The Ultimate Unbothered Stepmom

Everyone in the Manhattan elite knew my billionaire husband was two decades older than me. Winston only married me to babysit his wild kids.

A multimillion dollar monthly allowance and zero pressure to pop out babies of my own? I agreed immediately!

Then the live feed comments hit me with a massive red flag—the "true heroine," their biological mother, was coming back. Her master plan?

Kick the evil stepmother to the curb and leave me homeless. She wants to snatch my fortune? I scoffed, waving my stepkids over. "Listen up, brats.

Go dig out the black card your dad hid in the ceiling and the gold bars stuffed in his loafers. We're hitting the most exclusive club in the city tonight.

We aren't leaving a single cent for that twofaced bitch!" Chapter 1 At my command, the two practically comatose teenagers lounging on the sofa launched to their feet.

Phoenix's eyes gleamed with predatory hunger. "You mean the Amex Centurion the old man hid in the study's ceiling panels?" Kendall hurled her bottle of nail polish across the room. "And the gold bars stuffed inside his vintage loafers in the closet!" I nodded, a swell of maternal pride hitting my chest.

Blood truly is thicker than water—they knew his hiding spots better than I did. "Grab everything. Tonight, we max it out.

Phoenix is paying!" The live feed exploded. [Live Comment]: Is this stepmom psychotic?

She's about to get thrown out with zero alimony and she's pulling this? [Live Comment]: Brooke is literally arriving at the gates right now with the DNA tests.

This is just Elara's dying thrash. [Live Comment]: Just wait until Winston gets home and sees the mansion trashed. He's going to toss that wicked woman onto the pavement himself!

I sneered, staring at the halfburnt Hermès silk scarf I just fished out of the flames. If they wanted an evil stepmother, I might as well just play the part.

Ten minutes later, Phoenix gripped the black card like a lifeline while Kendall cradled the gold bars against her chest.

The most devoted smiles stretched across both their faces. "Mom, which club are we hitting?

I want Cruz and the most expensive male models they have!" Kendall stared at me, practically vibrating with excitement. "The most exclusive VIP lounge in the city.

We're drinking until we pass out—and don't forget to drop your deadbeat dad a location pin." I waved them forward, sweeping out the door with my two ungrateful accomplices.

The second our ride vanished down the driveway, a beatup yellow cab screeched to a halt in front of the mansion gates.

A woman stepped out, trembling in a cheap white sundress, tears already spilling down her cheeks. It was the legendary true heroine herself—Brooke.

She stared at the completely empty, dark driveway. The gutwrenching, tearjerking reunion speech she practiced choked out in her throat.

A sea of question marks flooded the comments. [Live Comment]: Where is everyone?

Didn't the spoilers say they were waiting at home to welcome her? [Live Comment]: Seriously, where the hell did the whole family go?

Chapter 2 At that moment, my two stepkids and I were lounging in Manhattan’s most exclusive VIP suite.

A small fortune in topshelf liquor covered the glass tables, flanked by two rows of male models who looked prettier than boyband idols.

Phoenix popped bottles of vintage champagne while Kendall meticulously inspected the lineup of men.

I slumped deep into the plush velvet sofa, staring at the dozens of missed calls from Winston lighting up my screen. I powered the phone off. He wanted to leave me with nothing?

In his absolute dreams. Brooke definitely had some tricks up her sleeve. She actually managed to track down the club.

The heavy mahogany doors swung open just as Phoenix and I screamed the lyrics to a trashy 2000s club anthem into our microphones.

Nearby, Kendall orchestrated three gorgeous male models to peel her grapes. Brooke stood frozen in the doorway.

Half of her cheap white sundress clung to her skin, soaked from the rain.

She looked like a fragile, battered little flower withering in the storm—the ultimate picture of pathetic vulnerability. It was a jarring contrast to our absolute degenerate chaos.

The live comments immediately flooded my vision. [Live Comment]: Omg, the poor baby!

Her biological kids are right there and they don't even recognize her. [Live Comment]: Elara completely ruined those kids! Dragging teenagers to a place like this?

This just proves she doesn't care about them because they aren't her own blood. [Live Comment]: Look, Brooke is crying! The kids will definitely feel that maternal bond kick in!

Brooke’s eyes instantly reddened, the tears flowing on command. "Phoenix, Kendall… it's Mom." She delivered the word "Mom" with such agonizing, heartbreaking trembling that it could have won an Oscar.

