I Quit Being a StepMother Novel

Chapter 626 On the drive to Colburn , Carter watched the streets and buildings roll past outside the window . This was the city where he had spent most of his life . He'd grown up here , and every street seemed to hold a piece of his past . Out of nowhere , Lauren asked , " You must've shared a lot of memories here with Ms. Ravelle , huh ? Doesn't it make you sad to come back here ? " Her eyes glinted with mischief as she waited for his reaction . In truth , Carter felt nothing at all . He looked at her expressionlessly and replied , " And what's that got to do with you ?

" After a brief pause , he murmured under his breath , " I suppose it does have something to do with you . " Carter wondered whose fault it was and realized that it was mostly his . After all , everything had happened because of him . If it weren't for him ... Well , forget it . That was all in the past . Rhea was married now , with a child and a happy family of her own . When they finally arrived in Colburn , Carter didn't bother visiting the places he used to frequent . He saw no reason to reconnect with his past friends .

Instead , they went straight to the cemetery where Lauren's parents were laid to rest with some fruits and wine they'd bought along the way . Lauren watched Carter walk ahead with shopping bags in hand . She slowed her pace , and her eyes drifted to the kids walking in front of her , thinking that this was what a family of four would've looked like . Lauren's fingers curled into fists . So this was how close she had once been to happiness . " Dad , who are we visiting ? " Arielle asked when she caught up to Carter .

That morning , Carter had told her and Adrian to skip school at the last minute , then dressed them both in black . Carter stopped in front of Lauren's parents ' headstones , having spotted them right away . " We're visiting your maternal grandparents . " Maternal grandparents ? When Arielle heard that term , the first thing that came to mind was Ruby and Liam . But these two headstones didn't belong to them . 1/4 Arielle turned to glance at Lauren , who walked up behind them . The smile Lauren had worn earlier was gone . She wordlessly stepped forward and bowed deeply before the headstones .

" Dad , Mom , I'm sorry . It's been years since I last visited , " she thought . There was so much she wanted to say , yet not a single word came out when she opened her mouth . Her chest felt heavy with guilt , longing , resentment , and anger . She resented her parents for leaving too soon , because she , too , wanted to be loved and protected . In fact , she didn't even need to be showered with riches . All she wanted was someone to rely on . The more she thought about it , the more her vision blurred . Tears slipped quietly down her cheeks .

Arielle and Adrian exchanged a glance when they noticed the state Lauren was in . After a brief hesitation , Arielle stepped forward . All of a sudden , Lauren felt a small arm wrap around hers . Startled , she looked down to see Arielle hugging her arm . Arielle said, " I'm sure your parents are watching over you . Even though you weren't nice to me and Adrian before , I still hope you'll be happy . If everyone's happy , maybe there won't be so many sad kids in the world . " Lauren's heart throbbed . " Thank you . I'll remember that .

" The ache in her chest deepened , and it only grew worse as she stood there before her parents ' graves . If her parents were still alive and knew how cruel and manipulative she had been toward the kids , they would've given her a good beating . Carter stepped up to the headstones . " Mr. and Mrs. Thayer , these are your grandkids . We brought them here to see you . " Arielle and Adrian straightened up obediently . " Hello , Grandpa . Hello , Grandma . " They understood , in their own way , that the cold headstones marked two people who had once been related to them .

Carter did not linger to make small talk . He took the kids ' hands and led them out of the cemetery . Lauren stayed where she was , kneeling before the grave and sobbing until she could barely stay upright . Now , she was left all alone in this vast world as she struggled just to get by . She didn't blame anyone but herself . It was all her fault . Every step that had led her to this point had been her own doing . 2/4 " Still crying ? I guess you don't want chicken wings , huh ? " A familiar , gruff voice cut through her sobs ' impatiently . Lauren froze and looked up .

Tears clung to her lashes , and all the grief she'd been holding in transformed into something achingly tender . Somehow , that single line made her want to cry even more . 3/4 Sara Lili Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland's breathtaking cold.