Tutor by Day, Stepmom in Her Dreams

I shrugged.

“My dad is the Alexander Hayes you’re talking about.”

“What did you say?”

Brooks’ mouth fell open in disbelief, then her face lit up with almost manic excitement.

“I can’t believe my luck! I took a part-time tutoring job and ended up in the richest family in the country!”

“Wait—could it be that he saw my photo and…”

Her cheeks flushed for no reason, but when she turned back to me, her face twisted into the same nasty sneer as before.

“You spoiled brat! Spending so much on stationery—what man would ever marry you?”

“Do you know how hard your father works to make money? What a tragedy for a family to have such a waste of a daughter!”

As she spoke, she jabbed her manicured finger hard against my forehead, like some old-time mistress scolding a servant girl.

I slapped her hand away.

“My dad’s money is his to spend on me—what’s it to you? You’re not my mother. Since when do you get to feel sorry for him about how he spends his money?”

“Instead of worrying about whether I’ll get married, why not worry about yourself?”

Brooks clearly hadn’t expected me to talk back. She looked like she was about to slap me, then suddenly stopped, as if something had just occurred to her. Her expression shifted into giddy delight.

“You’re right. Why didn’t I think of that before?”

Before I could say a word, she was lost in her own little world, giggling to herself as she opened her book, claiming she was going to teach me.

I’d never met anyone so unhinged. I wanted to replace her immediately, but my dad had told me that morning he’d be accompanying my mom on the Alaska wilderness research expedition and would be out of contact for a week. I had no way to reach them.

We’d barely gone through two problems when Brooks, working through the final one, wrote down a completely wrong equation.

“Ms. Brooks, I think this equation’s wrong,” I said, jotting down the correct version on my scratch paper.

She reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up and smacking the back of my head.

“I did that on purpose! I wanted to see if you were paying attention!”

“And what’s with your attitude? You should be speaking to me with more respect!”

“To make sure you learn your lesson, write this equation one hundred times—no, a thousand!”

“I’ll sit right here and watch. You’re not eating until you finish!”

My temper finally snapped.

“I’ve never been physically punished in my life—who do you think you are? Even the best teachers don’t make up ridiculous rules like yours!”

“Get out of my house! I don’t ever want you teaching me again!”

I’d been top of my class every year. I didn’t even need a tutor—my parents had only hired one to help me prepare for the Hayes University Junior Program entrance exam next year. All she was supposed to do was watch me work and explain when necessary.

But they’d found this lunatic instead, and having her here was a total waste of my time.

Brooks looked like she was about to explode, but the commotion brought Linda and the driver running. They’d never seen me this angry and quickly ushered Brooks out to calm the situation.

That night, she didn’t return.

I thought she’d been sent away for good—until the next day, when she showed up at my door in a skintight mini skirt and heavy makeup.

“Little girl, telling me to leave won’t work. Your dad already said I’m to be your summer tutor!”

She looked smug as she flopped down on the sofa.

Then came the line that made my eye twitch.

“Come over here and massage my legs!”