Rhea Ravelle, heiress of a powerful and influential family, goes against her family's wishes and cuts ties with them.

She chooses to marry Carter Jamison, a man with a failing career and two children born out of wedlock.

For six years, she raises his children as if they were her own and helps Carter rebuild his crumbling business.

Under her care, the kids grow into kind, well-mannered little stars, and Carter's company finally makes it big and goes public.

But right at the celebration marking his entry into high society, the biological mother of his two children suddenly shows up.

And Carter, who is usually so calm, completely loses it. He begs the woman to stay, making Rhea the laughingstock of the entire city.

That night, he doesn't come home. Instead, he takes the children and runs straight back to his old flame, playing house as a happy family.

Soon after, Carter files for divorce. "Thanks for everything, Rhea. But the kids need their birth mother."

The children's mother also says, "Thank you for taking care of them all these years. But a stepmother will never compare to a birth mother."

So blood beats love?

If that's how it is, then she's done playing stepmother.

However, the children reject their birth mother flat-out, and they don't want Carter either.

They declare, "Rhea is our only mom! If you're getting divorced, then we're going wherever she goes!"

It was 8:00 pm in Colburn.

Jamison Group's celebration party was in full swing. Laughter echoed across the venue as glasses clinked and compliments flew freely.

At the center of the crowd stood Carter Jamison, the man of the hour. Once from a fallen family, he had clawed his way back up. He had rebuilt the crumbling Jamison Group from the ground up and taken it public again. The achievement was enough to earn endless praise.

"Congratulations, Mr. Jamison. You're truly young and accomplished. I look forward to working with you."

"Mr. Jamison, not only is your career thriving, but your family life seems just as perfect. My wife always says a good partner at home makes all the difference. You're a lucky man."

Of course they were envious. Carter's wife had taken on the role of stepmother at such a young age and raised his two children as if they were her own. What man wouldn't admire that?

As soon as his wife was mentioned, Carter, who had been basking in the spotlight, glanced around the room.

Across the crowd, his wife, Rhea Ravelle, stood poised and elegant in a sleek black evening dress.

She was the one who had planned every detail of that night's party a month in advance. Even in the midst of her busy schedule, she hadn't once neglected the kids.

Now that the children were growing up strong and his career was finally steady, Carter had to admit that none of it would have happened without Rhea.

Just then, Rhea approached with the twins in tow and gently linked her arm with Carter's.

Compliments flowed from all directions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jamison, with their two adorable children, make a truly picture-perfect family."

"They're truly blessed!"

Rhea smiled graciously. "You're all too kind. Thank you for supporting Carter all these years. We hope to—"

Before she could finish speaking, a surprised voice rose from the entrance. "Lauren? You're Lauren Thayer, right?"

A security guard chimed in, "Mrs. Miller, this woman's been lurking around all night. Do you know her?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it cut straight through the chatter, and everyone heard it.

Rhea's heart skipped a beat the moment she heard the name "Lauren Thayer".

Before she could react, her arm was suddenly empty.

Carter was already striding toward the door. His expression was tense, with a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.

Lauren Thayer? How many Lauren Thayers could there be in this world? And how many would just happen to show up here?

At the entrance, a guard was holding a woman by the arm, demanding, "Who are you? Do you have an invitation?"

"Let go!" The sharp voice came from Carter.

The guests quickly followed.

The name Lauren Thayer was familiar to all of them.

She was Carter's childhood sweetheart, the woman he was once engaged to. More importantly, she was the birth mother of the two kids Rhea had raised.

"Lauren? Is it really you?" Carter grabbed her arm like he couldn't believe it.

His tension and concern at that moment didn't escape Rhea's eyes, making her chest tighten.

"Carter, I-I just missed the kids so much, so I came to see them. I didn't mean to intrude… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry…"

In her plain clothes and red-rimmed eyes, Lauren looked at the two children beside Rhea with quiet longing.

Seeing that, Carter felt like something sharp had stabbed him right in the chest.

