Alex had always been the center of his dad's world. At 18, he was the only child from his parents' marriage, and after his mom left when he was 10, it was just him and Dad against the world. They fished on weekends, watched football marathons, and shared inside jokes that made Alex feel unbreakable. But then Dad met Lisa, a single mom with a daughter named Mia, who was 17 and all smiles and curves. The wedding came fast, and suddenly, Alex's life cracked open. Mia moved in, with her pink bedroom decor and endless chatter, and Dad's eyes lit up for her in ways that twisted Alex's gut.