Every Sunday, like clockwork, Josh would return from his mom’s house a different kid — quiet, withdrawn, and short-tempered. Olivia noticed the shift immediately and urged her husband, Patrick, to talk to him. But Josh shut down, offering only vague answers and retreating into silence. Olivia’s heart ached as the bright, cheerful boy she once knew seemed to fade away each week.
She tried everything to lift his spirits — cooking his favorite meals, planning movie nights, even baking together — but nothing worked. Patrick brushed it off as typical tension with his ex-wife, but Olivia sensed something deeper. Still, she held back, unsure of her place as a stepmother. That all changed the day she overheard Josh talking to Linda on the porch, thanks to the house’s security camera.
The live feed revealed everything: Linda had been pressuring Josh to steal from their home — toiletries, cash, even jewelry — to help pay off her debts. Josh, clearly overwhelmed and frightened, begged her to stop. He confessed how much he hated lying to his dad and to Olivia. Olivia was stunned, her heart breaking for her stepson and the burden he’d been forced to carry.
Without a second thought, she rushed outside and confronted Linda. Linda tried to defend herself, blaming her actions on desperation and money problems. But Olivia didn’t back down. She offered financial help — on one condition: Josh would stay with them, and the manipulation would end immediately. As Linda left in defeat, Josh collapsed into tears, apologizing over and over.
Olivia pulled him into a hug and whispered, “It’s going to be okay. We’ll fix this — together.”