I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 235

Chapter 235

The kitchen was right next to the dining room, so Lauren could hear everything Carter, Peter, Aiden, Arielle, and Adrian were saying.

Leaning on her cane, she stepped out, her face heavy with sorrow. “Carter, I know I’ve been away for six years, and I’ve changed a lot. But I never meant any harm. Maybe it’s just been so long since I’ve been in this circle that a lot of things feel unfamiliar to me.

“I don’t know how to take care of the kids or manage the household staff. That’s on me. I’m sorry.”

As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes, yet she tried to appear strong.

Arielle looked at her and asked, “Why do you cry so much? Nobody’s bullying you.”

Lauren immediately swallowed her tears. “Carter, I’m not upset. I’m just tired. What have I done wrong?”

With that, she turned and left the house. No matter how Scarlett and Chloe tried to stop her, she slipped past them.

Chloe panicked. “Carter, go check on Lauren. She doesn’t have any friends in Draventh. It’s not safe for her to be out there alone!”

Frowning, Carter glanced outside.

Autumn in Draventh was bitterly cold, and Lauren hadn’t even put on a coat.

Seeing Carter look like he was about to step out, Arielle put down her glass of milk and suddenly said, “Dad, Mom didn’t have anyone in Colburn either. She always said that we have to learn to be strong.”

In an instant, Carter’s urge to go after Lauren died.

He thought that Arielle was right.

Back in Colburn, Rhea had nobody either. Her days had revolved solely around the kids. When their relationship was good, he had hardly ever seen her shed a single tear.

“Alright. Let’s eat,” Carter said.

Noticing that he really wasn’t going after Lauren, Chloe panicked even more and pointed at Arielle and Adrian. “That’s your birth mother! Don’t you care about her at all?”

Arielle wasn’t intimidated. Instead, she shot back, “She didn’t care about us when we were sick. A couple of days ago, she even tried to kick me and Adrian out.”

These matters shouldn’t be brought up. Any mention of them made Carter not only frustrated but

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Chapter 235

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also embarrassed, especially with Peter and Aiden present.

Aiden looked shocked. “She tried to kick you out?”

“Yes, Mr. Wilkinson! She threatened Arielle and me, saying we had to listen to her and not tell Dad.” Adrian remembered it clearly.

Peter was stunned. “That’s unbelievable! I’ve heard of cruel stepmoms, but I never thought a birth

mother could do that!”

He had always assumed that a birth mother could never be truly cruel. Given everything Lauren had gone through, he had always felt sorry for her, thinking she was fragile and in need of protection. 1

But now, after one incident after another, Peter had seen her clearly for who she really was.

Lauren had changed. She wasn’t the cheerful, innocent woman she once was.

“Enough,” Carter said sharply. “Let’s eat.”

Breakfast was ready again, and everyone sat down without paying attention to Chloe.

Scarlett stayed hidden in the distance and quietly sent a message to Lauren.

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