His Step Daughter:His Obsession

Paula's POV

I stood at the front door, clutching my dad's old sweater. It still smelled like him, like home. Everywhere seemed so bright, but all I felt was gloom and dark. Today was the day we buried him and the worst part was, mother wasn't even there.

"Paula, are you ready?" my mom's voice drifted from behind me.

I turned to see her standing at the entrance, so she did manage to come afterwards. Also, she was looking so different; her hair was perfect, her clothes expensive. "I can't believe you came," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Why wouldn't I"

"Because you left us when we needed you the most? You never cared or liked my father?"

"I had to do what was best for me," she said, crossing her arms. "You know how hard life can be."

"Hard? You abandoned me and Dad! You chose a new life over us," I shot back, anger bubbling inside me. I missed my dad so much. Why did he have to leave? Why couldn't it be this selfish and senseless woman!

She flinched, but then her expression hardened. "Look, I made mistakes. But I'm back now. Can we at least try to make this work?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't want anything to do with you. Not now, not ever."

Just then, a loud honk echoed outside. Mom sighed and looked at me with that annoyed expression she always had. "We have to go. Get in the car."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I replied defiantly.

Mom stepped forward, frustration written on her face. "You think this is easy for me? This isn't just about you, Paula!"

"I don't care! Just leave me alone." My voice cracked as I thought about my dad lying in that cold, dark ground.

And then her guards stepped in. I didn't even notice them at first, but one of them grabbed my arm gently but firmly. "Miss Paula, your mother asked you to come with her."

"No!" I screamed, pulling away. "Let me go!"

But they were too strong. They bundled me toward the vehicle, and my protests turned into desperate cries. "You can't do this! I don't want to go!"

"Stop this nonsense, Paula! I'm doing this for your own good!" Mom shouted, her voice rising over my protests.

Finally, they pushed me into the backseat of the shiny black car. I sat there in fury and was as confused as hell, as Mom slid in beside me. I glared at her, pressing down the urge to go off on her. "You think you can just waltz back into my life after all these years?"

She looked out the window, silent for a moment. "I know I messed up, but you need to understand, I had no choice."

"Really? You had no choice but to leave us?" I snapped.

The car drove off, and the city blurred past. I stared out, feeling trapped and miserable. "What about Dad? You didn't care about him, did you?"

Her face twisted in a mix of anger and sadness. "It wasn't like that. He was sick, and I couldn't watch him suffer."

I couldn't believe her. "You could have stayed! You could have helped us through it!"

"Do you even hear yourself? I was drowning, Paula!" She turned to face me, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I didn't want to go, but I had to survive."

"By leaving me and Dad behind?" I shot back, crossing my arms tightly.

"I thought about you every single day!" she insisted, exasperation coloring her voice.

"Yeah, sure." I rolled my eyes.

As we drove, I couldn't shake the feeling of resentment. How could she act like this was okay? I wanted to scream, but I kept quiet.

Eventually, we arrived at a grand house, bordered with expensive cars and tall gates. It looked like something out of a movie. I couldn't help but feel a pang of disgust. This was what Mom chose instead of us.

"Welcome to my new home," she said softly, almost proud.

"Your home?" I echoed, bitterness creeping into my voice. "This is the life you chose while Dad was dying?"

She narrowed her eyes at me, a flash of annoyance crossing her face. "It's not like that, Paula. You don't understand-"

"Understand what? That you sold out?" I scoffed, stepping out of the car.

Mom followed behind me, her heels clicking on the marble floor as we entered the house. I couldn't believe how lavish everything was. But the beauty of it all felt tainted. It disgusted me to my very own being.

Before I could say anything else, a man descended the staircase, and I froze. He was tall, wearing expensive clothes, and he had a smug look on his face.

"Who's this?" he asked, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and looking between Mom and me.

"This is my daughter, Paula," Mom said, her voice colder than before. "Paula, meet Andre, my husband."

My mind went blank for a moment. "Husband?" I repeated as my heart raced. "You're married to this man?" She got married to this very same bastard?!

