Fraud: A Stepbrother Romance Read Free Page A

there until you can behave
like a young lady,” I heard her say through the door.
    I did hear them yelling at each other
later that night, but by next morning, Dad was back under her spell.
    “Now you know who wears the pants in this
family, and it surely isn’t that ball-less cretin,” she said acidly.
    “Try me again, you little bitch, and
you’ll be so sorry you’ll never know what hit you!” she screamed.
    I was stunned.
    Two weeks went by, and I swore I’d never
be held under her claws ever again. I bided my time, avoiding her like the
plague.
    On those times when we’d have to interact,
I was strictly obedient to the letter, but only just.
    She could sense my hatred of her, and
tried like hell to burn me, but I was getting very good at playing this stupid
game.
    Finally, I’d had enough.
    My last year in high school, I studied my
ass off, graduated with honors, got a scholarship, and moved out.
    Peg was seething, but there was nothing to
be done about it.
    I was just eighteen, and that made me an
adult in the eyes of the law.
    My Dad was sorry to see me go, but he knew
I needed to go out on my own and get away from Peg’s toxicity.
    He quietly helped me pack up and move. He
never said anything negative about Peg, but I could sense his relief at not
being in the middle between us.
    It made me feel sad that he’d given his
life to this harpy. But, I also realized that it was his choice.
    “I love you, Daddy! Thank you for helping
me get organized here at college,” I told him.
    We hugged, and then he kissed my cheek and
looked me in the eyes.
    “Don’t judge me too harshly, Megan,” he
said.
    I could sense he was almost on the verge
of tears.
    “You don’t know what my life’s been like
since your Mother passed on,” he said.
    He seemed to want to add something else,
but then he just hugged me once more, and got into the moving truck, and drove
off, waving.
    The leaves whispered in the trees as he
left, and I felt very sad for him.
    He was going back to where I had just
escaped.
    And, he was doing it for me.
    I was sure of it.
    *****
     
    About a year later, Dad had a stroke.
    I went to see him in the hospital, and Peg
left the room while I was there.
    He was really messed up, and even shed a
couple of tears when I told him how well I was doing in school.
    He smiled feebly at me when I took his
hand and told him how much I loved him.
    I asked if he were proud of me, and he
barely nodded.
    But, I knew he was.
    I couldn’t give him a big hug, so I just
kissed his hand, near where the IV tubes were inserted. He winced slightly, and
so I just patted his arm, and then walked out.
    I made it to my car before I broke down
completely.
    I cried a long time, then drove my rental
car back to the airport.
     
    *****
     
    It was almost a year later when he died.
    He never got to see me get my Juris
Doctor, but I know he would have been proud.
    I attended his funeral, went to the
reading of his will.
    Derek was deployed somewhere, and he
didn’t show.
    But, of course, Peg did.
    I only spoke to Peg for as long as I
needed to get the necessary legal matters settled, and then left to live my own
life.
    Peg was there with George Tanner.
    I didn’t know who that bastard was, then,
and I just noted he seemed put together okay - ruggedly handsome, kind of
sinister looking in a nondescript way.
    I don’t know why he was even there.
    Peg certainly didn’t need him for sex.
    After all, Peg can fuck herself.
     
    *****
     
    Peg cheated on Dad with at least three men
that I know.
    The first was Sam Parker, who was Dad’s
close friend and partner. 
    Peg and he had a brief affair, and Sam
divorced his wife, but Peg stayed married to Dad. I don’t think Dad suspected
anything.
    Sam was a successful black Officer from
the Marines, who had the political contacts they needed to get into the armor
business.
    Sam was very loyal to Dad, at first, but
then when Mom got sick, he kept pestering Dad about the amount of time he