Accidentally Yours, My Super Rich Second Husband-Chapter 167: Shattered Expectations

The morning sun cast a soft golden hue over the city as Evander buttoned up his shirt, glancing in the mirror before turning to look at his son. Ashton sat on the edge of the bed, his small hands gripping the fabric of his pants in barely contained excitement.

"Are you ready, bud?" Evander asked, kneeling in front of him to fix the slightly crooked collar of his shirt.

Ashton beamed up at him, his dark eyes shining with anticipation. "I can’t wait to meet my mom! Do you think she’ll be happy to see me?"

Evander forced a smile, his heart heavy with uncertainty. He had kept Lydia at a distance for years, protecting Ashton from the past, but when she suddenly requested to see him, Evander thought—just maybe—she had changed. That hope, no matter how foolish, had led them here today.

"I’m sure she will," Evander said, ruffling his son’s hair. "Come on, let’s go."

They drove in silence, Ashton’s feet swinging slightly as he stared out the window. Evander glanced at him every so often, the boy’s eagerness making his chest ache. He wanted this to go well for Ashton’s sake. Even though Lydia had been absent all these years, she was still his mother.

When they arrived, Evander pulled up to the grand entrance of Lydia’s house. It was a luxurious, modern mansion, just as pristine and cold as the woman who lived in it. They stepped out of the car, and as they approached the front door, Evander noticed how Ashton’s small fingers curled into the fabric of his pants.

"Nervous?" he asked gently.

Ashton nodded, but there was still excitement in his eyes. "A little."

Evander reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "It’ll be okay."

He was just about to press the doorbell when a sharp, angry voice echoed from inside.

"I hate that child!" Lydia’s voice cut through the air like a blade, raw with emotion. "I should have never given birth to him!"

Evander froze, his hand hovering over the doorbell. Ashton, still too small to see properly, tilted his head slightly and peeked through the narrow gap in the door.

"He ruined my youth, my body, my career—everything! Do you have any idea what I had to sacrifice? And for what? A child I never wanted in the first place?!" Lydia’s voice grew more frantic. "Every time I think about him, I feel nothing but regret. I was a fool to think I could ever be a mother."

Evander’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening as rage bubbled inside him. He wanted to storm inside, to confront her, to make her take back every cruel word. But then he felt it—the small, trembling hand that had slipped into his.

He looked down at Ashton. The boy’s bright excitement had been replaced with quiet devastation. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but no words came. His eyes, those same deep eyes that held so much innocence just moments ago, were now filled with pain.

Evander cursed Lydia deeply in his heart. The woman had claimed she wanted to see Ashton, but what did they get instead? Open hatred, cold and cutting, aimed right at her own son. Was she out of her mind? Or was she just a devil in disguise?

His grip on Ashton’s small hand tightened slightly—not enough to hurt, just enough to ground himself, to remind himself of what mattered. Lydia didn’t deserve the title of a mother. A real mother wouldn’t look at her child with such disgust, wouldn’t spit out words designed to wound.

His teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. He had been prepared for awkwardness, hesitation, even some distant indifference. But this? This was cruelty.

Still, maybe this was for the best. At least now, there were no illusions. No pretending that she cared, no false hope that Ashton might find warmth in her presence. She had revealed her true colors, and Evander would make damn sure Ashton never had to suffer under them again.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed down the anger threatening to consume him. Ashton needed him steady, not raging.

Evander couldn’t let him hear another word.

Without hesitation, he scooped Ashton up into his arms and turned away. "Let’s go," he said, his voice firm yet gentle.

Ashton didn’t protest. He simply buried his face into Evander’s shoulder, his small hands clutching onto him tightly.

As they walked back to the car, Evander’s mind raced. How could he have been so naive? Lydia had always been selfish—hadn’t she abandoned Ashton the moment he was born? He had been stupid to think time could change someone like her.

He opened the car door and gently placed Ashton inside, fastening his seatbelt. The boy sat still, his gaze downcast, his little hands resting limply in his lap.

"Ashton," Evander said softly, kneeling beside him. "I—"

"She doesn’t want me," Ashton whispered, his voice barely audible.

Evander’s heart cracked. He reached out and cupped Ashton’s face, making him look up. "Listen to me. That woman... she doesn’t deserve you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Do you understand?"

Ashton blinked up at him, his eyes glistening. "But she said..."

"No," Evander said firmly. "She may have given birth to you, but being a mother is more than that. And you, Ashton, are loved. By me, by your grandparents, by everyone who truly matters."

Ashton swallowed hard, nodding slightly. But the pain was still there—it would take time to heal. And for that, Evander swore he would do whatever it took.

As he stood up and walked around to the driver’s seat, he felt the weight of anger settle deep in his chest. Lydia had hurt his son in a way that could never be forgiven.

He started the car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

He swore on his life—Lydia would never get another chance to hurt Ashton again.