He remembered Lauren as a bright and fearless person. She was always laughing, nothing like the fragile, pitiful version of her standing in front of him now.

He kept his gaze locked on her like she might disappear again if he blinked. "Where have you been all these years?"

Silence suddenly blanketed the crowd.

"Who's that woman Mr. Jamison's holding? Is she his mistress?"

"No, that's Lauren. She was once the heiress of the Thayer family. When the financial crash hit years ago, it took down both the Jamison and Thayer families. She and Mr. Jamison were engaged, but after giving birth to the twins, she vanished. The wedding never happened."

"Wait, she's the biological mom of the twins? That makes Mrs. Jamison…"

Every eye turned to Rhea.

She clutched the children's hands and was forced to watch her husband disregard her completely as he fussed over another woman in front of everyone.

Lauren looked helpless as she said, "I-I got really sick after giving birth. We were struggling so much, and I didn't want to drag you down. I know leaving without saying goodbye was wrong, but the kids are innocent. Now that you're doing well, please treat them well."

To the others, it sounded like she was accusing Rhea—the stepmother—of not treating the children well.

Carter frowned. Lauren had been sick after giving birth? She left to avoid being a burden?

Lauren pulled her arm away and said, "I should go. Carter, let me go."

"Stay," he said.

Upon hearing that, the crowd reacted in their own quiet ways, though most eyes inevitably drifted to Rhea.

But what power did she have to stop any of this? Lauren was the children's biological mother. That was a fact that no one could erase.

Just then, Arielle Jamison, the older twin, looked up at Rhea and asked, "Mom, who's that lady Dad's hugging?"

Adrian Jamison, the younger one, chimed in with confusion. "Why is Dad holding another lady?"

The room was already quiet, so the two children's voices reached everyone present when they spoke.

Carter paused, as if something had just occurred to him, then said, "Apologies, everyone. It's getting late. I'll invite all of you over another day."

"Oh, of course! We'll take our leave then, Mr. Jamison."

The guests made a swift exit.

Once the room was nearly empty, Carter reached out and gently wiped the tears off Lauren's cheeks. "Don't cry. If you really want to see the kids, then stay the night. Spend some time with them."

Lauren lifted her head in surprise. Her expression was tinged with hesitation. "C-Can I do that?"

Then she turned to Rhea. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jamison. I just want to see my kids. I hope you don't mind."

How could Rhea say no to that?

It was only natural for a biological mother to want to see her children.

Rhea lowered her gaze and replied, "Of course not."

A rare hint of relief appeared in Carter's eyes when she agreed. He instructed the butler, Devan Witt, "Get the guest room ready. Make sure it's spotless. Lauren's a clean freak."

Lauren's eyes lit up at that. It seemed that he still remembered.

Rhea, on the other hand, lowered her gaze and said nothing.

Once inside, Lauren crouched to look at the twins and tried to touch their faces. But Arielle and Adrian both instinctively backed away.

Instantly, a look of hopelessness washed over Lauren's face. "Carter, do they hate me?"

Carter immediately told the kids, "Arielle, Adrian, this is your one and only mother. Come on. Call her 'Mom'."

Rhea's heart twisted painfully. One and only mother? Then what was she?

The maids watching from the side frowned.

Rhea might not have given birth to the kids, but she had raised them since they were babies. They thought that Carter's words were a little too harsh.

"I don't want to!" Adrian snapped, his temper flaring. "She's not our mom! Our mom is right here!"

As he said that, he gripped Rhea's arm tightly and ducked behind her.

How could Rhea not be their real mom? Adrian couldn't believe it. He felt that Carter had to be lying.

Carter tried to explain, "Rhea isn't your birth mother. Lauren is. She's the one who loves you the most. No one can compare to a birth mother. So, you two need to be respectful."

Rhea's head jerked up. She wouldn't deny a mother's love. But Carter's words left her feeling excluded.

She had given everything to raise Arielle and Adrian like they were her own. She had even sacrificed having children of her own to care for them.

