Chapter 31 Rhea hated that logic . +25 BONUS Her parents had never told her that . Every birthday growing up was filled with joy and celebration . To them , it was a day to be grateful that their precious girl had grown another year . Why turn a day so worth celebrating and remembering into something painful ? So Rhea said firmly , " Please don't say things like that to the kids . Of course they should be grateful to their mother for bringing them into this world . But birthdays are meant to celebrate their arrival . It's the most special day of their lives , not a day of sorrow . " Chloe clearly hadn't expected Rhea to challenge her . " Hey ! I'm their great - grandmother . I- " Standing at the side , Carter reminded , " Rhea , Mrs. Thayer Senior is an elder . Watch your tone . " As Rhea looked at him , the ache that had been buried in her chest came rushing up . Wasn't she already numb ? So why did the disappointment still hit so hard ? Rhea forced herself to stay composed and walked over to play hostess to the women who had come to the party . Meanwhile , Lauren was grateful for Carter but couldn't get a single word in . Still , a few people had gathered around her , mostly old friends from back when she and Carter were still together . " Don't be upset , Lauren . A stepmother is still just a stepmother . The kids are young . It's natural for them to stick by her side for now . Once they're older , they'll know where home really is , " one of them comforted her . " Exactly . I've never heard of a stepmother who outranks the birth mother . Don't take it personally . " Lauren smiled . " It's nice having you guys here . " One of the women leaned in , whispering , " I could tell that Carter still cares about you . You two ... " Lauren blushed . " Don't be ridiculous . He has a family now . We're just doing this for the kids . " " Some things should simply be returned to where they belong . " Returned to where they belong ... Lauren glanced across the yard . Rhea carried herself with grace and ease , fully at home with the etiquette expected at a formal setting . Lauren started to wonder if Rhea had really grown up in some rural town . " Lauren , you used to play the piano beautifully . We haven't heard you play in ages . It's the twins ' birthday . How about you play something ? " Peter suggested . He had never quite accepted how things turned out , and he still thought that Carter and Lauren were a better match . He believed that anyone with a shred of decency would know when to step aside and not shamelessly cling to someone else's husband and children . Lauren said modestly , " Oh , I'm not that good . It's been years . I'm probably out of practice . I'd just embarrass myself . " 12 Chapter 31 +25 BONUS After some thought , Peter said , " Mrs. Jamison , why don't you play something ? Carter has always been a fan of classical music . I don't think I've ever heard you play . " Carter , sitting with the other male guests , looked over when he heard those words . With Rhea's background , how could she possibly have learned to play the piano ? It wasn't that he was defending her . But if she embarrassed herself , it reflected poorly on him , too . So , he said , " Let's not . Rhea's probably exhausted from organizing the party . " But Rhea looked at the twins . She had indeed never played for them before , as there hadn't been a piano in the house before , since the kids didn't take lessons . But after Carter's company went public , he had a grand piano brought in just for events like this and placed it in the corner of the living room . Now that they were about to divorce , she figured that she should play something for Arielle and Adrian . She turned to a maid and instructed , " Bring the piano over . " Carter frowned . He didn't know what she was doing . He walked over and , while no one was paying attention , quietly said to Rhea , " Don't embarrass yourself . We've got many guests here . " Was he afraid she would embarrass him ? Rhea met his eyes . " You know Lauren likes seafood pasta and that she's a clean freak . But do you know anything about me ? In our six years of marriage , do you even know what I like and what I'm good at ? " BIG SALE : 3500 BONUS FREE FOR YOU ! Click to get it 2/2