I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76

“Goodnight, Mom!” Adrian giggled.

Rhea held back her tears and said, “Alright. Goodnight.”

She waited until the kids were fast asleep before ending the video call quietly.

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She missed them terribly. But as much as she had the right to be angry with Carter, she knew that she had no standing to compete with Lauren.

What she didn’t know was that, just outside the kids‘ room, Carter had been standing there the whole time. The hallway was quiet that late at night, and the children’s voices had carried easily.

The door of the kids‘ room wasn’t soundproof, so that adults could hear if anything went wrong.

Rhea’s soft voice as she told the kids a bedtime story reminded Carter of the past.

Rhea used to be quiet, gentle, and always smiling. And she treated him the same way.

Even now, no matter how late it was, she never turned the kids away when they needed her.

Suddenly, Carter began to question himself. Was Rhea really not as good as Lauren?

Drawn by a sudden urge, he found himself heading to the guest room.

It was nearly 11:00 pm.

Standing outside the guest room, Carter caught faint sounds from within. He stopped and listened.

Lauren didn’t seem to be asleep. It even sounded like she was laughing.

When Carter came downstairs, he found Alisha still up, busy preparing cupcakes for the kids‘ breakfast.

“Did Lauren check on the kids?” Carter asked.

Alisha replied honestly, “No, Mr. Jamison.”

Carter walked toward the wine cellar.

When he entered it, he overheard Scarlett’s voice from outside.

She said, “Make something for Ms. Thayer to eat.”

“Make something?” Alisha had never liked Lauren or Scarlett. “I’m not a chef.”

“You know Ms. Thayer’s status, don’t you? That shrimp earlier wasn’t enough. Make something else. And bring her another bubble tea.” Scarlett spoke with pure command and entitlement.

Alisha’s frustration simmered under the surface.

Lauren and Scarlett had pushed Rhea out and now acted like they ran the place. But what had either of them ever done for this family?

Chapter 76

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“What’s with your attitude? Are you saying that you don’t want to serve Ms. Thayer? Don’t forget. If she says the word, you’re out of here. Now get moving. She’s hungry.”

With that, Scarlett strutted off.

Alisha gritted her teeth and glared daggers at Scarlett’s back. However, she could only hold it in.

She couldn’t afford to be fired. With how careless Lauren was, who knew what Arielle and Adrian might go through without her?

So Alisha opened the fridge and began preparing more food.

“Don’t bother.”

Alisha turned, startled. “Mr. Jamison?”

With a bottle of red wine in hand, Carter’s expression was laced with unmistakable coldness. He said, “If Lauren’s hungry, Scarlett can cook for her.”

He didn’t hire his staff to be bossed around by outsiders. Carter protected his own.

In all fairness, he did have his good sides. For years, he had been willing to give Rhea almost anything she wanted.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so foolishly devoted.

It was just that, between the two, he probably cared more about Lauren.

Ten minutes later, Alisha finished prepping the dough for the next morning and set it aside.

Then she made a few snacks to go with Carter’s wine and placed them in front of him. “Mr. Jamison, you should get some rest.”

He gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.

“Mr. Jamison, there’s something I’d like to say.”

“What is it?”

Carter had always treated his household staff with basic respect.

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