- 14.
Under my “secret” revised editions, bedtime stories became the most anticipated event of their day.
Me: …
The little girl snuggled into my arms, clutching her doll.
“Mommy, did Robin Hood and Juliet ever get together in the end?”
My mouth twitched. I poked her little cheek viciously.
“That’s not something a child should worry about.”
“Go to sleep!”
Nooo,” she whined. “I was good and drank all my milk today.”
Matt nodded in agreement from his side of the bed. “And the dishes are all washed.”
“And tomorrow, brother and I will mop the floors together. We promise to make them spotless.”
Under my reign of terror, the two of them had become very good at reporting their completed chores.
Damn it!
How could I let them
get
the upper hand?
I grabbed my phone, opened a browser, and searched for ‘scariest stories for kids.‘
As expected.
The next day, the two of them went to school with dark circles under their eyes.
I even used a bit of eyeshadow to accentuate the dark rings, hoping some concerned soul would notice my wicked-
stepmotherly work and report me.
Then my husband would rush back and finally kick me out.
Heh, heh, heh…