The deafening music abruptly cut off. Phoenix stood frozen, still gripping a bottle of Dom Pérignon by the neck, staring blankly at the soaking woman in the doorway.

Kendall even still had half a grape in her mouth. I arched an eyebrow. I didn't say a word, simply grabbing a slice of watermelon and taking a crisp bite.

When absolutely no one responded, Brooke gritted her teeth and lunged forward, throwing her arms out to embrace Phoenix. "My sweet boy, Mommy missed you so much.

I had my reasons back then, I swear—" "Stop right there!" Phoenix sidestepped with athletic precision, ducking smoothly behind my shoulder. "Who the hell are you, lady?

You reek of cheap soap and poverty. Do not touch my limitededition Balenciaga hoodie." Brooke froze in her tracks.

She stared at her biological son in total shock. "I'm your real mother! Did you forget?

You used to love the homemade pot roast I made for you when you were little." "I hate pot roast.

That’s the old man's favorite." Phoenix cut her off without a shred of mercy, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I only eat A5 Wagyu and Alaskan king crab now.

Can you afford that?" All the color drained from Brooke's face. Her knuckles turned white as she instinctively gripped the frayed hem of her dress.

She just returned to the country—she didn't have a dime to her name, let alone money for Wagyu.

The live comments spiraled into a panic. [Live Comment]: Why is this kid so disgustingly materialistic?! That toxic stepmom brainwashed him! [Live Comment]: Don't cry, Brooke!

Slap the DNA test on the table and force them to see the truth! Brooke’s hands violently shook.

She dug into her cheap canvas tote and pulled out a crumpled, tearstained sheet of paper. "This is the DNA test.

You really are my flesh and blood…" Kendall finally swallowed her grape. She stood up lazily.

She sauntered over to Brooke, raking her eyes up and down the soaking woman before dramatically pinching her nose in disgust. "So what if you're our biological mother?

Can you buy me a Birkin? Can you pay my favorite idol to come massage my feet?" Kendall sneered, tilting her chin up. "If you can't, then why the hell are you back?

To steal our inheritance?" Brooke was completely dumbfounded. This was not how the script was supposed to go!

Chapter 3 Whatever happened to that telepathic motherchild bond and tearful reunion? Winston finally arrived. He pushed the doors open, stepping right into a bizarre scene.

His exwife, Brooke, knelt on the floor, sobbing until she practically hyperventilated.

Meanwhile, his current wife—me—lounged on the velvet sofa with crossed legs, enjoying the frontrow show. And his two precious heirs?

They cowered behind my shoulders, staring at their biological mother like she belonged in a psych ward. "What the hell is going on here?!" Winston roared, his face darkening with fury.

Brooke practically scrambled across the floor, throwing herself at Winston's Italian leather oxfords like he was her savior. "Winston, you're finally here.

I don't blame the kids for rejecting me. It's my fault I was gone so long," she choked out. "But how could she… how could Elara drag them to a place like this?

It's going to ruin them!" A classic guilttrip wrapped in a blatant attack on my parenting. Winston scanned the glass tables littered with empty liquor bottles.

His gaze snagged on Cruz and the other male models shifting awkwardly in the corner. A visible vein throbbed at his temple.

He snapped his glare to me, his eyes lethal. "Elara, is this how you raise my children?" I grabbed a wet wipe and slowly cleaned my fingers. "What?

The billionaire CEO doesn't approve? I'm using your unlimited funds to buy your kids pure, unfiltered joy. Besides, I didn't drag them into anything illegal.

We're just enjoying some music, tossing back some drinks, and—" I jabbed a finger toward the lineup of shirtless men. "Giving your daughter a crash course in male diversity so she doesn't end up scammed by a walking red flag like you." Winston choked on a breath, completely enraged.

The live feed, however, practically vibrated with excitement. [Live Comment]: Okay but wait… the evil stepmom is kind of cooking right now. [Live Comment]: Elara is built different!

She’s serving straight facts! [Live Comment]: Winston, hurry up and help Brooke off the floor! Rekindle the flame! Give us that secondchance romance!

Winston did reach down and haul Brooke off the floor. But the look in his eyes didn't hold a single ounce of the deep, yearning romance the comments begged for.

If anything, he just looked deeply uncomfortable. "It's been a long time. Let's just go home and talk," Winston sighed, running a hand through his hair in defeat.

A flash of triumph cut through Brooke's teary eyes. She shot me a quick, provocative glare. I just shrugged. Let's go home, then.

