Chapter 9 Lauren lowered her head , her hands slowly balling into fists in her lap . +25 BONUS It was 9:00 pm . Rhea sat alone at the dining table , eating a late - night snack . She hadn't eaten much earlier , as her mood had killed her appetite . She was mid - bite when Carter and Lauren returned home . " Mr. Jamison , this arrived for you . " Devan handed Carter an international delivery . Carter loosened his tie , barely reacting . " It's for Rhea . " Devan paused , startled . Lauren also looked surprised . She knew Carter well . He only gave gifts for two reasons . Either he cared , or he was apologizing . Lauren bit down on her lip until it turned a pale shade . Devan quickly carried the large box into the dining room and handed it to Rhea , who was eating at the time . He said , " Mrs. Jamison , this is from Mr. Jamison . " However , Rhea didn't move . Devan opened the outer packaging for her . Inside was a box containing an evening dress . Earlier that day , Lauren had worn one of Rhea's dresses to the cocktail party . Before leaving , Carter had quietly asked his secretary to order a replacement . Rhea's hand paused midair as her eyes fell on the box . For a moment , her mind drifted back to the beginning when she and Carter first got together . Things hadn't been easy back then . The Jamison family had gone bankrupt and was in debt . Carter scrambled to run the business with just a handful of people . He didn't earn much at first , but every month , he kept only enough for his social expenses and gave the rest to her . The first expensive gift he ever bought her was a custom dress from this very same desig Rhea tightened her grip on the fork . Her heart ached with sorrow as her thoughts drifted back to years ago . She and Carter hadn't met as classmates . They were state - level representatives in the National Math Olympiad . When she first joined the prep class , most of the students came from wealthy families . But her father always told her to stay humble , so she dressed simply , never wearing designer brands . Rhea didn't have any pocket money either . After all , her family had already provided everything she needed at home . The others thought that she was from a poor background , assuming that she had joined the competition to win prize money . They looked down on her and isolated her from the others . No one wanted to be on the same team with her . Chapter 9 +25 BONUS That took a toll on her early performance . Her competition results grew increasingly disappointing , and she came dangerously close to being replaced . It was during that time that Carter took the initiative to team up with Rhea . He patiently explained math problems to her , helped her regain her focus , and even skipped class to take her out for a walk when she was overwhelmed . When the others excluded her , he was the one who stepped in to defend her . That was when her feelings for him started to grow . Rhea still remembered what Carter had told her . " Don't let them get to you . Remember , when you win that prize money , don't waste it on designer clothes like they do . Use it to keep learning . What really matters is changing your life . " He must have thought that she really was from an ordinary background . Back then , Carter was bright and full of confidence . It was as if there was nothing he couldn't do . They went on to win championship after championship , coming just one step short of reaching the international stage . Then Rhea fell ill . When she returned to the prep class a month later , Carter was already gone . She asked around and learned that the Jamison family had gone bankrupt . They were 15 then . It was 13 years ago . The next time they crossed paths was in the hospital . Arielle had broken a bone and was hospitalized . Carter held Adrian in his arms , flustered and overwhelmed . Rhea had fractured a bone in a bike accident and ended up in the same ward . Even in the midst of all that chaos , he still recognized her and went out of his way to look after her . It all started then . After she was discharged , they kept in frequent contact . Then they fell in love and eventually got married .