Chapter 2

Carter hadn't expected the twins to reject Lauren so strongly.

Lauren was in tears, wobbling on her feet. "It's my fault… It's all my fault… I shouldn't have left… They don't even know me…"

Right there in front of Rhea, Carter wrapped an arm around Lauren's shoulders. "Don't blame yourself. You didn't have a choice. Come on. Don't cry. Go upstairs and freshen up a bit."

Dressed in plain clothes, Lauren looked fragile and miserable. She was too weak to stand on her own, so Carter ended up escorting her to the guest room himself.

They passed by Rhea without so much as a glance, paying no mind to how she might feel.

Rhea bit back the strange discomfort swelling inside her. She told herself that Lauren simply missed the kids and wanted to see them, and that Carter was just doing what any decent father would do. He was trying to keep things civil.

At that thought, she forced a smile. "Alright, sweeties. It's time to wash up and get ready for bed."

"Okay, Mom!" The twins grinned and followed behind Rhea.

…

In the guest room, Lauren quickly freshened up and changed into a clean set of clothes. However, a sense of unease lingered in her chest. "Carter, the kids are probably getting ready for bed by now, right?"

Carter nodded. "Yeah. It's late."

If it hadn't been for the celebration party that night, the kids would have been asleep already.

Lauren set down a cup of warm water. Her eyes were still red-rimmed as she asked, "Do you think I could give them a bath? It might help us bond a little. I've missed them so much, and I've already lost so much time with them. It really hurts."

Her eyes were filled with a deep, aching longing for the kids.

How could Carter possibly deny a mother's love for her own kids?

Especially since their parting hadn't come from a lack of love, but from circumstances beyond their control. Carter couldn't bring himself to see Lauren so upset.

Those two children were, after all, the ones she had carried and given birth to.

So he nodded and said, "Alright."

…

Carter arrived at the kids' room and knocked on the door. "Arielle, Adrian."

Rhea opened it with water still clinging to her hands. When she saw him standing next to Lauren, she quietly pressed her lips together and asked, "What is it?"

"Lauren wants to help the kids with their baths. Maybe they can bond a little," Carter said.

It wasn't an outrageous request. So Rhea stepped aside and said, "Come in. Arielle's using the bathroom on the right."

The twins were six now. They were old enough to need separate bathrooms.

Lauren hurried to the bathroom on the right. Pushing the door open, she called out softly, "Arielle? It's Mom."

Startled by the sight of this woman who wanted to take Rhea's place, Arielle quickly pulled her towel around herself. "I don't need your help," she said.

The rejection hit Lauren hard, causing her eyes to well up with tears again.

Carter stood with his back to the bathroom door. "Arielle, don't speak to your mother like that."

Lauren quickly said, "It's alright, Carter. They don't really know me yet. It makes sense that they'd be guarded. I'm okay."

She sounded so patient and forgiving, which only made Carter feel more sorry for her.

How was it fair that a biological mother wasn't allowed to be near her own children?

At that thought, he turned to Rhea, who was about to bring a rubber duck to Adrian. "Is this what you've been teaching them?"

Rhea paused, confused by the sudden accusation. "What did I teach them?"

"Lauren is their mother. Even if she were a stranger, they should still show some basic respect."

Carter believed that the children's resistance toward Lauren stemmed from Rhea's failure to teach them better.

Rhea felt her heart sink. "They don't know her. What do you want me to do—"

"Enough," Carter cut her off. "Help Lauren bathe Arielle."

Without saying another word, he headed off to Adrian's bathroom. Rhea looked at his departing figure, then slowly stepped into Arielle's bathroom.

Lauren was already holding a bottle of body wash. "Arielle, let me help you with this."

Arielle wanted to push her away, but she had just heard Carter scold Rhea. So, she gritted her teeth and tolerated it.

Rhea stood by and watched Arielle forcing herself to endure for her sake. It made her chest ache. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop the mother and daughter from spending time together.

Fortunately, the bath was quick. After that, Lauren eagerly picked up a small glass jar. "Arielle, would you like to use this strawberry lotion?"

Arielle stared at her blankly and said, "No, thanks. I want my mom to do it."

Rhea walked over. "I'll do it."

The way Arielle resisted her made Lauren's heart clench with pain. "Alright."

Just as Rhea reached for the jar in Lauren's hand, the latter suddenly jerked, causing the glass jar to slip and shatter on the floor.

The crash startled Arielle. She stumbled and stepped right on a shard of glass. Blood instantly bloomed from her foot. She cried out, "Mom! I'm bleeding!"

Rhea's eyes widened in panic, but she reacted quickly. She scooped Arielle into her arms and hurried out.

Lauren quickly followed. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Hearing the commotion, Carter rushed over, only to see Arielle's foot bleeding heavily.

Rhea immediately went to grab the first aid kit and began treating the wound. Her hands moved with practiced ease.

"What happened?" Carter asked.

Lauren looked stricken. "Mrs. Jamison, even if you hate me, you shouldn't take it out on the kids. A broken jar is really dangerous. If you hadn't grabbed it from me…"

Rhea's hand froze midair. The cotton swab nearly jabbed Arielle's open wound.

Rhea didn't have time to argue. Treating the wound came first.

Fortunately, the glass shard hadn't lodged itself in the skin. It was just a surface cut.

Hearing that, Carter frowned at Rhea and said, "If you have a problem with Lauren, bring it to me. Why take it out on the kids?"

Rhea looked up when she heard those words. "I didn't try to grab the jar. And I don't have a problem with anyone."

Lauren appeared to be overwhelmed with guilt as she said, "Don't, Carter. It's my fault. I shouldn't have asked to bond with the kids or tried to bathe them. If I hadn't been here, Arielle wouldn't have gotten hurt. This is all my fault."

But Carter said firmly, "None of this is your fault. You're her birth mother. Anyone else might hurt her, but not you."

The cotton swab in Rhea's hand snapped into two. She gritted her teeth, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

She wondered if Carter really thought that she was taking out her anger on the kids. A rush of hurt swelled in her chest.

"Don't be sad, Mom." Arielle threw her arms around Rhea and said, "It doesn't even hurt that much."

A warm feeling welled up in Rhea's chest. She fought to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you. I'm fine."

Carter looked at Arielle. "Your birth mother is crying here, and you don't even say a single word to comfort her?"

Lauren tugged at Carter's sleeve gently and shook her head. "Don't scold the kids. They're still young. They don't understand."

So it all came down to Rhea's failure to raise the children properly.

Carter's anger flared, and he snapped at Rhea, "Starting tomorrow, you don't need to take care of the kids anymore. Lauren will handle it."

Rhea couldn't believe her ears. She finished bandaging Arielle's wound and stood up.

But before she could respond, Arielle blurted out, "Dad, Mom didn't try to take the jar! This woman let go of it before Mom even touched it! She did it on purpose!"