I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Lauren lowered her head, her hands slowly balling into fists in her lap.

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It was 9:00 pm.

Rhea sat alone at the dining table, eating a late–night snack. She hadn’t eaten much earlier, as her mood had killed her appetite.

She was mid–bite when Carter and Lauren returned home.

“Mr. Jamison, this arrived for you.” Devan handed Carter an international delivery.

Carter loosened his tie, barely reacting. “It’s for Rhea.”

Devan paused, startled. Lauren also looked surprised.

She knew Carter well. He only gave gifts for two reasons. Either he cared, or he was apologizing.

Lauren bit down on her lip until it turned a pale shade.

Devan quickly carried the large box into the dining room and handed it to Rhea, who was eating at the time. He said, “Mrs. Jamison, this is from Mr. Jamison.”

However, Rhea didn’t move.

Devan opened the outer packaging for her. Inside was a box containing an evening dress.

Earlier that day, Lauren had worn one of Rhea’s dresses to the cocktail party. Before leaving, Carter had quietly asked his secretary to order a replacement.

Rhea’s hand paused midair as her eyes fell on the box.

For a moment, her mind drifted back to the beginning when she and Carter first got together. Things hadn’t been easy back then.

The Jamison family had gone bankrupt and was in debt. Carter scrambled to run the business with just a handful of people.

He didn’t earn much at first, but every month, he kept only enough for his social expenses and gave the rest to her. The first expensive gift he ever bought her was a custom dress from this very same desig

Rhea tightened her grip on the fork. Her heart ached with sorrow as her thoughts drifted back to years ago.

She and Carter hadn’t met as classmates. They were state–level representatives in the National Math Olympiad. When she first joined the prep class, most of the students came from wealthy families. But her father always told her to stay humble, so she dressed simply, never wearing designer brands.

Rhea didn’t have any pocket money either. After all, her family had already provided everything she needed at home.

The others thought that she was from a poor background, assuming that she had joined the competition to win prize money. They looked down on her and isolated her from the others. No one wanted to be on the same team with her.

Chapter 9

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That took a toll on her early performance. Her competition results grew increasingly disappointing, and she came dangerously close to being replaced.

It was during that time that Carter took the initiative to team up with Rhea.

He patiently explained math problems to her, helped her regain her focus, and even skipped class to take her out for a walk when she was overwhelmed. When the others excluded her, he was the one who stepped in to defend

her.

That was when her feelings for him started to grow.

Rhea still remembered what Carter had told her. “Don’t let them get to you. Remember, when you win that prize money, don’t waste it on designer clothes like they do. Use it to keep learning. What really matters is changing your life.”

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