I never thought one text message from my dad could ruin my entire week. I also didn’t think I’d end up sneaking into a seven-year-old’s birthday party with my grandpa driving like we were on some kind of secret mission. But… that’s exactly what happened. My name’s Britt. I’m 19, in college, almost finished with my freshman year. I only live about twenty minutes from my dad’s house, so usually, whenever I get a break from school, I stop by. At least, I used to. Things got messy after Dad

I was only eleven years old when I found out that some fathers don’t just walk away—they throw you out like you’re nothing. The memory is burned into me forever. The front door slammed, and in came my dad with a strange woman. Her perfume was so strong it stung my nose, and her high heels clicked on the hardwood floor like a countdown to disaster. Her name was Paula. I wouldn’t know that until later. Dad had his arm around her shoulders like she was his new prize, like

Every single time my in-laws came to visit, my sassy mother-in-law, Monica, claimed our bedroom like it was her royal throne. She shoved my things aside, lit her heavy-scented candles, and treated the space as if it were her own personal spa. But one day, I decided enough was enough. I came up with a plan—one that would leave her begging for the guest room instead. I sat on the couch, watching the clock tick with dread. Exactly seventeen minutes from now, Hurricane Monica would arrive. And when she arrived,