I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 154

Chapter 154

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Chapter 154

At that moment, Lauren dropped her mask and mocked Rhea.

Rhea stepped forward, using her height to her advantage as she looked down imperiously at Lauren. “Lauren, I might be powerless against life, but that doesn’t mean I’m powerless against you guys.”

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her photo album, making sure Lauren could see it. It took only one glance for Lauren’s expression to turn aghast.

She instinctively reached out to snatch Rhea’s phone, but the latter dodged her easily.

Rhea said softly, “I couldn’t care less about Carter’s worthless love and assets, but I won’t let them become your stepping stone to mock me.”

Lauren’s heart pounded, wondering why Rhea had those photos of her. No… No, she couldn’t let them get out!

She forced a smile. “Even if Carter sees them, do you think he’ll believe that they’re real? He won’t.”

“Is that so?” Rhea brushed past her. “Let’s wait and see, then.”

Lauren’s eyes turned bloodshot as she watched Rhea leave. The latter was nowhere in sight when Carter returned after ending his call.

He looked at the slip of paper he held and at the date they’d already started the countdown to. In a month, he and Rhea would become no more than strangers.

The thought made his heart descend into turmoil, so he didn’t notice the look on Lauren’s face. He said, “Let’s go.”

She suppressed her panic and followed him. In the car, she turned to him, smiling forcibly. “Carter, I’m worried that Rhea won’t go through with the divorce so easily.”

“Why?”

“You know how vengeful she is. I’m just worried that she has other tricks up her sleeve, like smearing my reputation to affect you or saying nasty things to the kids,” Lauren said. “Remember not to fall for her schemes if she does do something like that.”

She had to act pre–emptively in case Rhea really did send those photos to Carter. She had to paint Rhea as someone vindictive.

Carter frowned. “I don’t think she’s like that.”

There was no doubt that Rhea had changed recently. She’d become more jealous and obnoxious. However, he didn’t think that she would stoop that low. After six years together, he still had faith in

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Chapter 154

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certain aspects of her character. At the very least, he knew her love for the children was genuine.

“Never judge a book by its cover. You won’t ever know what a person is really like.” Lauren sighed. ” The kids are still resistant to me. Maybe things wouldn’t be the way they are now if she’d told them good things about me.”

In other words, she was making it seem like Rhea was the reason everything was the way it was.

Carter pondered the situation. Then, he said, “I’ll tell her to speak to them.”

Rhea didn’t head back to Draventh after leaving the courthouse. Instead, she went to Scott Group.

With the year drawing to a close, the projects in Colburn would be picking up in frequency. She needed to get more investments and projects for Scott Group to ensure that they could remain equal to Carter’s company.

Louie said, “Carter got the Eryham project.”

Rhea looked up at him. “You didn’t get involved in it, did you?”

“I listened to what you said and steered clear of them. Is something wrong with that project?”

She took a sip of warm water. “I asked around, and the startup capital for that project has an unknown source. The company’s accounts are a mess, too. It’s just my instinct, but I feel like something is wrong with that project. It’s best not to get involved.

“Anyway, the national medical team will be coming to Colburn at the end of this month to choose a company to work with. We can aim for that.”

Louie’s eyes lit up. “A cooperation with the national medical team?”

He wouldn’t even have dared dream of such partnerships in the past. Carter was always the one who would secure such deals. But now…

Rhea’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “I’ll get it for you.”

Once the national medical team partnered with Scott Group, the question of who held the number- one spot in Colburn’s medical equipment industry would be up for debate,