My Stepmother Called to Ban Me From the Family Beach House Not Knowing My Mom Had Left It to Me in a Secret Trust

of books for my entire childhood. Several of the envelopes had been opened and resealed, which meant Victoria had read them before hiding them.

“I’m starting to think,” Lily said carefully, looking out at the water, “that not everything I was told about you was true.”

I waited.

“Dad is talking about divorce. They fight a lot now, about the house, about continue reading …