"Of course," Mom replied, her tone sharp. "I needed to move on."

Andre stepped closer, a predatory glint in his eyes. "It's nice to finally meet you, Paula. Your mother has told me so much about you."

"Yeah, I bet she has," I replied bitterly as I took in his expression. So he was pretending not to know me. The day I found out what my mother really was-she never mentioned him. She only talked about her struggles.

"What do you mean by that?" Andre asked, eyebrows raised.

"Just that you seem to be quite a catch for her," I scoffed. "Did you marry her for the money, or did she sweeten the deal somehow?"

"Paula!" Mom yelled, her voice echoing off the walls.

"No, let her speak," Andre said, a smile creeping onto his face as though he enjoyed my outburst. "How about a little honesty?"

I couldn't stand the way he looked at me, like I was some entertainment. "I don't need your games," I shot back.

Mom frowned, obviously annoyed, and the news only only fueled my anger. "This is not right, Mom! You just expect me to be okay with all of this?"

"I never said that," she replied, frustration evident in her voice. "I just want you to understand things were complicated for me. I only want what's best for you."

"Best for me? You mean throwing me into your perfect little world?" I shouted. "What about my world? You know nothing about what I've been through while you were out living in luxury!"

Andre intervened, trying to calm the tension. "Paula, it's not as simple as you think. Your mother has had her struggles too."

"Struggles? You think a one-night stand was a struggle?" I felt the heat rising in me, and I pointed a finger at him. "You don't get to act like you know anything about my life."

"Enough!" Mom stormed between us, the weight of her anger palpable. "You need to start respecting my choices, Paula."

"So you want me to just let you walk all over me?" I shot back, feeling my heart pound in my chest. "You abandoned me! Don't come here pretending to care now just because you have a shiny new life."

Andre cleared his throat, stepping forward again. "I think you need time to adjust to all of this, Paula. You can't expect everything to change overnight."

"I don't want to adjust to anything," I said coldly. "I just want my dad back."

"Paula, it's going to take time," Mom insisted, pain flickering across her features. I could see she was affected, but I didn't care.

"Time? Time for what?" I yelled. "To forgive you for everything you did? For leaving me with a dying father?"

The silence that followed was thick, each of us grappling with our own wounds. The tears I felt at the back of my throat threatened to spill again, but I blinked them away. I didn't want to cry.

"Maybe this was a mistake," I finally murmured, my voice softening. But I was still furious. "Maybe I should have stayed where I was."

"Paula..." Mom started, but I turned away, wanting to escape the mess we had all created. Would I ever understand her? Could I forgive her?

I looked at Andre, then back at my mom, my heart heavy and I felt like I could commit murder in that moment. "I think I need some time alone. Please, both of you, stay the fuck away from me."

"You can't just–"

"Unless you can bring the parent I want, even if it's with replacing yourself with him, fuck off woman."

Paula's POV

I knew the words I had said to mother stung because after that, she barely said two words to me but I didn't care. Days blurred into weeks that hellish afternoon when I'd met my mom's husband who was also a person I despised more than herself, Andre. I tried to forget how it felt to have him in my life again and so suddenly as well. Who was I kidding, it was fucking hard!

I was back at school, avoiding all thoughts of my family drama. My dad was dead, and I couldn't shake the heavy feelings that kept trooping in.

As I walked to my class that morning, I was contemplating what was the best way to avoid the icy dinner I was going to be forced to have with mother. I couldn't stand to see her.

I was taken aback by who I saw at right at the entrance of the class I was supposed to get into

Andre stood there, looking just as polished as always. "What is he doing here?" I whispered to myself. I didn't want to deal with him right now.

"Paula!" he called out, waving like he wasn't the biggest eyesore I had ever seen. I pretended not to see him and turned quickly to make my way to class. He rushed to catch up with me.

"Hey, wait up!" he said, trying to sound cheerful instead of desperate.

I quickened my pace, keeping my head down. "I have class," I muttered, hoping he'd take the hint. Even if I was going in the opposite direction.