Arielle snorted. "I don't know about any of that! All I know is, the one who loves us the most and takes care of us is Mom! It's Rhea, not anyone else!"

Carter hadn't expected the twins to reject Lauren so strongly.

Lauren was in tears, wobbling on her feet. "It's my fault… It's all my fault… I shouldn't have left… They don't even know me…"

Right there in front of Rhea, Carter wrapped an arm around Lauren's shoulders. "Don't blame yourself. You didn't have a choice. Come on. Don't cry. Go upstairs and freshen up a bit."

Dressed in plain clothes, Lauren looked fragile and miserable. She was too weak to stand on her own, so Carter ended up escorting her to the guest room himself.

They passed by Rhea without so much as a glance, paying no mind to how she might feel.

Rhea bit back the strange discomfort swelling inside her. She told herself that Lauren simply missed the kids and wanted to see them, and that Carter was just doing what any decent father would do. He was trying to keep things civil.

At that thought, she forced a smile. "Alright, sweeties. It's time to wash up and get ready for bed."

"Okay, Mom!" The twins grinned and followed behind Rhea.

…

In the guest room, Lauren quickly freshened up and changed into a clean set of clothes. However, a sense of unease lingered in her chest. "Carter, the kids are probably getting ready for bed by now, right?"

Carter nodded. "Yeah. It's late."

If it hadn't been for the celebration party that night, the kids would have been asleep already.

Lauren set down a cup of warm water. Her eyes were still red-rimmed as she asked, "Do you think I could give them a bath? It might help us bond a little. I've missed them so much, and I've already lost so much time with them. It really hurts."

Her eyes were filled with a deep, aching longing for the kids.

How could Carter possibly deny a mother's love for her own kids?

Especially since their parting hadn't come from a lack of love, but from circumstances beyond their control. Carter couldn't bring himself to see Lauren so upset.

Those two children were, after all, the ones she had carried and given birth to.

So he nodded and said, "Alright."

…

Carter arrived at the kids' room and knocked on the door. "Arielle, Adrian."

Rhea opened it with water still clinging to her hands. When she saw him standing next to Lauren, she quietly pressed her lips together and asked, "What is it?"

"Lauren wants to help the kids with their baths. Maybe they can bond a little," Carter said.

It wasn't an outrageous request. So Rhea stepped aside and said, "Come in. Arielle's using the bathroom on the right."

The twins were six now. They were old enough to need separate bathrooms.

Lauren hurried to the bathroom on the right. Pushing the door open, she called out softly, "Arielle? It's Mom."

Startled by the sight of this woman who wanted to take Rhea's place, Arielle quickly pulled her towel around herself. "I don't need your help," she said.

The rejection hit Lauren hard, causing her eyes to well up with tears again.

Carter stood with his back to the bathroom door. "Arielle, don't speak to your mother like that."

Lauren quickly said, "It's alright, Carter. They don't really know me yet. It makes sense that they'd be guarded. I'm okay."

She sounded so patient and forgiving, which only made Carter feel more sorry for her.

How was it fair that a biological mother wasn't allowed to be near her own children?

At that thought, he turned to Rhea, who was about to bring a rubber duck to Adrian. "Is this what you've been teaching them?"

Rhea paused, confused by the sudden accusation. "What did I teach them?"

"Lauren is their mother. Even if she were a stranger, they should still show some basic respect."

Carter believed that the children's resistance toward Lauren stemmed from Rhea's failure to teach them better.

Rhea felt her heart sink. "They don't know her. What do you want me to do—"

"Enough," Carter cut her off. "Help Lauren bathe Arielle."

Without saying another word, he headed off to Adrian's bathroom. Rhea looked at his departing figure, then slowly stepped into Arielle's bathroom.

Lauren was already holding a bottle of body wash. "Arielle, let me help you with this."

Arielle wanted to push her away, but she had just heard Carter scold Rhea. So, she gritted her teeth and tolerated it.

