I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lauren had already returned to the guest room, with the maids carrying the mattress behind her.

Only Rhea and Carter remained standing at the bedroom door.

His voice was calm as he said, “I’ll say it one last time. Lauren is the kids‘ mother. I have an obligation to take care of her. Don’t make a scene. I’m not in the mood tonight.”

Rhea almost laughed. “Your bad mood isn’t my fault. The two of you decided to take something of mine on your own. Did you ever consider how I might feel? You care about her, so I have to be the one to sacrifice?”

“I told you, it’s not like that!”

“Dad… Mom…” Arielle suddenly appeared.

Both adults shut their mouths at once.

Rhea’s eyes were red, and she said nothing more. She took Arielle’s hand and led her to the kids‘ room.

Arielle had clearly been listening in the whole time. Once inside, she said, “Mom, can you sleep with me tonight? It’s been forever since we shared a bed.”

Knowing that Arielle was trying to comfort her, Rhea couldn’t help herself. Tears slipped out despite her best efforts.

“Don’t cry, Mom!” Arielle scrambled to wipe her face. “You won’t be pretty when you cry.”

She was mimicking what Rhea used to say to comfort her.

As Rhea stared at the young girl she had raised with her own hands, the tears just kept coming. She had truly believed that as long as she loved Carter and took good care of his children, she would eventually build a happy home with him.

She had dreamed of the day she could return to Draventh with Carter by her side, proudly showing her parents that she had made the right choice. But that dream was long dead.

One day had changed everything. Now, the gap between them felt impossible to cross.

Gritting her teeth, Rhea swallowed back her sobs. “Go to sleep. I’ll stay with you.”

Arielle was still worried about Rhea. Half–asleep, she murmured, “Mom, you’re the best. I love you the most…” That sentence shattered all of Rhea’s defenses. She clutched Arielle’s favorite plush toy, pressed it to her mouth, and wept soundlessly. Her shoulders trembled hard as she cried. The sight was utterly heartbreaking.

Even when she felt lost and hurt like this, she had no one to turn to.

Carter had only asked about her parents once since they got married. It was before the wedding, when he wanted to know if they would be attending.

She had told him that they were too far away and couldn’t make it.

That only confirmed Carter’s assumption that Rhea came from the countryside, far from Colburn. Since she clearly didn’t want to talk about it at the time, he never brought it up again.

But at that moment, Rhea missed her mother more than anything.

Chapter 11

+25 BONUS

Meanwhile, Carter entered Adrian’s room to tuck him in. Knowing that Rhea was with Arielle, he wanted to check on Adrian.

Adrian wasn’t fully asleep. The moment he sensed Carter’s arrival, he suddenly sat up. “Dad, do you love us and Mom?”

Carter paused, then smiled faintly. “Of course I do.”

As for who he meant that love was for, it remained unclear.

“Arielle and I don’t like that lady. She made Mom cry. Dad, please tell her to leave.” Adrian spoke with the unfiltered honesty of a child.

A trace of helplessness flickered in Carter’s eyes. “But Lauren is your birth mother.”

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