Your ex-wife didnât leave you because of me. She didnât abandon her little girl because of a couple of love notes in your jeans pocket. She left because sheâs twisted, and she wanted to punish you. And sheâs not finished yet. You have to believe me. If you donât, thereâs no knowing what sheâll do next⌠Becoming a stepmother is the best thing that ever happened to me. My favorite part of every day is picking Charlie up from school, watching her little rucksack bounce behind her as she skips over for a hug. I love the feel of those thin freckled arms around my waist. After a few rocky months of panic attacks when her mother deserted her, Charlie is flourishing. But the day Charlieâs mother Bronwyn returns without warningâshowering Charlie with gifts and making promises she canât keepâfear ripples through me. When I raise my concerns, no one wants to listen. I know I sound like the jealous new wife, but nothing is more important to me than Charlieâs safety. Bronwyn and I have history. We both have dark secrets in our past, and I know the dangerous lengths she will go to get what she wants. But Bronwyn doesnât know me as well as I know her. She doesnât know just how far I will go to protect that little girlâŚ