I Quit Being a StepMother Novel

Chapter 627 A dull ache stabbed through Lauren's chest . All of a sudden , she sprang up from the ground , threw herself into Carter's arms , and let out a raw , anguished cry . She broke down completely . Her wails were hoarse and filled with grief as they tore through the air . Carter , Arielle , and Adrian were all speechless . The kids quickly covered their eyes . Carter heaved a sigh . " That's enough . " But Lauren only cried harder . Her heart ached with sorrow and loneliness . She was all alone in the world now , with no place to call home .

No one would know even if she died someday . " Let's go home , " Carter said coldly . " Okay . " She obliged once her tears ran dry . She took a few steps before turning to face her parents ' graves . " Mom , Dad , I'm heading off . I live in Draventh now , so I can't come back to visit often . Goodbye . " After bidding her farewell , she broke into a run to catch up with Carter and the kids . By the time they returned to Draventh , it was already past 4:00 pm . Lauren followed them quietly into the house as meek as a mouse . For some reason , she felt uneasy .

Carter shrugged off his coat and glanced at her . " We'll talk later . " Lauren froze at his words . She wondered what he meant by that . Was he about to give her a good telling - off ? She scratched her face before replying , " Okay . " Before dinner , Carter called her into the study . She had been relaxed earlier , but her nerves kicked in as soon as she stepped into the study . Carter got straight to the point . " I can support you for a while . You can stay here , but you'll have to hand over your salary . " Lauren blinked in confusion and remained silent .

Carter went on , " If you want to settle down and eventually get your own place , you need to start planning . You can't just keep renting forever . " He tapped his fingers against the desk before adding , " Each month , keep enough for your daily expenses and set aside one thousand dollars for food . As for the rest , give it to me . I'll save it for you . " 1/3 Lauren nodded blankly . " Luxury goods , discounted designer items , and international brand cosmetics ... You're not buying any of that , " Carter warned .

His patience was clearly wearing thin as he added , " There are plenty of affordable local brands and good substitutes . I'll help you find some when I'm free . Just ... save up , will you ? " Lauren listened quietly to his lecture and muttered , " It's not like I've been buying much anyway . " " And what about all the things you bought before ? Did you sell them ? " he asked . She declared boldly , " Yeah . I sold them and spent the money . " Carter narrowed his eyes and looked at her as if she were a lost cause . " With that spending habit of yours , it'd be a miracle if you ever got rich .

" Lauren mumbled under her breath , " You could lecture me without making it personal ... " After a pause , he spoke again . " Listen carefully . You can stay here for now , but there's just one rule . You're not allowed to snatch the kids ' food or snacks . You'll pay a thousand dollars a month for meals , and that's all you get . If you want anything extra , get it yourself . " " I've got it , " she mumbled . Carter couldn't help but let out an exasperated chuckle as he looked at her . She had her head lowered , trying her best to look obedient , but she was clearly sulking .

" Lauren , we're adults . Even if you don't care about the kids , you should at least care about yourself . You've seen how hard it is to make money . It disappears faster than you earn it , " he said at last . After he left , Lauren stayed in the study for a long time . She replayed his words in her mind , contemplating them . From that moment on , Lauren began to push herself and give everything she had . Before long , everyone at Solaris Ventures knew of a workaholic in the translation department . She didn't just handle her own translations .

Whenever the project team needed help , she would step in as long as there was extra pay . Little by little , she grew thinner , but her income increased . By the end of the month , she was earning over three thousand dollars more than her previous pay . She kept a thousand dollars to treat herself to something good once in a while and handed the rest over to Carter . 2/3 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.