Rhea stood by and watched Arielle forcing herself to endure for her sake. It made her chest ache. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop the mother and daughter from spending time together.

Fortunately, the bath was quick. After that, Lauren eagerly picked up a small glass jar. "Arielle, would you like to use this strawberry lotion?"

Arielle stared at her blankly and said, "No, thanks. I want my mom to do it."

Rhea walked over. "I'll do it."

The way Arielle resisted her made Lauren's heart clench with pain. "Alright."

Just as Rhea reached for the jar in Lauren's hand, the latter suddenly jerked, causing the glass jar to slip and shatter on the floor.

The crash startled Arielle. She stumbled and stepped right on a shard of glass. Blood instantly bloomed from her foot. She cried out, "Mom! I'm bleeding!"

Rhea's eyes widened in panic, but she reacted quickly. She scooped Arielle into her arms and hurried out.

Lauren quickly followed. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Hearing the commotion, Carter rushed over, only to see Arielle's foot bleeding heavily.

Rhea immediately went to grab the first aid kit and began treating the wound. Her hands moved with practiced ease.

"What happened?" Carter asked.

Lauren looked stricken. "Mrs. Jamison, even if you hate me, you shouldn't take it out on the kids. A broken jar is really dangerous. If you hadn't grabbed it from me…"

Rhea's hand froze midair. The cotton swab nearly jabbed Arielle's open wound.

Rhea didn't have time to argue. Treating the wound came first.

Fortunately, the glass shard hadn't lodged itself in the skin. It was just a surface cut.

Hearing that, Carter frowned at Rhea and said, "If you have a problem with Lauren, bring it to me. Why take it out on the kids?"

Rhea looked up when she heard those words. "I didn't try to grab the jar. And I don't have a problem with anyone."

Lauren appeared to be overwhelmed with guilt as she said, "Don't, Carter. It's my fault. I shouldn't have asked to bond with the kids or tried to bathe them. If I hadn't been here, Arielle wouldn't have gotten hurt. This is all my fault."

But Carter said firmly, "None of this is your fault. You're her birth mother. Anyone else might hurt her, but not you."

The cotton swab in Rhea's hand snapped into two. She gritted her teeth, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

She wondered if Carter really thought that she was taking out her anger on the kids. A rush of hurt swelled in her chest.

"Don't be sad, Mom." Arielle threw her arms around Rhea and said, "It doesn't even hurt that much."

A warm feeling welled up in Rhea's chest. She fought to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you. I'm fine."

Carter looked at Arielle. "Your birth mother is crying here, and you don't even say a single word to comfort her?"

Lauren tugged at Carter's sleeve gently and shook her head. "Don't scold the kids. They're still young. They don't understand."

So it all came down to Rhea's failure to raise the children properly.

Carter's anger flared, and he snapped at Rhea, "Starting tomorrow, you don't need to take care of the kids anymore. Lauren will handle it."

Rhea couldn't believe her ears. She finished bandaging Arielle's wound and stood up.

But before she could respond, Arielle blurted out, "Dad, Mom didn't try to take the jar! This woman let go of it before Mom even touched it! She did it on purpose!"

Lauren froze for a moment, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Arielle, how could you slander me?"

The way Lauren looked so hurt only made Carter believe that Arielle was lying.

In his mind, Arielle was trying to protect Rhea, which was why she intentionally slandered Lauren.

After all, what kind of mother would hurt her child?

Carter firmly said, "Arielle, children shouldn't lie. And she's not some stranger. She's your and Adrian's biological mother. Without her, you wouldn't even exist."

"I'm not lying!" Arielle insisted.

Tears shimmered in Lauren's eyes, but she managed a smile. She quickly tried to calm Carter down, saying, "It's okay. Kids don't lie. They only lie because they want to protect the people they love. It's fine if they like Mrs. Jamison. It means that she's been good to them. That's what matters."

Her statement about how kids wouldn't lie implied that Rhea had told Arielle to say that.

