1. **State the problem:** Cindy was asked to subtract 3 from a certain number $x$ and then divide the result by 9. 2. The correct expression for the task is $$\frac{x - 3}{9}.$$ 3. However, Cindy instead subtracted 9 and divided by 3, which can be written as $$\frac{x - 9}{3} = 43.$$ 4. Solve for $x$ in Cindy's incorrect operation: $$\frac{x - 9}{3} = 43$$ Multiply both sides by 3 to isolate $x - 9$: $$x - 9 = 43 \times 3$$ $$x - 9 = 129$$ Add 9 to both sides: $$x = 129 + 9 = 138.$$ 5. Now, find the correct answer using this value of $x$: $$\frac{x - 3}{9} = \frac{138 - 3}{9} = \frac{135}{9} = 15.$$ **Final Answer:** Cindy’s correct answer should have been 15, which corresponds to option c.