I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 179

“Peter, can you go check on Carter for me? He doesn’t look well,” Lauren said. In truth, she was actually worried that Carter might contact Rhea.

Peter, still dazed, left the ward. His mind replayed the moments he had antagonized Rhea.

She had never wronged him, yet he had always assumed that she married Carter for wealth and status, even if it meant becoming a stepmother.

Now, faced with the undeniable truth, he was consumed with shame.

Outside the hospital, Carter sat in his car, staring blankly through the window. He didn’t even notice when the cigarette ash fell onto his leg.

The shock lingered briefly before being replaced by other thoughts.

Rhea had such a powerful background, yet she chose to stay with him and care for his two children.

That meant that she truly loved him.

He thought that Aiden was right. Rhea had done nothing wrong all these years. Only Lauren’s presence stood between them.

No one could stand by and watch the person they loved care for someone else.

Rhea loved him. She had just been jealous of Lauren. Perhaps the divorce had been her way of testing

him.

Carter cursed himself for realizing this so late.

He sympathized with Lauren, but he knew that Rhea had long replaced his love for her. Even the few times he argued with Rhea, he did so in the heat of the moment.

Carter took several deep drags of his cigarette. He was convinced that he finally understood everything clearly.

After a while, Carter returned to the ward.

Seeing him, Lauren felt as if she had found her precious treasure. “Carter, where did you go?”

“Where’s Peter?” he asked.

“He went to find you. Didn’t you see him?”

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Chapter 179

Carter took a seat and stared intently at Lauren. “Lauren.”

“Yes?” An ominous feeling crept in her chest.

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“I’ve been thinking. I admit that I’ve gotten too close to you lately, which made Rhea mistakenly think we betrayed her. I thought she was chasing status and deliberately tried to win over Nathan and George. Now I see I was wrong.”

Rhea had never betrayed him. In fact, she had secretly done a lot for him, yet he had constantly misunderstood her.

Carter’s guilt was palpable.

Lauren’s chest tightened. “Carter, w–what are you saying? I don’t quite understand.”

Carter lowered his gaze. “Nothing. We’ll talk once you recover.

He had always been rational, analyzing every situation to choose the path most beneficial to him.

In the past, he thought that Rhea was irrational and dishonest, while Lauren was gentle and understanding. And so, he chose Lauren.

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