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Chapter 1: The Maid She Brought to the Lake

My stepmom invited me on a girls' campout just to make me cook and clean for her friends—she had no idea karma was about to catch up with her.

I'm sixteen, and my stepmom, Angela, has never exactly wanted to be my friend.

So when she invited me on a weekend campout with four of her closest friends, I actually thought she was trying to change that.

"It'll be fun," she told Dad.

"Just us girls.

Maybe Lily and I can finally bond."

I should've known better.

The moment we arrived at the lake, Angela and her friends opened the wine and settled into their chairs while I was told to unpack the food, start the barbecue, and set up their plates.

After dinner, Angela pointed at the mountain of greasy dishes.

"Get those washed before you go to bed.

We don't want animals sniffing around."

The next morning, I woke to her shaking my tent because everyone wanted coffee and eggs.

By noon, I'd cooked twice, carried firewood, cleaned the grill, collected their trash, and even walked around spraying mosquito repellent because Angela complained that bugs were ruining her relaxation.

One of her friends laughed.

"Angela, you didn't bring a stepdaughter.

You brought a maid!"

Angela took a sip of her drink and smirked.

"Well, it's good preparation for real life."

My face burned.

That's when I understood there had never been any "bonding trip."

That evening, I was scrubbing another pile of dishes while they sat around the fire when Angela's phone rang.

It was Dad.

Her expression instantly softened.

"Hi, sweetheart!"

They talked for a minute before Dad casually said something that made her eyes light up.

"Oh, sweetheart, I almost forgot.

I put a little surprise in your pink bag before you left."

Angela squealed.

"You did?!"

She rushed into her tent while her friends followed, teasing her that Dad had probably bought her jewelry.

Seconds later, she came back holding something in her hands.

Her face was scarlet.

"What the hell is this?!"

Nobody laughed anymore.

Angela stared at what Dad had placed in her bag, then suddenly turned toward me.

"Did you know about this?!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about."

She shoved the strange "gift" toward me.

And when I finally saw what Dad had left for her—and the message attached to it—I realized he knew exactly about Angela's vicious plan and had decided to teach her a harsh lesson.

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What did Dad put in that bag — and what did the message say?

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Comment **"NEXT"** if you want Part 2.

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