Chapter 1: Scandal in the Messages

Mom asked me to upgrade her phone, so I spent the morning setting up her brand-new iPhone 14. The second I finished and powered it on, three fresh Facebook Messenger notifications flashed across the screen.

As the screen glowed in the dim kitchen, the notifications buzzed like the neon signs outside a roadside bar—each one more jarring than the last.

“Oh wow, he’s so handsome and put-together. I’m seriously into it!”

“Older men are the best. There’s just something about a guy who knows how to treat a woman.”

“Should we meet up? Bring whatever we’ll need—my treat!”

My eyes shot up to the contact name at the top: Benny White.

Oh. My. God.

Is my mom... cheating on Dad?

01

My heart hammered in my chest, palms slick with sweat as I fumbled and dropped the phone onto the hardwood with a loud crack.

For a split second, I thought I’d shattered it. Then Mom’s voice cut through from the kitchen, sharp as ever.

“Why are you tossing my phone around like that? You’re going to break something before noon! All you do is hang around the house!” Mom launched into her usual morning scolding, oblivious to the tears prickling in my eyes.

Put-together and charming! Knows how to sweep a lady off her feet! Bring whatever you’ll need!

Horrific mental images crashed through my mind, each one more dramatic than the last—like every Lifetime movie trainwreck rolled into one.

“That’s still better than going out and causing trouble!” I blurted, springing up from the couch and startling both Mom and Dad. Dad was stretched out, half-watching an old John Wayne western, a bowl of popcorn in his lap.

Dad nearly tossed his popcorn, his glasses sliding down his nose. Mom just shot me a blank look, muttered, “Crazy,” and retreated to the kitchen.

The longer I thought about it, the more my stomach twisted. I glanced over at my unsuspecting dad and couldn’t hold back the wave of sadness. I threw myself into his arms.

“Jeez, kid, you about gave me a heart attack!”

He patted my back awkwardly, caught between concern and total confusion.

I bit my lip, squared my shoulders, and looked up at this old man.

He wasn’t exactly a looker, and he was definitely getting up there in years. His face was weathered, he sometimes forgot to brush his teeth, and I’d lost count of the times he came in from the garage without washing his hands...

But! But...

Damn, there really is no but...

Did this man really have no one in the world who cared about him?

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that if Mom was cheating, well... it was almost understandable...

At that thought, I smacked my own cheek. Get a grip, Samantha! What kind of daughter thinks like that?

“Sammy, don’t beat yourself up!”

Dad straightened, startled, blinking at me as if I’d started speaking in Klingon.

I sighed, craned my neck to make sure Mom was still busy in the kitchen, and whispered, “Dad, I just saw Mom messaging someone named Benny White!”

Dad, still half-absorbed in the western shootout on TV, grinned and replied, “Sure, sure, your mom’s a real Wonder Woman.”

“...”

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I tried again, “Dad, it’s Benny White. You know, Benny White!”

“Yeah, yeah, your mom’s Betty White.”

Speechless.

This poor old man had no clue his wife might be stepping out.

But maybe that was for the best. I couldn’t just drop the bomb on him; losing both wife and daughter at his age would break him. But I couldn’t just let this go, either.

So I made up my mind:

I, Samantha Miller, a 29-year-old single woman, will defend the peace and unity of my family at all costs!