Seeing the hurt and grievance in Lauren's eyes only fueled Carter's anger. "Where are the maids?"

A nanny, Alisha Berry, rushed in.

Carter fixed his eyes on Rhea as he ordered, "Take the kids away." He was clearly trying to keep the children away from her.

Once Alisha had carried both children out, Carter—still fuming—left with Lauren without looking back.

Rhea stood frozen in place.

They were the twins' birth parents. So, she felt that she had no right to say anything.

Her chest constricted at the sight of the bloodied swab. But beneath the pain, it was the disappointment that cut deeper.

Throughout their six years of marriage, she managed the household and cared for the children, just so he could devote himself fully to his work.

She thought she was special. After all, Carter had remained loyal over the years. He had treated her with care and fulfilled his duties as a husband.

But now, she realized that all of that only held true because Lauren hadn't been around.

In just one evening, the way Carter defended Lauren far outshone anything he had done for Rhea in the past six years.

Suddenly, all the care he had shown her felt like a cruel joke.

…

Later that night, after Rhea had showered and lain down, footsteps soon followed.

Carter had also taken a shower and gotten into bed. They lay back-to-back in silence.

After a long pause, Carter said, "Lauren only came because she missed the children. You didn't have to be so defensive, and you certainly shouldn't have taught Arielle to lie. Don't let this happen again."

Rhea couldn't believe her ears. She clenched her jaw. "I've been raising them for six years since they were newborns. I want what's best for them more than anyone. So what makes you think I'd teach them to lie?"

"If it wasn't you, then who? Lauren?" Carter's tone turned ice-cold. "Do you need me to remind you that she's their birth mother?"

Those words hit her like a knife to the chest. She had given six years of her life, yet one emotional moment from Lauren outweighed it all.

Did those years mean nothing at all?

…

The night passed without Rhea and Carter exchanging another word.

The next morning, Rhea woke up to an empty bed.

It was the weekend, which meant that it was family day. Carter always stayed home with the kids on weekends.

As Rhea walked downstairs, Devan met her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Mrs. Jamison, breakfast… is ready." He looked like he wanted to say more, but bit his tongue.

Then Rhea stepped into the dining room and understood why.

Lauren had made breakfast. And it was elaborate.

"Mrs. Jamison, good morning. Come eat!" Lauren's smile was gentle.

But in Carter's eyes, it only looked like Lauren was trying to please Rhea.

He couldn't bear to see that. "You don't have to do that. This is your kids' home. You have every right to live here with peace of mind."

Rhea froze mid-step. It felt like someone had just slapped her across the face.

Lauren only smiled. "Alright."

Once Rhea took a seat, Lauren said, "Try this. I used to be great at making crab quiche. Carter used to love it. So, I thought I'd make some for you and the kids to try."

He did love crab quiches.

Carter didn't hold back his praise. "It's even better than I remember. Thank you for making it. But you don't have to cook next time. Rhea knows how to make it, too."

Thank you? Rhea knew how to make it, too? So what, Lauren didn't need to cook, and she had to?

Rhea stared down at her oatmeal. She recalled that she had stayed up two nights straight caring for a feverish Adrian. Her eyes were red with fatigue, but Carter hadn't even thanked her.

Nevertheless, she swallowed the urge to argue. She chose to believe that Carter was simply treating Lauren like a guest and being polite.

So, she lifted her head and said, "Yeah, I know how to make it too. But Arielle's allergic to crab. She can't have this."

Lauren was surprised. "Allergic? Carter, that's probably because she wasn't properly weaned. You can't be too overprotective with kids. They need exposure to germs when they're young. It helps build a stronger immune system."

Carter paused at those words and glanced at Rhea.

But to be fair, Rhea had taken immaculate care of the kids all these years. He had nothing to criticize. So this time, he didn't go along with what Lauren said.

Lauren noticed his silence and quickly changed the subject. "I was thinking of taking the kids out for the day. Carter, can you come with us?"

