on the whole, this seems to be a testing of your resolve and understanding.
some of what you're doing has become well established and it thus seems
monotonous... you are also [subtly] the supervisor over your own progress
and keeping a watchful eye on how you grow. when you can accomplish the
boring tasks automatically, without thought, your mind will be free to explore
other things. it's important that you perform your habitual [non-thinking]
chores properly, so that they don't require your attentions -- which is why
it seems that you're doing this review.
the opening scene appears to be something you're in need of addressing.
for some unknown reason [some habit of wanting to aid others?] you were
willing to become manipulative of another. the maids outfit puts you in
service to that cause; the suspenders seem "workman-like" to me. shortly
afterwards, you sense that someone else is seeking to manipulate you...
which i believe may have been an error of perception on your part. you'd
put the "controlling" energy out there, and it returned to you in the person
of your stepdad [which i'm thinking was a mask, and non-genuine; it may
be that he'd had valuable information to give you, but your concern with
manipulation had seen you discount that possibility].
in a dualistic frame of mind, something either grows towards increased
vitality, or it dwindles into stagnation towards death. there's some aspects
of yourself that've yet to choose their allegiances (which you'll want to get
sorted out as if by habit, rather than having to think about it). the
'manipulations' you involve yourself in need to be in alignment with your
loving will.