“‘Not Everything Goes Smoothly for Me,’ Said Helen. ‘My Stepfather Is Always Telling Me Off.’ ‘So, what’s your name, little cutie?’ The stranger crouched down beside her. ‘Helen!’ the girl replied. ‘And you?’ ‘I’m Charles. Your mum and I are going to live together. Now it’s us – you, me, and your mum – we’re a family!’ Soon, mum and Helen moved in with Charles. He had a spacious three-bedroom flat where Helen got her own room. Charles was kind, always buying Helen sweets and toys. Her dad only called when he wanted to argue with mum. One day, mum told Helen that dad had a new family and had moved away. Helen felt hurt – she loved her dad. Mum could shout and give her a smack, but dad never did. Helen remembered mum yelling at dad during the divorce – she even tried to hit him. The girl would never forget her mother’s parting words to her father: ‘Don’t think you were the first to cheat on me! You’ve had horns for ages, like a stag!’ After that, mum packed up their things and took Helen to live at grandma’s. Helen never understood what mum meant about dad having horns, since he was bald and didn’t even have hair. That was the end of mum and dad. Things with Charles were fine until Helen went to primary school. She didn’t like school, misbehaved at break, so mum and Charles were often called in. Sometimes Charles went instead of mum. He took Helen’s education seriously and helped with homework. ‘You’re nothing to me, so you can’t boss me around!’ Helen sometimes repeated things she’d heard from grandma. ‘Actually, I’m your father now – I’m the one feeding and clothing you,’ Charles replied. When Helen turned ten, her dad returned to town. By then, she understood what having ‘horns’ meant, and said to her mum, ‘His new wife probably cheated too – that’s why he left her.’ When dad came back, he asked to see Helen; mum agreed. They were happy to be together again. ‘How are you?’ dad asked. ‘Not great,’ Helen replied. ‘My stepdad always tells me off.’ ‘He’s not your real dad; who is he to shout at you?’ dad fumed. ‘Even grandma says so, but he doesn’t care.’ Helen exaggerated; Charles never raised his voice – she just wanted dad to worry about her. ‘I’ll deal with it,’ dad promised. During a park visit, they learned that kids could use only eight of the slides alone – for the rest, adults had to join. Dad wouldn’t let her go. Helen then told her birthday was coming and she dreamed of a new smartphone. When mum arrived, she insisted that Charles never shouted at Helen, but dad didn’t listen. ‘My dad’s a real penny-pincher!’ Helen told Charles. ‘He didn’t buy me anything in the park except an ice cream. I just got a walk – that’s it. Charles, you’re better than my dad.’ ‘Let’s fix your dad’s mistake and spend the weekend at the kids’ fun centre!’ But the trip was cancelled due to Charles’s work crisis. He ignored the hint about the new smartphone. ‘Dad, Charles lied to me!’ Helen sobbed to her father. ‘He said we’d go to the fun centre, then said I didn’t deserve the trip or a new smartphone.’ The tall tale worked like magic – dad bought her a phone. Last time he ignored hints, but this time he fulfilled her wish, even if it was only a budget version. ‘Couldn’t you wait for your birthday?’ Charles asked. ‘I want a dog!’ Helen replied. ‘No way! You won’t want to walk it, as usual!’ Charles said. Hearing this, Helen had a meltdown and called her dad, sobbing: ‘Dad, please take me away! Charles is picking on me!’ Everyone started arguing and sorting things out. Helen was sent to grandma’s, mum came too, and said she was leaving Charles. Her dad got back with his wife as she was pregnant. Now Helen wouldn’t get a new smartphone or a dog, and grandma definitely wouldn’t let her have even a cat!”

“Not everything’s going perfectly for me,” replied Charlotte. “My stepdad is always telling me off.”

“So, what’s your name, little beauty?” The stranger bent down beside the girl.

“Charlotte!” she answered. “And you?”

