Chapter 38 Rhea frowned and asked , " What exactly do I need to explain ? " Carter's refusal to divorce didn't bring her any sense of happiness . That was just his possessiveness and male ego speaking . He couldn't accept divorce because she was the one who brought it up . How could Carter possibly tolerate being dumped ? Then , he demanded , " What's going on with you and Louie ? And how do you know George ? Have you been hiding things from me ? Have you been unfaithful ? Don't you think you owe me some answers ? " Lauren stepped out of the car and echoed , " Rhea , you've been getting way too close to other men . That's not right . T With a sharp tug , Rhea wrenched her arm free . First , she was the neglectful stepmother . Now they wanted to accuse her of infidelity ? " I'm not obliged to tell you who I know or speak to . That's my business . Before you start pointing fingers , maybe take a hard look at yourself first . " With that , Rhea turned and walked away without looking back . She should have expected anything from someone like Carter . He never acknowledged his own faults and instead always blamed others . Thinking that it was a cruel joke , Rhea realized that she had been so blind and foolish all these years . The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed . He had told her that he helped Lauren out of pity , yet he turned around and paraded around with her like Rhea didn't exist . He had dragged her dignity through the dirt . So why should she care about his ? It was better to have an acrimonious falling - out with him now . At least then , once they were back in Colburn , she wouldn't go easy on him . Rhea returned to the hotel . At 6:00 pm , Louie called with news . " We got the project ! And just as you requested , they agreed to pay a portion upfront . " The remaining payment would be divided into phases and secured by contract to mitigate the risk of default . Louie hadn't expected them to agree . But during the conference earlier , Rhea had sat down alone with Jaden and talked for more than 20 minutes . Louie had no idea what they talked about . However , Jaden ultimately chose Scott Group over Jamison Group for the Draventh project . It was all thanks to Rhea . With the right talent and background , some individuals can truly rise to the top . And yet Carter had never valued a wife like that .. Carter was really a joke . 1/2 Chapter 38 " Ms. Ravelle , may I take you to dinner to celebrate our big win and express my gratitude ? " Louie asked . Rhea hadn't eaten yet . So , she said , " Sure . " +25 BONUS After arriving at the restaurant they had agreed on , Rhea took her seat . Louie said , " I had them open a bottle of wine . Let's celebrate . " Even the project team's director had tagged along , grateful to Rhea for her contribution . After all , he would be walking away with a sizable bonus . The three of them enjoyed their dinner and chatted about work . But as luck would have it , a few familiar faces happened to show up at the same restaurant . The private room's door was slightly ajar . Someone passed by and saw Rhea . " Rhea ? " It was Lauren . Standing beside her were Carter and several members of the Jamison Group's project team . Carter frowned and asked , " What are you doing here ? " His tone was quite accusatory . This was a restaurant - a public space . Why couldn't Rhea be here ? Louie spoke up first . " Ms. Ravelle is a hero at Scott Group now . As her boss , of course I have to show my appreciation with a proper meal . " Carter didn't dwell on Louie's words . He simply turned to Rhea and said , " It's almost 7:00 pm . Why aren't you on a video call with the kids ? Arielle is still sick . She needs someone to care for her . " 1 Everyone around them fell silent . Before Rhea could speak , Louie smiled and asked , " Mr. Jamison , if I'm not mistaken , Ms. Thayer is the children's biological mother , isn't she ? So , how can the two of you be out enjoying wine and fine dining , while Ms. Ravelle is expected to do your jobs as parents ? " 1 Carter's face darkened . His voice tightened as he warned , " Mr. Scott , this is my private matter . "