it as much as me and my kids. Please believe me when I say I never asked for more.”

I merely shrugged, not knowing what to say, so she continued, “It was almost like he could keep it separate in his mind. You were his girl, and then he had his boys. When Ginny was born, everything changed. He couldn’t compartmentalize his two families anymore. It was as if looking at her reminded him too much of you, and he realized what he was doing was wrong.” Michelle shook her head. “But I never saw him doing it the way he did.”

“Then why didn’t you do something about it?” I challenged.

“I tried. I’m sure you remember enough about your father to know that sometimes he can be . . .”

“An ass?” I supplied the end of that sentence for her.

Michelle laughed. “I was going to say stubborn, but that works too. Anyway, it didn’t sit right with me that the two of you were left with almost nothing financially, and I went to Morgan—”

The air was sucked from my lungs. “You met my mom?”

“Until that day, I only knewofher, but yes, we met. Only once, mind you.” A soft smile played on her lips. “You look so much like her.”

I blinked rapidly to hold the tears at bay. God, I wished more than anything my mom was still here these past few months. Not just to share in my joy of falling in love but to be there to guide me when it all fell apart.

“I offered to set up an account. To send the money that she was entitled to for child support post-divorce, but she refused. She was too proud to take help from the woman who stole her husband.”

Oh, Mom.

Michelle might have been in the wrong for sleeping with and creating a family with a married man, but she didn’t want to see us suffer as a result. I couldn’t help but imagine what our life might’ve been like if she had accepted the offer of secret child support. It could have changedeverything.

“I never knew,” I breathed out. “She never mentioned it.”

“As moms, we carry burdens so our children don’t have to. I can respect her for that. How is she, by the way?”

I stared at the woman sitting across from me. Was this some kind of sick joke?

“She passed away a little over three years ago.” The words were barely above a whisper.

Michelle’s gasp split the air, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God, I had no idea. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” Her eyes searched mine. “You’ve been all alone all this time?”

Nodding, I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain. Tears leaked from behind my sealed eyelids, and I waved a hand in apology. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Michelle’s arms encircled me. “Why are you only coming to us now?”

Sniffling, I tried to compose myself, but my words came out garbled. “I called Dad. He didn’t care.”

“What?” She pulled back to look at my face, and I nodded in confirmation. Anger flashed in her brown eyes, and she gritted out, “When I get my hands on him.” Smoothing tear-dampened hair away from my face, she softened, “If I’d have known . . .”

I shook her off. “It’s fine. I didn’t come here because of that.”

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