I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 57

“Mom, are you going to give me and Adrian a baby sister or baby brother?” Arielle asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

Carter set down the pancakes. “Do you want to go get it checked out later?”

Rhea’s heart skipped a beat. Her period was indeed a few days late.

In their six years of marriage, she had never thought about having a baby of her own. After all, the two kids had only just grown independent. She was finally getting a little breathing room.

She gently placed a hand on her lower belly and wondered if she could genuinely be pregnant.

Lauren, snapping back to the moment, looked over with concern. “Rhea, are you really pregnant?

Rhea could guess what Lauren was thinking. After a pause, she vaguely answered, “I’m not sure.”

“Well, if you are, you’ll have to be careful. Pregnancy’s no joke,” Lauren said deliberately.

Chloe chimed in, “Yeah. When Lauren was carrying those two, she was constantly sick. She came out of labor looking even skinnier than she was before she got pregnant.”

Out of the blue, Alisha said, “Maybe that’s why the kids turned out a little frail.” @

She had absolutely no kindness left for Lauren and Chloe now. 1

Yesterday, she and Devan had almost gotten fired because of the fake geomancer they had brought in.

“That’s not Lauren’s fault. Having twins is tough on any woman’s body,” Chloe quickly retorted. “Carter, you really should find Lauren a good nutritionist. She needs to build her strength back up.”

Arielle suddenly said, “Happy birthday, Mom! Adrian and I will always love you!”

Adrian echoed, “Yeah! You’re our favorite person in the world! We want you to live forever and stay with us always!”

Chloe asked, “Don’t you love your birth mother?”

Carter cut in firmly, “Mrs. Thayer Senior, please don’t make the kids pick sides like that.”

Chloe parted her lips, but her expression was clearly awkward.

Mia jumped to Lauren’s defense. “That’s not fair, Carter. A birth mother is the real mother. No one can take her place. If you keep raising the kids like this, won’t they grow up not recognizing their real mother?” 1

Rhea turned her gaze toward Mia. It wasn’t sharp, but somehow it still made Mia feel diffident.

Mia turned her face away, lowered her head, and quietly mumbled, “What are you looking at? You’re just a stepmother anyway.”

At the table, Carter, Rhea, and the two kids looked every bit like the picture of a happy family, while Lauren sat off to the side.

Chapter 57

+25 BONUS

Lauren said, “Arielle, you’re still hurt. How about I feed you?”

Leah spoke up. “Yeah. What happened? A fall like that could leave a scar. That would be awful for a young girl.”

While casting a meaningful glance at Rhea, Chloe replied, “It’s usually the adults‘ carelessness that gets a kid hurt.”

The adult’s carelessness?

Devan overheard this and said coolly, “Ms. Thayer didn’t catch Ms. Arielle that day. That’s why she fell down the stairs.” 1

Chloe’s expression froze, and she went silent.

Lauren instantly looked guilty. “It’s all my fault. I really don’t have much experience with kids.”

Mia disagreed. “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t leave them by choice.”

Rhea had heard enough. She looked up and asked flatly, “Mia, then who do you think is to blame?”

No one had expected gentle, easygoing Rhea to throw out a question like that.

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