I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 225

Chapter 225

Lauren had cut herself just to make Carter go back to the hospital to be with her.

But how did he know?

Carter noticed her reaction and felt a sharp pang of disappointment. He hadn’t trusted Peter’s words before, but Lauren’s reaction now confirmed it.

She really would do something like that.

Lauren let out a bitter laugh. “Carter, I love you and the kids so much. I was terrified of losing you again, so even though I’m scared of the pain, I’d rather cut my hand just to have you stay with me a little longer. And yet, you misunderstood me as some schemer. I’ve got nothing else. I just want to do everything I can to hold onto you.”

Tears streamed down her face.

Carter was angry, yet her words also stirred a sense of sympathy and pity within him.

“You still shouldn’t threaten Adrian and Arielle,” he said.

“I didn’t! They kept embarrassing me in front of the other women earlier. I was just trying to protect them. I was afraid that the ladies would think they were disrespectful or rude.”

Lauren sat, shaking her head. “Fine. If that’s how it is, I’ll stop lecturing them.”

She lowered her head, digging her fingers hard into her palms.

She couldn’t believe those two ungrateful brats! How dare they ignore her warning and tattle on

Carter!

Carter didn’t argue further. He simply said, “Get some rest.”

He was helped upstairs by the maids to check on the two children.

Lauren panicked when she realized that he wouldn’t comfort her anymore. She had no idea if he

believed her.

In the children’s room, Carter called out, “Arielle, Adrian.”

“Dad.”

Carter sat beside them. “I’ll give you closure for this, okay?”

Arielle frowned. “Dad, now you believe that she doesn’t actually like us, right? Maybe she was just

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Chapter 225

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putting on a show in front of you. Mom never treated us like this. She had always reasoned with us.”

“This woman only knows how to threaten us. She did the same to us last time,” Adrian muttered, still sulking.

Carter exhaled slowly. “I hear you. How about this? I’ll have someone stay close to you.”

He felt uneasy. He couldn’t understand how Lauren could treat his children this way.

The next afternoon, Lauren went out for tea with the two women from the day before. When she returned, she saw Carter’s secretary, Grace Huber, in the house.

“Ms. Huber?” Lauren set down her cane and sat upright, adopting the posture of the lady of the

house as she looked at Grace.

Grace had been waiting for her return. She took something out of her bag and said, “This is the new title deed.”

New title deed? Lauren didn’t know what Grace meant by that. She wondered if Carter had bought

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