At noon, Mom came over to the neighbor’s house.

This time, she wasn’t arrogant; she spoke to me in a low, pleading tone.

“Amy, I’ve lost everything. You’re all I have left. If Gia goes to jail, it’ll be the end for me and William.”

“Can’t you just do this for me? Make a little sacrifice and take the blame for Gia? You’re still a minor, so the police won’t be too harsh.”

“Mom, my biological name is Amara Stevens, not Gianna Slater.”

I was originally a Stevens, but to please my stepfather, Mom changed my name to Amara Slater and even added their names to the property deed.

She...