The narrator, a Canadian girl named Grace, recounts her difficult childhood as a social outcast with social anxiety. She was raised by her single father, a lawyer, who was devoted to her and tried to make up for her mother's absence. When Grace was 14, her father met Angela, a woman with two children, Eva and Fred. Despite initial resistance from Grace, the family eventually blended, with Angela trying to be a good stepmother. However, tensions arose between Grace and Eva, who had different personalities. As time passed, Grace began to open up to Angela, but her perception of her stepmother changed when she overheard Angela talking about leaving her father and selling his valuable possessions. Confronting Angela, Grace's father sided with his new wife, causing a rift between Grace and her father. Later, Eva revealed that she had used a fake voice app to create the conversation that caused the misunderstanding, and she apologized for her actions. The story concludes with Grace and Eva reconciling and deciding to tell their parents the truth, hoping to repair their relationships.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The narrator, Grace, is from Canada.
2. She was raised by her single father, a lawyer.
3. Her father worked long hours but always made time for her.
4. Grace struggled with social anxiety and making friends as a child.
5. When she was 14, her father met someone named Angela and decided to get married.
6. Angela had two children, Eva and Fred, who became Grace's step-siblings.
7. Grace was initially resistant to the idea of her father getting married and having step-siblings.
8. Angela turned out to be a kind and caring person who tried to win Grace over.
9. Eva, on the other hand, was mean and manipulative towards Grace.
10. Despite initial difficulties, Grace began to warm up to Angela and even started calling her "mom".
11. However, Eva's behavior continued to cause tension in the household.
12. One day, Grace overheard Angela talking about leaving her father and taking the children with her, which made Grace realize that Angela didn't actually love her or her father.
13. However, it was later revealed that Eva had used a fake voice app to make it seem like Angela was saying those things, in an attempt to break up her mother and Grace's father.
14. Eva confessed to her actions and apologized to Grace, explaining that she was jealous of the attention Angela was giving Grace.
15. Grace and Eva eventually made amends and worked together to repair their relationship with their parents.