"Come on, don't be like that," he said, his voice dropping a little. "You sure left home in a bad mood this morning."

"That's no business of yours." I replied curtly. I didn't want to talk to him-any of him.

"Really? Because I noticed you've been avoiding me," he pointed out, sticking close as we walked through the crowded halls.

"Maybe I just don't want to talk to you," I snapped. "You've got your life with Mom. Why do you care?"

He looked taken aback for a moment, then shook his head. "It's not like that, Paula. I swear I'm glad to see you."

"Glad to see me?" I couldn't help but scoff. "You must be kidding. You're probably just happy to see me so you can let me know how much better your life is now."

"Trust me, that's not it," he insisted. But even as he said it, there was something in his eyes. A flicker of relief, maybe? I didn't want to read too much into it. Also, did the man have absolutely nothing to do? Following me around like he was jobless.

Before I could respond, I spotted a group of my classmates laughing and chatting. I made a beeline for them, hoping to leave Andre behind. But he kept following me.

"Paula!" Andre called again, more insistently this time.

Ignoring him, I turned into the classroom and took my seat. I buried my head into my books, trying to focus. But he wouldn't quit.

I could feel him nearby, moving to the front of the room where he could watch me. My stomach twisted. I wanted to scream.

Then, during lunch, I found a quiet corner in the cafeteria. I just wanted to eat my sandwich and not deal with Andre. But, of course, he found me.

"There you are!" he said, sitting down across from me.

"Seriously, can't you take a hint? You don't have work or are you one of those jobless adults who seem like a bother" I shot back, glaring at him.

"I missed having you around, Paula. Plus I wanted to talk. It's really good to see you again," he said, trying to lean forward, but I pulled back. Was he insane?

"Who are you to say you miss me? You've been with my mom, living in that big house, probably enjoying all the things I couldn't have with my father " I replied, irritated.

"That's not fair," he said, furrowing his brow. "I wouldn't say my life is perfect. I know it's complicated for you."

"Complicated? Try being in my shoes for a day," I snapped.

Then Andre smirked. "Well, let's make it interesting. How about I set a little trap for you? You'll see I'm not the bad guy you think I am."

"What do you mean by a trap?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"You'll see. Are you willing to take the risk?"

I felt irritated. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Moments later, as I walked out of the cafeteria, I could feel him trailing behind me. I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore him. Then, out of the blue, I stumbled on a piece of loose flooring. I lost my balance and fell right into Andre's arms.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, laughing softly.

"Ugh! Let me go!" I shouted, pushing him away. I couldn't believe he had pulled that stunt on me. I stumbled back, my face flushed with anger.

"I swear I miss you, Paula. I really do," he said, eyes sincere as he looked at me.

"Yeah? Well, I miss my dad!" I shouted, fists clenching. "And I was doing just fine before you started messing with my life! Also, what's with the sappy attitude."

Caught up in my anger, I punched him hard on the arm. "You don't even get to act like you care!"

Andre raised an eyebrow, surprised but not angry. "Okay, okay! I deserve that. Just... just think about it, alright?"

I glared at him, heart racing before I walked away. "I don't need anything from you!"

That evening, I found myself at home, pacing my room. What a day. My life felt like a never-ending rollercoaster. I needed some space from everyone, especially Andre.

"I want nothing to do with the bastard anyway." Unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side because, the next morning, out of nowhere, I got an email.

"Welcome to Andre's Academy!" the subject read. My heart dropped. Was he really enrolling me in his school?

I opened the email hesitantly. "I have a spot just for you. Let's start fresh. Come see me," it said.

I slammed my laptop shut, irritation bubbling inside me. There was no way I was going to his academy. But deep down, I felt a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. Why was he doing this?

A few days later, I reluctantly made my way to Andre's Academy, half-expecting to turn around at any moment. When I stepped inside, I felt out of place right away. Everyone was wearing something friggin branded and I was putting on a simple dress and a scarf! WHAT THE HELL!

As I walked down the hallway, a girl approached me. She had a mean look in her eyes and a troop of friends flanking her.

