I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

+25 BONUS

Chapter 43

At that thought, Lauren unknowingly tightened her grip on Arielle. However, Arielle was sweaty, and her hand was slippery. As she yanked it free from Lauren’s grip, she suddenly tumbled down the stairs.

Arielle let out a startled cry.

Lauren’s eyes went wide as she screamed, “Arielle!”

“Ms. Arielle!”

Alisha and the maids panicked and bolted down the stairs.

Arielle landed at the turn of the staircase.

Lauren rushed over and was just about to pick Arielle up when a pair of small hands suddenly shoved her from behind.

“Don’t touch Arielle!” Adrian stood there barefoot in his pajamas, his face red with rage.

Caught off guard by the sudden push, Lauren stumbled down the remaining steps and hit the floor of the living

room.

Carter came running, immediately crouching to shield Lauren. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” Lauren buried herself in his arms. “Please don’t blame Adrian.”

Seeing Carter rush to protect Lauren without even checking on Arielle first, Adrian felt his anger boil over inside

him.

He hated Carter now.

Just then, blood suddenly began to seep from Arielle’s forehead, and the gash beneath her hair became painfully apparent. She burst into loud sobs.

“Arielle’s bleeding!” Adrian’s voice shook with fear when he saw all the blood.

Alisha scooped Arielle up and said anxiously, “Mr. Jamison, we need to get Ms. Arielle to the hospital now!”

Carter looked up sharply. Only then did he realize how badly Arielle was hurt.

He pushed Lauren out of his arms. “Let’s go now!”

They were in the emergency room at 12:30 am.

Arielle ended up needing four stitches.

The sweet, soft–hearted young girl now had a bandage wrapped around her head. Her forehead was swollen, and her eyes were red and teary. She looked heartbreakingly pitiful.

Carter tried to comfort her, but Arielle ignored him. She clung to Alisha’s arms instead, refusing to let Carter

1/2

Chapter 43

hold her. She didn’t spare Lauren a single glance either.

Adrian stood beside the hospital bed and asked, “Dad, can you please ask this lady to leave?”

“Adrian, it was an accident…” Lauren said, her voice laced with guilt.

+25 BONUS

But Adrian didn’t hold back. He blurted out exactly how he felt. “You’re the one who grabbed Arielle! She fell because of you! Ever since you showed up, bad things have been happening to us! You’re like that jinx they talk about on TV! We don’t like you!”

“Adrian!” Carter barked.

Adrian jumped, fear flickering across his face.

“Is this how you were taught?” Carter scolded.

Adrian shrank back a step. He missed Rhea and wondered where she had gone. Did she really abandon them?

Arielle pulled him close and rasped, “Adrian, don’t talk to them anymore. We’ll just wait for Mom to come back.”

She was starting to realize that as long as Lauren was around, no matter what she or Adrian did, Carter would always see them as the ones at fault.

Only Rhea was on their side to protect them.

“Dad said that Mom doesn’t want us anymore…” Adrian cried as he said that.

Lauren couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. She quickly said, “Rhea’s not here, but I am. I’ll always love you both!”

Seeing his two children like this made Carter feel a deep, twisting pain inside. He turned to Lauren and said softly, “You should go home and rest first.”

Lauren froze.

So she was not needed here? But she was their mother! It was one thing for the kids to reject her, but now even Carter was pushing her away.

Nevertheless, she knew that this wasn’t the time to argue. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

With Rhea gone, she figured that this was her chance to prove herself to the kids. She had to take this opportunity to take Rhea’s place in their hearts slowly.

Once Lauren left the ward, she sank into a chair and stared blankly ahead. What Adrian said about her being a jinx had stung her more than she wanted to admit.

However, what Adrian said reminded Lauren of something. She pulled out her phone and made a call. ” Grandma, did I wake you?”

2/2