I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 342

Chapter 342

When Kate looked up, her gaze was open and honest. Her words were just as straightforward. “I’m only human. Of course I’m jealous of Rhea. After all, she won over my crush of 12 years so easily. But some things are beyond my control.”

Such as Cynthia not liking Rhea, Marcus‘ little schemes, or even the possibility that Rhea and George might not get married.

Part of her selfishly didn’t want them to be happy. She couldn’t pretend to her friends that she was genuinely happy for Rhea.

Valerie asked, “You should know that Mrs. Snider doesn’t like Rhea, right?”

Kate lowered her eyes. “Yeah.”

“Were you the one who leaked it?”

Kate’s expression didn’t waver. “Yes.”

Valerie suddenly laughed. “Well, that’s honest of you.”

Kate smiled faintly. “I want to fight for him because I love him.”

At that moment, Valerie suddenly realized that maybe she had never really understood the real Kate.

Kate was usually like a delicate flower swaying in the breeze, harmless and gentle. But sometimes, her gaze revealed ambition. And her methods could send a chill down anyone’s spine.

“So you’re giving up on this friendship?” Valerie asked bluntly.

“Is friendship really at odds with love?”

Valerie replied, “At least for you, it seems that it is.”

Kate had chosen love over friendship.

Valerie continued, “Do you think Rhea already knows that you had something to do with this?”

“I wasn’t hiding it from her, I met her yesterday, and I told her I was going to visit Mrs. Snider before I left,” Kate said calmly.

A declaration of war? So Rhea’s Instagram post was a counterattack?

But they were all friends who had grown up together. Valerie felt a headache coming on.

At lunch, Kate chatted and laughed as usual, completely unaffected by all this.

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Chapter 342

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The more Valerie observed, the more uneasy she felt.

She thought that Kate was tough to read. She then wondered if every woman from a scholarly, high- society family was as resilient as she was.

If it had been someone else, Valerie might have scoffed or even distanced herself. But Kate had openly admitted everything. Valerie didn’t even know how to criticize her.

Later that afternoon, Zayne returned home to find Liora frowning.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

She waved him over. “Come sit. I need to talk to you.”

Zayne took a seat. “Is it because of that news article this morning?”

“You saw it too?”

He sighed. “Mom called me to ask if it’s true. And if it is… Well, her birthday’s next week. She wants me to tell you to separate the Snider and Ravelle families‘ seats at the banquet.”

Major families had rules for events like this. Families with past conflicts couldn’t be at the same table.

Liora ran a hand through her hair. “This is driving me crazy. Kate did this. Rhea’s…”

She felt torn.

Zayne tried to comfort her. “Just don’t offend anyone. That’s their business.”

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