"Well, well, if it isn't an abandoned looking newbie." she sneered. "You think you belong here? With your cheap looking clothes and hair?"

What the fuck? Was this high-school to her?

"Excuse me, who are you?"

"I am The Erica. Not like I'd expect a lowlife like you to know me of course."

Did she get lost in her high school era?

"What do you want, Erica?" I replied, annoyance creeping in.

"Oh, just making sure you know you don't fit in," she said, flicking her hair. Then she moved closer, pushing me a little. "You should leave before you embarrass yourself more."

"Duly noted little missy. Now please move," I said, trying to stand my ground.

"Why? You want to cry like a baby?" she teased, and her friends giggled behind her.

Just as I felt my face heat up with anger, I heard a voice from behind us.

"Everything okay here?" Andre said, stepping in.

Erica turned her head, almost surprised to see him. "S–sir!"

"What is going on here?"

"N–nothing." Erica stuttered as Andre scrutinised her.

"Very well, it better be," Andre replied as he looked at her. "You, will leave her be. Regardless of what you might call yourself. She's a student here and bullying isn't tolerated"

"A-a student?" Erica asked as if she didn't get the memo

I rolled my eyes, wanting to disappear entirely.

Andre stepped closer to me, as if coming to my defense. Did he seriously have nothing to do asides hover like a pesky fly. "You're not going to bully her. If I hear anything like that again, I will make sure you face the consequences."

"Of course sir," Erica huffed before walking away with her friends, shooting daggers back at me.

I walked away from him towards the class.

"Not even a thank you?" He yelled.

I didn't glance back at him. He just made my day worse.

CHAPTER 3

Paula's POV

The sun was barely up, but my mother's voice already filled the house screaming my name "Paula! You need to clean your room! What have you been doing all day?"

I rolled my eyes, still lying in bed, wishing I could deafen my ears. "Why don't you just leave me alone? I'm not your maid!"

"Excuse me?" She stormed into my room, hands on her hips. "You think you can talk to me like that? I do everything to provide for you!"

"Is that why you left me and Dad when we needed you?" I shot back, feeling bitter "You think living with Andre is your golden ticket or something?"

She frowned, her lips twisting in anger. "Don't even start with that. Andre is a good man! He's giving us a life I couldn't have otherwise."

"Giving us a life? Or giving you a life of luxury you didn't earn?" I spat, standing up to face her. "You think that makes up for everything?"

"Paula, I am trying to be the best mother I can be! It's not easy!" she yelled, her voice echoing off the walls.

"Easy for you? You left us! You were never there!" I slammed my door behind her as she exited, shutting out the chaos.

I leaned against my door, breathing heavily. I thought I could finally find some peace, but that thought was shattered when I heard laughter coming from the living room.

Curiosity peeked through my anger, so I tiptoed out to sneak a glance. I stopped in my tracks when I saw them. My mom and Andre were cuddled together on the couch, their faces too close.

"Andre, you're so handsome," my mom purred, leaning in closer.

I felt a knot in my stomach as they shared a laugh. "You know you're even more beautiful." Andre replied, a smile softening his features.

I turned my head slightly, trying to see better without them noticing me. But then I saw it. My mom brushed her fingers through his hair, her eyes sparkling.

My heart raced, and I felt something deep inside me reel. Jealousy? Anger? I couldn't tell. How could she be so affectionate with him, acting like she hadn't just spent the morning yelling at me? Also, why was he all over her? How could he

"Why don't we go somewhere private?" she whispered, her voice husky.

I couldn't take it anymore. I burst into the room, fury boiling over. "What is going on here?"

They jumped apart, guilt flashing across Andre's face while my mom quickly tried to compose herself. "Paula!" she exclaimed. "This isn't what it looks like!"

"Really? Because it looks like you're trying to get down with him while you're still in mourning for my father!" I shouted, fists clenching at my sides.

"Don't talk to me like that!" she yelled back, fury reflected in her eyes.

I stepped forward, driven by anger. "Why don't you just stop pretending for once, Mom? You think you toy with men's feelings, and they won't reject you later?"

