The rest of the weekend passed uneventfully. My stepbrother and I both had summer internships at his mother’s company. He was the legacy Mr. Future CEO in training. Me? It just looked good on my résumé. I had no desire to climb the corporate ladder. Today was a blur of learning names, filing paperwork, and collecting a fine collection of papercuts. But the busywork was a blessing; it kept my mind off that lying, cheating...

The package was small and plain, unremarkable. I carried it inside, pulled at the tape, and drew out a velvet pouch. I loosened the drawstring… and froze. My face burned. A vibrator. Sleek. Polished. The kind of thing that looked like it belonged in a boutique store behind glass. I almost dropped it, but then noticed the folded slip of paper tucked beneath the pouch. My fingers shook as I unfolded it. “Wear it at these ti...