Then she turned to Rhea and said, "Mrs. Jamison, you should come too."

Carter cut in. "Just call her Rhea."

Lauren complied. "Alright, Rhea."

They just talked among themselves without even asking Rhea what she wanted.

Rhea hadn't touched her food. "You guys go. I'm meeting a friend today."

Carter asked, "What friend? You don't have friends."

"I had a friend who moved to Colburn. I'm going to catch up with her."

She used to have a wide circle of friends, but after marrying Carter and relocating to Colburn, the distance made it hard for her to keep in touch with them. Almost all of her friends were still in Draventh, which was the capital.

Carter didn't press. He simply reminded, "Be careful. Don't come back too late."

Rhea nodded and went upstairs to get ready.

After she was gone, Carter reached over and plated some more food on Lauren's plate. "So your health's really back to normal?"

Smiling, she nodded. "I'm fine now. Don't worry."

"You must have been through a lot."

Lauren lowered her gaze, sorrow flickering in her eyes. "It was fine. Things have finally turned around, haven't they?"

In truth, she hadn't really suffered. Life had been fairly comfortable. She just couldn't speak of the past.

…

Once the kids woke up, Rhea helped them get ready to head out. She packed water bottles, wet wipes, kid cameras, and spare clothes.

"I'm not coming with you today, okay? So, be good and listen to your dad. Don't run around yourselves," she said while crouching down to adjust their collars.

Adrian pouted. "Then who's coming with us?"

"Your dad and…" Rhea paused before saying, "...your birth mother."

"We don't want her!" Arielle's temper flared. "How could you not be our birth mother? That lady's lying! We've never even seen her before!"

Rhea patiently said, "Arielle, she is your birth mother. If you keep resisting her, your dad will be upset."

The kids were upset, but they nodded in agreement. After all, they had always listened to Rhea.

They still couldn't accept that Lauren was their biological mother. That rejection had only grown deeper with time.

After descending the stairs, Rhea placed a piece of paper on the dining table. "Here's a list of the kids' food allergies and eating preferences."

She didn't stick around after that. She changed her clothes and left.

…

Rhea stayed at her friend Maeve Corbin's bar until just before evening.

"It's family day, and here you are spending half of it with me. That's rare," Maeve said, setting down a plate of fruit.

Rhea gave a soft chuckle. Her tone was laced with self-deprecation as she spoke. "What's there for me to do when the perfect family of four is off having fun?"

"You could start your own business."

Rhea shook her head and said, "There's no space for my kind of work in Colburn."

She had studied venture capital. However, Colburn was home to several mid-sized manufacturing businesses. At the moment, there weren't any massive, billion-dollar projects that would call for mergers or partnerships.

The only business with real growth potential here was Carter's. Jamison Group had basically become the dominant force across the entire southern tri-state area.

But Rhea never got involved in Carter's work.

"You're wasting your talent." Even Maeve couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Rhea had grown up under the influence of the men in her family. By the age of 17, she was already learning about investments from her father.

Sharp-eyed and astute even at a young age, she had helped the Ravelle family earn more money than they could count.

It was precisely because of this that Rhea faced such fierce opposition from her family when she insisted on marrying Carter. After all, he had two children out of wedlock. The conflict ran so deep that it eventually led to a complete severing of ties.

But the young man she had secretly loved since her school days had become her husband. Naturally, she was going to give him her all. Maeve couldn't blame her for that. Not that Carter ever knew any of it.

He simply assumed that Rhea had come from an ordinary family, tucked away in some distant, remote town. And that was why her parents had never shown up all these years.

Rhea's head was starting to spin. "No more drinks. I should go—"

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, cutting her off. It was Carter.

Rhea guessed that it had to be something about the kids, as he hardly ever called her. Most of the time, they just communicated through text.

She picked up the call. "Hello?"

Carter's voice was cold and tight as he said, "Get to the children's hospital now."

Rhea didn't even say goodbye to Maeve. She just ran out of the bar.