"Watch your mouth, you little brat!" she hissed.

In a moment of rage, she swung my arm, hitting me across the face. The pain stung as I glared at her.

"Maybe this is all your fault!" I yelled, breathless. "Maybe you're the reason Dad is dead! You were busy trying to find some rich guy instead of taking care of your family!"

Her expression shifted from shock to disbelief. "How dare you say that?!"

"I dare because it's true! I'm sorry I'm stuck with you!" I stormed out of the room, the taste of anger still heavy on my tongue.

As I walked down the hallway, my mind was racing. I had always blamed her for Dad's death, but now it felt like there was a way to show her what it really meant to be abandoned. If she could take what she wanted from me, maybe I could do the same to her.

That night, as I lay in bed, I had an idea What if I played a game with her? What if I took my mother's happiness from her just like she had taken my father?

It was decided then, I was going to take her man and the source of her happiness and make him mine. She was going to grovel for it.

The next day, I observed Andre , trying to figure out how to get close to him without revealing my intentions. He was always in the living room, reading or watching TV when I got home from school.

Maybe I should try being sweet to him, maybe even flirty. That evening, I walked into the living room when he was alone.

"Ermm.. Hi?" I said, adopting a soft voice. "How was your day?"

He looked up in surprise, giving me a charming smile. "You're asking me?"

"Ye–yes?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to try being nice?!" I glared and he chuckled.

"You look like steam is about to come off your head. Calm down and I'm just relaxing, Paula. How was school?"

"Boring, like always," I replied, leaning against the doorway. "You know, I've been thinking about what you said the other day. About how you care about me. I'm really sorry that I blew you off. I've been feeling so down lately."

"Of course I care," he said, his brow furrowing slightly. "You're part of my family now."

"Right," I said, stepping closer. My plan was to soften him up. "You're really nice to me, you know? Mom doesn't always treat me well."

"Parents can be tough sometimes and she loves," he replied, trying to sound understanding.

I noticed how he shifted in his seat as I moved even closer. "Yeah, but you always seem to look out for me. Why is that."

I could see him hesitate, and it made me almost smirk. It was working. Andre shifted again, looking a little uncomfortable .

Just then, my mom called out from the kitchen. "Andre! Are you coming to help me with dinner?"

"Just a minute!" he called back, his gaze returning to me. "Paula, you should really help your mom."

"Maybe," I said. "We'll talk later?"

He stared at me as I shifted in my seat again then said, "Let's finish this conversation later, okay?"

"Sure," I replied casually but knew I had to kick things up a notch. I didn't care if I was going too fast. I had to get him falling as soon as possible.

The next time I saw him alone, I decided to wear one of my best outfits and it was a bit–revealing but the more that showed, the better. "Hey, Andre," I greeted.

"Paula! You look nice," he said, his eyes widening as he took me in.

"Thanks! I was just wondering if I could go somewhere or do something but I don't want to go alone or with my mom. Eugh."

"Uh, what do you have in mind?" he

"Maybe we could watch a movie together?" I suggested, leaning in a little more, playing my cards right.

"Sure, I suppose that could be nice," he replied, though I could see him glancing toward the kitchen.

Then, just when I thought I had him right where I wanted, I heard my mom's voice from the hallway. "Andre! Dinner's ready!"

The moment shattered like glass. Andre looked torn, and my stomach twisted with frustration. Why did she have to fucking ruin everything?!

"Guess I have to go," he said, standing up. "Let's continue this later?"

I forced a smile, but inside I seethed. "Yeah, later," I said, watching him leave, feeling like I had missed my chance.

The next few days were beginning to look like a dud. Just as I made progress, my mom would decide to swoop in, stealing attention away. Once, I walked in right as she kissed him on the cheek. My heart sank, that familiar jealousy stirring again.

"Paula, you're back!" she said cheerfully, trying to act all innocent.

"Yeah," I replied with a tight smile. "Just wanted to see what you were both up to."

"Oh, just talking." Andre smiled, but I felt the distance in his words as he stared at me instead.