THE TRAP DOOR TRUTH Freddy sat stiffly in the lawyer’s office, forcing himself to keep a straight face. He wasn’t about to give Mark—the smug, overconfident fiancé of his sister Hazel—the satisfaction of seeing any emotion. Mark was already grinning like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland, leaning in close to Hazel like he owned everything. “Mr. Schneider, but why did I get the main house?” Hazel interrupted, her voice small but curious. She hadn’t even waited for the lawyer to finish reading the will. Freddy glanced over and

Kira’s Quiet Revenge: The Goodbye That Set Her Free For years, I kept telling myself the same lie. “It’s not personal.” I repeated it every time I wasn’t invited to a family dinner. Every time I saw the birthday brunch photos after the fact. Ryan with his arm around his mother, Diane, his sister’s kids giggling with cake all over their faces. No one ever saved me a seat. No one even told me there was a seat to begin with. If I asked, I’d just get a dismissive, “You

I’ve always believed that good interior design can say more than a thousand words. It’s like a silent story whispered through colors, textures, and light. So when my mother-in-law, Barbara, who loves to think of herself as a social queen, asked if she could celebrate her 60th birthday in my apartment — my “gorgeous space,” as she put it — I said yes without hesitation. “Of course,” I smiled brightly. “That won’t be a problem at all!” My name is Arielle. I’m an interior designer, and my apartment is my