THE LOST HEIRESS RETURNS AFTER DIVORCE
Chapter 127: Second Mommy

Chapter 127: Second Mommy

The words left Asher’s lips sharper than he expected, but he didn’t regret them.

"What did you call me?" he said in his tiny voice.

The maid blinked in disbelief, as though she couldn’t believe the disrespect coming from someone barely taller than the table. But Asher didn’t flinch. His small hands curled into fists at his side.

"I’m the first young master of my daddy," Asher repeated firmly. He could still hear his mother’s voice ringing in his head from other nights before, though her words were heavy with bitterness. That boy... he’s just a product of your father’s mistake... reckless... shameful.

Asher didn’t fully understand what ’recklessness’ meant, but from the way his mother spat the word, it had to be something bad. Something disgusting.

So this boy, this Alex, wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t supposed to have the garden, the fancy maids, or the attention of Heather — the woman Asher’s father had been hiding away like some precious gem.

Asher’s gaze hardened as he remembered the whispers, the way people looked at his mother lately, as though her skin carried the stain of her crime. His mother rotting in a cell, while this... imposter... got to live in luxury with a complete family.

His small chest tightened, and his eyes stung. Tears welled up before he could stop them, the raw, boiling frustration inside of him escaping through the only outlet it could.

Heather wanted to check up on Alex and Asher to take her mind off a lot of things. She approached with a sigh that carried exhaustion and weariness.

The news of Sebastian’s case had consumed the media like wildfire — Trish’s social media accounts had vanished overnight, ripped apart by public outrage, and old scandals from her home country had resurfaced like buried corpses clawing their way from the grave.

Heather just needed some air, a break from the constant pings of her phone and the suffocating headlines. But when she turned the corner, her heart sank.

There was Asher, tears streaking down his flushed cheeks, the maid hovering awkwardly nearby with Alex’s smudged drawing board in hand.

Paint splattered across Alex’s shirt and pants.

"What’s going on?" Heather demanded, her voice sharp with concern. "Why are you crying, Asher?"

Asher sniffled, pointing his trembling finger toward Alex like a well-rehearsed scene. "He... he didn’t let me play with him..." His voice cracked, the perfect mixture of vulnerability and betrayal.

Alex’s jaw nearly unhinged from shock. His wide eyes flicked between Heather and Asher, unable to comprehend how flawlessly this boy slipped into character, turning lies into reality with the ease of breathing.

But Alex was no fool. He’d watched his father charm strangers with sweet words and false smiles. He knew how to play the game too.

Tears pooled in his eyes as he gasped, a small hiccup escaping as his bottom lip quivered pathetically. The maid simply stared at the two boys in mute confusion, unsure who the real villain was.

Heather’s stern expression melted as she scooped Alex into her arms, his warm tears dampening her shoulder.

"Cupcake..." Alex whispered, his voice fragile and broken.

Heather sighed, rubbing his back gently. "Alright, alright... let’s go make some cupcakes, okay?"

Despite the paint stains on his clothes, she couldn’t deny her child the small comfort of distraction.

She turned toward the house, Alex nestled against her shoulder, his head peeked over to shoot Asher a sly, victorious smile. The tears were gone, replaced by quiet triumph.

Asher’s own crying faltered as he watched Alex’s smug expression. His fists tightened again, but he smoothed his face into something more innocent when Heather glanced back.

"Asher, you coming?" Heather asked, extending the same offer to him, despite the unease twisting in her stomach about his presence.

In the kitchen, Heather lifted Alex onto the counter. "Stay," she instructed.

She scoured the cabinets for ingredients, mumbling half to herself. "What do people even use for cupcakes again?"

Asher hovered nearby, watching Alex perched neatly on the counter.

"Jump," he whispered under his breath, a devilish grin curled his lips. "Let’s see if you can survive that fall... after all, aren’t kids supposed to have cat-like reflexes?"

But Alex wasn’t stupid. "You jump," he shot back defensively, gripping the edge of the counter tighter.

Asher considered shoving him but decided against it. Heather’s trust was a currency he couldn’t afford to waste.

Instead, he slipped into charm like an old coat. "Second Mommy, should I help break the eggs?"

Heather raised a brow, uneasy at how quickly he’d adopted the term. Second mommy. The words prickled uncomfortably, but she forced a smile.

"You know how to break eggs?"

"My mommy taught me to break them without getting shells inside," Asher replied sweetly.

Heather handed him an egg and bowl. "Alright... just one."

Asher cracked it perfectly, not a fragment of shell to be seen. Heather smiled, almost against her better judgment, and handed him the rest.

But Asher was fighting Heather with his mind; he had a darker plan. As soon as her back turned, he shoved the bowl off the counter.

CLATTER!

The bowl shattered on the floor, eggs splattered across the tiles.

Heather spun around. "What happened?!"

Asher’s innocent mask slipped back on. "Mommy, I... I was trying to help baby brother Alex so he wouldn’t fall when I knocked over the bowl..."

Heather’s eyes shot to Alex. "Baby... were you trying to jump?"

Alex’s mouth opened in protest. "Mama, I didn’t—"

"He did look like he was going to fall," Asher interrupted, lowering his head. "I just wanted to protect him..."

Heather’s head ached; she knew exactly what was going on and she hated it — this exactly how she and Lauren’s childhood was.

The lies, the tension, the awkwardness of parenting two girl caught in some silent battle of wills.

"No more cupcakes," Heather declared, scooping Alex off the counter. The smell of raw egg already coated the air.

She carefully avoided stepping in the mess as she lifted Asher down. "To your rooms. Both of you."

The boys sulked off, leaving her with the shattered bowl and splattered yolk.

Heather crouched to clean the mess. Asher was exactly like Lauren, and she was going to take him to his grandparents first thing in the morning.

Parenting Alex alone had been manageable. But this... two boys, battling in subtle, manipulative ways — it was exhausting.

She rinsed her hands in the sink, the kitchen still heavy with the scent of raw egg. As she turned to leave, her foot caught on something sharp near the door.

"Shit—"

She winced, lifting her foot to reveal a shard of glass in her heel, probably a stray piece from the broken bowl. Blood welled around the glass as she leaned against the counter for support.

This wasn’t what she signed up for.