I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“What?” Carter thought he must have misheard Rhea. He knew that he hadn’t treated her well these past few days, but how could she bring up divorce so easily?

He tried to explain. “Lauren has no family left. All she has are those two kids. She’s in a tough spot right now. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

Rhea sneered. “And it had to be you? You’ve got maids and bodyguards here, but the moment she cries, you’re the one who runs to hold her. Honestly, if you still love her, then what am I to you?”

Carter turned his back on her. “You’ve misunderstood. I told you, we’re married. Don’t bring up divorce so easily. Get some rest.”

There it was again-“We’re married“.

So, being married meant that she no longer mattered?

Before she could say anything else, Carter was already walking away.

Downstairs, Devan had just finished tidying up with the maids. He greeted, “Mr. Jamison.”

After some thought, Carter said, “Have the chef make smoked trout tomorrow.”

Rhea loved it, but he was never a fan of anything smoked, so the chef had rarely prepared it over the years.

The next morning, Carter left early. Work was hectic, and he couldn’t stay home every day.

When Rhea came downstairs, she saw Lauren sitting on the couch in the brand–new nightgown she had just bought, casually instructing the maid on what to make for breakfast.

The ankle Lauren had twisted the night before didn’t seem to be bothering her at all.

“Smoked trout? I thought Carter hated that.”

Devan replied, “Mrs. Jamison likes it, so Mr. Jamison requested it for her.”

Lauren’s smile froze for a second. “Oh, I see.”

She turned and spotted Rhea walking down the stairs. “Rhea, good morning. Carter just left.”

Rhea glanced at her without saying a single word.

Lauren continued smiling. “By the way, I won’t be eating dinner at home tonight.”

Rhea didn’t understand. Why would Lauren suddenly feel the need to tell her that? But by that evening, she got her

answer.

Carter was taking Lauren to a cocktail party.

Smiling, Lauren said, “Don’t take it wrongly, Rhea. I speak Albish, and Carter said that this party is pretty important. I figured I could be helpful.

“However, I don’t have a suitable dress. It’s a bit too late to go looking for one now. It’s my fault. I was sure I had packed an evening dress in my suitcase, but I just couldn’t seem to find it. So I was wondering, Rhea, would you

Chapter 6

mind if I borrowed one of yours?”

She made the request completely on her own.

+25 BONUS

Carter frowned at those words. “There’s a boutique we work with. They should have something in your size.”

Rhea’s dresses were all custom–made, making each of them unique.

Lauren was stunned for a moment, then rushed to explain, “I just thought by the time I went, it might be too late, so…”

Rhea stayed silent. It seemed that Carter had just decided that her Albish wasn’t good enough and went ahead with taking Lauren to the event instead. Was he really favoring Lauren so blatantly now?

Then again, they were already at the point of talking about divorce. So, it no longer mattered.

Rhea said, “They’re all in the walk–in closet. Pick whichever you like.”

Her indifferent tone made Carter feel oddly uneasy. He found himself saying, “It’s just a business event.”

Rhea didn’t respond. She simply walked off to the dining room.

Lauren looked at the clock and said, “Carter, it’s 5:00 pm.”

But Carter was still staring at the dining room.

After a while, he turned to leave. “Go get changed.”

Lauren smiled sweetly. “Alright.”

On the way to the cocktail party, Carter kept thinking about Rhea’s calm expression. In the past, he would always take her to events like this.

Lauren had brought it up earlier, saying that it had been a long time since she had gone to anything formal. Thinking of what she had been through, he truly couldn’t bring himself to refuse her. And since Lauren’s Albish was indeed pretty good, he agreed to bring her along.

“Carter, I’ll explain things to Rhea when we get home. It’s my fault for clinging to the past.” Lauren lowered her head and sighed.

That snapped Carter out of his thoughts.

Clinging to the past? Those words suddenly reminded him that all this was supposed to belong to Lauren. Thus, neither of them was really at fault.