Chapter 30 After saying that , Lauren watched the kids closely . Normally , when she said things like that , they would give her an icy look or even walk away from her . But now , with so many people around , if they did that , everyone would surely say that they hadn't been properly taught . And since Rhea was the one who raised them , she couldn't escape the blame . A few seconds later , to Lauren's surprise , Arielle smiled sweetly and said , " Okay . Dad and Mom worked hard to raise us . We'll definitely study hard . " Adrian nodded solemnly . " Yeah . " Her words made Lauren's smile twitch . To her , those words were hard to hear . But to outsiders , the two children sounded thoughtful and absolutely endearing . A lady who once knew Rhea spoke up . " As parents , all we could ever hope for was the day our children would grow up to be understanding . It looks like Mrs. Jamison's years of care have truly paid off . " " Exactly ! Compared to my own kids , these two are angels . " Their words were like invisible slaps , darkening Lauren's face even further . She , the birth mother , had no presence at this moment . But what surprised her most was that the two children didn't seem to resist her that day . She had hoped to use the party as an opportunity to make Carter question Rhea's parenting . But now , it backfired . All the praise was falling on Rhea . Just then , Peter , who was invited , suddenly said , " Arielle , Adrian , the ones who brought you into this world are your birth mom and dad . Without them , you wouldn't be here today . " To him , Rhea was just mooching off Lauren's efforts . These kids were wonderful . If Lauren hadn't given birth to them , would Rhea have ever had the chance to call them hers ? But a few of the women present , who had been stepmothers themselves , were immediately put off by those words . Among them , Elsie Clarke was the most direct . " Mr. Henderson , I remember your father married your mother when she already had a son . So by your logic , all the effort your father put in as a stepfather over the years was for nothing , right ? " Peter's mother had remarried before having him and his sister , and his father had raised that stepson with immense care . Peter's face darkened at once . Elsie was the first person who recognized Lauren at the celebration party last time . She was also a stepmother , but she had a great relationship with her stepson . Being in the same position herself , she couldn't stand hearing anyone speak poorly of Rhea . She didn't see what the big deal was about being a biological mother . After all , they just gave birth but didn't raise the child . 1/3 Chapter 30 +25 BONUS " Mrs. Jamison , we really envy you . You raised these kids so well . They're so thoughtful and sweet . You'll surely have a happy life ahead . " Rhea smiled . "I hope so . " Elsie linked arms with her . " I'm sure Lauren has ulterior motives . Be careful . Don't let her benefit from your efforts . " Rhea hadn't known her well before , but now she realized Elsie had a kind heart . " Being a stepmother isn't easy , " Elsie went on . Her husband was a high - ranking official at Colburn , so people dared not contradict her . " When they're not your own kids , you can't scold or punish them . Do a good job , and it's just your duty . Do something wrong , and people will accuse you of being heartless . It's a no - win situation . If your husband understands you , great . If not , it'll just break your heart . Fortunately , my stepson treats me well . I'm really grateful . " She crouched to the kids ' level and said , " You two have to study hard and grow up into amazing people to make your mom proud . " Arielle and Adrian nodded . " We will , Mrs. Miller ! " " How adorable ! " Lauren's face turned even darker . Carter , meanwhile , was lost in thought . Elsie's words echoed in his ears . Being a stepmother indeed wasn't easy . When it came to how Rhea treated the kids , he really couldn't fault her . As a stepmother , she was certainly up to the task . But it was her unwillingness to tolerate Lauren that had led to the recent unpleasantness . It seemed like he needed to talk to her seriously . Shaking himself from his thoughts , Carter said , " Thank you all for coming to celebrate our children's birthday . Please , everyone , take a seat . " The backyard was spacious enough for several tables . At the main table , the birthday twins wore their party hats . Carter and Lauren stood on either side of them . Smiling , Lauren said , " Let's take a family photo . " The photographer rushed over . Holding the camera , he hesitated . " Mrs. Jamison , do you ... " The four of them stood lined up for the picture . The kids were trying hard to hold it together , just wanting this to be over so they could eat cake with Rhea . Rhea took a step back calmly . " Take their photo . " With a click , the moment was captured . Lauren beamed . " I'll treasure this photo forever . Rhea , why don't you take one too ? " " Mom has lots of photos like this . I'm done taking photos , " Arielle said , taking off her birthday hat . Rhea had lots ... 2/3 Chapter 30 +25 BONUS Lauren bit her lip when she heard that . The kids had reached their limit . Perfectly in sync , they ran straight over to Rhea's side . At that moment , Chloe spoke up . " A child's birthday is a mother's hardest day . Your mom nearly died bringing you into this world . So the most important thing today is to spend more time with your birth mother . Everything else is secondary . " 3/2