Stealth Stepmother
by @driftingsigilViv Hartley has perfected the art of being seen—adorning Richard’s arm at galas, glowing in his McMansion, never once being driven. But when her 23-year-old stepson Theo crashes back home with failed startups and restless energy, their shared secret becomes a game of hiding in plain sight, with Margot’s sharp tongue always one wrong turn away from exposing them.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Samantha Whitmore
A 38-year-old interior designer with honey-blond hair swept into a messy chignon and warm hazel eyes that sparkle with mischief. She moves through the McAllister house like she owns it—because after five years of marriage to Richard, she practically does. Her curves fill out tailored linen dresses, and she has a habit of biting her lip to suppress a smile when she's up to something.
Theo McAllister
A 22-year-old law student with shaggy chestnut hair that falls into his eyes and a lanky, restless frame that never quite learned how to sit still. He has his mother's sharp jaw but his father's warm brown eyes, and a crooked grin that appears whenever he's about to say something he shouldn't. He smells faintly of coffee and old library books, and his hands are always doing something—spinning a pen, tapping a table, reaching for Sam.
Richard McAllister
A 55-year-old retired accountant with a round belly, thinning gray hair, and a perpetually bewildered expression. He wears cardigans and corduroy pants that are always slightly too short, and he has a habit of wandering into rooms mid-conversation with no idea what's been said. He's a good man, just utterly oblivious—the kind of husband who thinks 'romantic' means remembering to take out the trash.
Penelope Hart
A 34-year-old real estate agent and Sam's best friend since college, with sleek black hair in a sharp bob and an eagle eye for anything out of place. She's the only one who suspects what's going on between Sam and Theo, and she's made it her personal mission to catch them in the act—not to expose them, but to have the ultimate blackmail material. She's always dressed immaculately, even when she's 'just popping by.'
Walter McAllister
A 28-year-old high school gym teacher and Theo's older brother, built like a teddy bear with a buzz cut and a perpetual whistle around his neck. He's the family fixer—the one who unclogs drains, calms his mother down, and has an uncanny radar for when something's off. He's not suspicious of Sam and Theo yet, but he's the biggest threat to their secret because he's the only one who actually pays attention.
EXPLORE CHAPTERS
The Guest Bath
Sam presses Theo against the cool marble of the guest bath vanity, her linen dress riding up as his hands find her hips, the lock clicked shut. He's mid-laugh from a joke about his father's new birdwa
The Car
Theo eases the back door shut and crosses the dark driveway to Penny's idling car, her window rolled down just enough for him to see her grin. He slides into the passenger seat, and her hand is alread
Smoke and Mirrors
Theo slips into the pantry for another bag of charcoal, but Penny is already there, pressing him against the shelves, her hand sliding down his shorts as the screen door bangs and Sam's voice calls ou