I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 380

Chapter 380

“Kate? Don’t scare me.” Marcus was caught off guard by Kate’s expression.

She sat on the couch, her hair half–dry with a few strands clinging to her cheek. Her eyes were vacant, like she was lost in her own thoughts.

The moment she learned that George and Rhea were getting engaged, Kate admitted that the first feeling to surface was disappointment. After all, she had always harbored expectations for the friendship she shared with Rhea. 1

But beneath that, sadness, anger, jealousy, and even hatred gradually surged through her, turning her insides upside down.

Over the years, Kate had always been there for Rhea. If anything happened, she would be the first to show up. Even after Rhea married Carter and no longer visited Draventh, she often had people send things to her.

Before Rhea married, they were almost inseparable.

And now, just because of a man, Rhea chose to sever their bond while constantly talking about fair competition, making it sound

so righteous.

Meanwhile, everyone came to visit Evie, yet Rhea not only hadn’t come, but it seemed she was happily preparing for an

engagement.

So much for their so–called bond.

Kate suddenly chuckled. “Lovestruck fool.”

Marcus blinked. “What?”

“Nothing.”

She was labeling Rhea as a lovestruck fool. She had been one before, and she still was.

What was there to hold on to in a friend like that?

Kate believed that Rhea was just someone who thrived on being favored and chosen.

“Kate, listen to me,” Marcus urged. “At a critical moment like this, the Pearson family can’t afford any more trouble.”

He also hoped that Kate could get a chance to break up George and Rhea, so he could benefit from it.

But now, it seemed that their abilities weren’t enough. George was untouchable. They would have to plan for the long game.

At that moment, Evie’s illness was the priority.

Kate took the towel handed to her by a maid to dry her hair. Gradually, her expression turned calm. “I’m fine. I should be happy for Rhea about her engagement.”

Happy? Her expression suggested otherwise.

Marcus feared that she might act impulsively and make a fatal mistake.

Kate closed her eyes briefly. “Help me contact Carter. Have him come here.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

By 8:30 pm, Carter arrived, weary and disheveled. Over the holidays, he had clearly lost a lot of weight. His beard grew along his

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Chapter 380

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jaw, giving him a slightly unkempt look.

While families were celebrating the holidays together, he was at home, drowning his sorrows and staring at old photos of him and Rhea.

He finally understood regret and realized what he had lost. He wanted to go back and make the house lively and warm again, but it seemed that it was no longer possible.

The bitterness lingered. On top of that, he still hadn’t found Lauren, leaving him frustrated and unsettled.

“Why did you call me?” he asked.

Kate looked at him. “Do you know that Rhea might be getting engaged?”

“Engaged?”

Carter was shocked. “T–They’ve only been together a short while. How could they be getting engaged already?”

A whirlwind marriage?

He refused to believe it. After all, how could Rhea be so impulsive?

Kate gazed into the distance. “You’re struggling and worn out now, barely getting by. Yet, they’re happily planning their engagement. Maybe Rhea never truly loved you. I know her. She’s impulsive, acts on the spur of the moment, and never thinks about the future. Perhaps when she married you back then, it was just her way of showing off her freedom and recklessness.”

Rhea had married him to show off her freedom?