“I’m David. Your mum and I are going to live together. Now it’s the three of usyou, your mum, and mewe’re a family!”

Soon enough, Charlotte and her mum moved in with David. Her stepdad had a spacious three-bedroom flat in Manchester, and Charlotte got her own room. David treated her kindly, constantly bringing her sweets and toys, while her father only called whenever he fancied an argument with her mum.

That was when Charlotte’s mum explained that her dad had a new family and had moved away. Charlotte felt heartbrokenshe loved him. Mum sometimes shouted at her and gave her the occasional slap, but her dad never did anything of the sort. Charlotte vividly recalled her parents’ divorce, how her mum had screamed at her dad and nearly struck him. One sentence from her mum stayed with her forever:

“Don’t for a moment think you were the first to cheat on meyou’ve had horns for ages, like a stag!”

After that, her mum packed their bags and they moved in with Grandma in Liverpool. Charlotte couldn’t quite understand how her father could have hornshe was bald and didn’t even have hair, let alone antlers. That was the end, her parents parted for good.

Living with David was fine until Charlotte started Year One. She didn’t enjoy school and misbehaved during break times, so her mum and stepdad were often called in to see the teachers. Sometimes David had to go, instead of her mum. David took her schooling seriously and helped with her homework regularly.

“Youre nothing to me, so you can’t boss me around!” Charlotte would sometimes say to him, repeating words shed heard from her gran.

“Actually, Im the one looking after you since Im the one feeding and clothing you,” David would reply.

When Charlotte turned ten, her dad returned to town. By then, she understood what her mum meant by “cheating” and thought, “His second wife probably did the samethat’s why he left her,” as her mum had suggested.

When her dad came back, he asked if he could see Charlotte, and her mum agreed. She and her father were happy to be together again.

“How are you?” her dad asked.

“Not too good,” Charlotte replied. “My stepdad is always telling me off.”

“He’s nothing to you, what right has he to shout at you?” her dad said angrily.

“Even Grandma says it, but David doesnt care,” Charlotte exaggerated, because David had never once raised his voice to her. She only wanted her dad to worry about her.

“All right, Ill handle it,” her dad promised.

As they wandered through Hyde Park, they discovered that children were allowed to use only eight of the slides alone, and needed adults for the restbut her dad wouldnt let her go on those. Charlotte then told him that her birthday was coming up and she wished for a new smartphone. When her mum collected her, she explained that David never shouted at Charlotte, but her dad wouldnt listen.

“My dad is such a miser!” Charlotte complained to David. “He didnt buy me anything in the park, just an ice creamthats it. All we did was go for a walk. David, youre way better than my real dad.”

“Lets make it up to you, and go to the childrens activity centre this weekend,” David suggested.

However, their trip got cancelled because David had a crisis at work. He also ignored the hints about the new smartphone.

“Dad, David tricked me!” Charlotte sobbed down the phone. “He promised we’d go to the activity centre, and then said I didnt deserve a trip or a new smartphone at all.”

Although it was a fib, it worked like a charm on her dad, and he bought her a smartphone. Hed ignored her hints before, but with this twist, he felt he just had to make his daughters dream come true. Unfortunately, he could only afford a budget version since the fancy one was out of his price range.

“Couldnt you have waited for your birthday?” David asked.

“I really want a dog!” the girl answered.

“Oh no, dogs need walking, and you’ll probably be lazy as ever!” her stepdad replied.

At these words, Charlotte burst into tears and called her dad, complaining: “Dad, please take me away from here! David is always getting on my case and lecturing me!” She wept.

Everyone soon started arguing and sorting things out amongst themselves. During all the fuss, Charlotte was sent off to her grandma’s, followed by her mum, who arrived with their bits and pieces and announced that she was splitting up with David.

Her dad went back to his wife, as it turned out she was pregnant. Now, Charlotte isnt getting a fancy smartphone or a dog, and Grandma certainly won’t let her have a cat, either.