Mark had tried hard to be a good stepdad. He was attentive, supportive, and endlessly patient—or at least that’s how he appeared. From the outside, it seemed clear he loved Linda, and for a while, Emily had convinced herself he might actually be genuine.
Linda had been smitten with Mark from the very beginning. She often spoke about his kindness, his thoughtfulness, and how he made her feel truly seen after years of heartbreak. But Emily couldn’t shake the bad feeling she had about him.