I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 593

A wave of helplessness rose in Kate's chest. This was the same feeling she had felt the last time, when Evie had suddenly passed away.

She couldn't understand it and couldn't figure out why.

Her life had been happy. So why had it turned out like this? Why?

Kate forced her chaotic emotions down, trying to remain as calm as possible. "If you want some soup, just tell me nicely. We're married, Sawyer. I love you, and you love me. We—"

"Shut up!" Sawyer cut her off coldly.

He narrowed his eyes. "You were just fuming a second ago, and now you're suddenly acting cute? Kate, your inner drama is really something. Listen carefully. Just do exactly as I say. There's no need to ask any questions."

Such dominance…

Kate had never endured anything like this before. Yet, she couldn't let go of him, be it his looks, his wealth, or his capability.

Biting her lip, she turned to the kitchen.

Tears mingled with the steam rising from the pot, dampening her cheeks. She bit her lip, longing for the home that still had Evie in it.

If Evie were here, she would have helped mediate with Sawyer and comforted her.

Now, Connor was the only family she had left, and his life was in shambles. But Kate had no choice. She had to find a way to reach him.

That night, Kate was on edge. She found herself afraid of speaking wrongly, fearing that Sawyer would respond with words that would wound her even more.

They still slept in separate rooms, but Kate barely slept at all.

She watched the hours crawl by. She planned to use her trip to work as an opportunity to see Connor and persuade him to talk some sense into Sawyer.

But when the front door remained locked and her phone lost signal, Kate froze.

Sawyer looked up. "Yes. That's exactly what I think. And you haven't disappointed me. You've proven it. So don't bother going to work. You'll follow my instructions instead."

His instructions? What instructions? To become a useful person?

Before she could even comprehend it, Sawyer yanked her toward the bathroom and tossed a toilet brush in front of her.

Kate froze, panic rising in her chest.

"To be useful, you start with the most basic daily tasks. This house has eight toilets, including those in the staff's rooms. Clean them all in one hour. I'll inspect after. When you're done, prepare lunch. I want four dishes and a soup. You get one more hour for that."

Sawyer spoke as if he were assigning tasks to an employee, then walked away.

Kate pressed herself against the cold wall. Tears streamed down her face as her pride crumbled.

Was he humiliating her? She didn't know why this was happening.