That mansion hadn't been the home she remembered for a long, long time. The second we stepped through the mansion's double doors, Brooke instantly slipped back into character.

Completely ignoring her damp, shivering state, she sprinted toward the massive marble kitchen to whip up a latenight snack. "Phoenix, Kendall!

Mommy's going to boil some noodles for you. You guys used to devour my homemade soup." Phoenix and Kendall locked eyes.

Pure, unadulterated terror mirrored in both their faces. "Hell no! I want takeout! Order the barbecue!" Phoenix screamed. "I want barbecue too!

Extra spicy!" Kendall shrieked right behind him.

Brooke emerged from the kitchen holding two bowls of depressingly bland, watery noodles just as Cody, the delivery guy, mashed the doorbell.

He hauled in a massive greasy bag of lamb skewers, two overflowing containers of spicy Cajun crawfish, and an entire pack of icecold Coke.

The savory aroma instantly overpowered the scent of the clear broth. The porcelain bowls rattled in Brooke's violently trembling hands. "This… this is all toxic junk food.

It's going to ruin your bodies." I snatched a thick, sizzling lamb skewer and ripped off a massive bite, letting the spicy grease coat my lips. "Brooke, the most important thing in life is to actually enjoy it." I chewed slowly. "Not even a stray dog would touch those depressing noodles." Chapter 4 Brooke took the guest bedroom, but she definitely wasn't playing the polite visitor.

At the crack of dawn, she launched a fullscale purge of the mansion. She called it "minimalism"—a desperate attempt to craft a wholesome environment for the children.

By the time the kids and I rolled out of bed past noon, the house was a warzone. Phoenix’s limitededition collectible was shoved into the trash.

Kendall’s idol posters were ripped down and crushed into balls.

She even dumped my priceless bottle of vintage RomanéeConti straight down the kitchen sink, replacing it with a plastic jug of tap water. "My collectible!

That was a global limited edition! You can't even buy that with money!" Phoenix let out a bloodcurdling, guttural scream.

Kendall immediately broke down, hyperventilating. "My idol! My posters!

Brooke, are you actually psychotic?!" Brooke stood dead center in the living room, tying a floral apron around her waist.

A sickly sweet, innocent mask plastered her face. "Phoenix, Kendall, those toys just take up too much space. They look so childish.

Mommy put them away for you." She offered a gentle, condescending smile. "And those posters… that male idol looks sketchy.

Mommy is doing this for your own good—" The live feed erupted in cheers. [Live Comment]: Brooke is killing it!

She needs to break these kids of their toxic habits! [Live Comment]: Now THAT is a real mother.

Breaking her back for her children's future. [Live Comment]: Elara just spoils them rotten. A true mom actually disciplines.

Those kids will understand Brooke's sacrifice eventually! I leaned against the secondfloor glass railing, watching the absolute circus unfold below.

A sharp, mocking laugh escaped my throat. "Brooke, did you get amnesia?

My name is on the deed to this mansion." I gripped the railing, staring her down. "Who exactly gave you the audacity to trash my belongings in my own house?" Brooke snapped her head up.

Her eyes instantly welled with calculated tears. "Elara, I know you hate me. But the children are innocent!

You can't just indulge their bad habits to buy their love!" She pressed a hand to her chest, her voice trembling with righteous fury. "I am saving them!" What an absolute saint.

Winston stepped off the grand staircase just then. He took in the chaos, his jaw tightening into a hard line.

Brooke instantly threw herself at him, switching into full victim mode. "Winston, look at how Elara ruined them! They're obsessed with garbage! They have zero ambition.

How are they supposed to inherit the family empire like this?" Winston’s gaze dropped to the trashed collectible shoved in the garbage bin.

He had pulled massive strings and cashed in countless favors just to secure that birthday gift for his son.

His eyes shifted to Kendall, whose mascara ran down her cheeks in thick, dark streaks. Finally, his icy stare locked onto Brooke and her sickeningly selfrighteous expression.

The live comments triggered a massive warning wave. [Live Comment]: Here we go! Winston is about to snap! [Live Comment]: He’s definitely siding with Brooke.

She’s just looking out for the heirs. [Live Comment]: Elara is totally screwed. She’s definitely getting evicted now! Everyone expected Winston to rip me apart.

Brooke even shifted her weight, prepping to collapse into his comforting embrace. Instead, Winston drew in a ragged breath. "Brooke.

I bought that collectible." His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "It cost one hundred and twenty thousand dollars." Brooke’s face froze in sheer horror