Chapter 19 " Nathan was there too , " George lied . " He asked me to bring you something . " The thought that Nathan still cared made Rhea fight back tears . George studied her , thinking that she had changed . The determination and confidence she once had in her eyes used to shine so brightly . " I'll be in Colburn for a while . If you need anything , just call me . " Rhea lowered her gaze and said , " Thank you , George . ' 11 After getting out of the car , she said goodbye and started walking back on her own with arms full of gifts . She looked delicate , but she carried all those bags like they were nothing . Edward got back in and remarked , " Ms. Ravelle's stronger than she looks . " He had no idea that Rhea had held a child in each arm for six years . Compared to that , a few bags were nothing . Besides , they were from Nathan . Rhea didn't want anyone else touching them . George watched her walk away . These were things he couldn't tell Nathan . That man would do anything for his sister . If he lost control , he might take actions Rhea couldn't handle . " Let's go , " George said . " Take me to Scott Group . " Although George hadn't invested in Jamison Group during his last visit , he did choose Scott Group - Carter's biggest rival . Back home , Rhea sorted the gifts and stored them away before video calling Maeve . Maeve looked pleased . " See ? Your family still worries about you . Stop overthinking it . No parent ever truly disowns their child . " " I know . " Rhea was smiling for the first time in days . " By the way , I'm about to start job hunting . " She had made up her mind to gradually break away from Carter and from the home that never truly felt whole . " Do you have any targets in mind ? Do you need me to connect you with anyone ? " Maeve asked . " No need . I promised the kids I'd be home at night , so I have to find something here in Colburn . I did some digging . Scott Group's not bad . It's decently sized and has good prospects . " Maeve blinked in confusion . " Wait , didn't you once mention that the Scotts and Jamisons are sworn enemies ? " When the Jamison family went under , the Scotts had made it worse . Rhea's expression didn't change . " Yeah . " Maeve's jaw dropped . Along with the shock , there was genuine happiness for Rhea . It seemed that she was truly determined to leave Carter this time ! Chapter 10 +25 BONUS " I used to consider everything from his perspective . I raised the kids for years without ever complaining . And in the end ? Well , you saw what it came to , " Rhea said calmly . Maeve hesitated . " But if the Scotts figure out who you are , do you think they'll hire you ? " Rhea began working on her résumé . " If they've got any brains , they won't say no . " " Alright , then . I'll be waiting for good news ! " Rhea was never one to waste time . She polished her résumé with zero fluff , laid out her past experience clearly , and sent it straight to the Scott Group's recruitment inbox . She closed her laptop and looked out the window . That summer in Colburn , the rain felt endless . Rhea figured once she got back into her field and spent one last birthday with the kids , she could finally divorce Carter in peace . To her surprise , not even two hours after she sent out her resume , Scott Group's HR called and asked if she could come in the same day for an interview . Naturally , Rhea agreed . She stepped into her walk - in closet and pulled out her one and only women's suit - a crisp white one . She paired it with a pair of stiletto heels she hadn't worn in ages . Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders , and she added a light touch of makeup . Rhea barely recognized the woman staring back in the mirror . When caring for young children , mothers usually avoided wearing high heels or fitted tops . It was just too restrictive . Rhea walked out of the walk - in closet , grabbed her bag and a printed résumé , and headed toward the door . The maids who saw her stopped in their tracks , their eyes wide . It looked like a stranger had just walked through the house . They didn't say anything until after she left . " That was Mrs. Jamison , right ? " " Yeah " " She's gorgeous . She's way prettier than Ms. Thayer . " Rhea parked near Scott Group's building . Before getting out , she took off her flats and slid into her heels . It took her a few steps to adjust before walking felt a little less uncomfortable ,