Accidentally Yours, My Super Rich Second Husband-Chapter 120: Innocent Whispers

Children’s laughter and chatter filled the air as they ran around the playground, their voices blending into a lively symphony of youthful energy. A group of third graders, their clothes slightly wrinkled from the morning’s lessons, gathered near a tree at the edge of the yard. Among them was Ashton, seated cross-legged on the grass with his lunchbox open on his lap.

Ashton had a peanut butter sandwich in one hand, and with the other, he gestured animatedly as he spoke. His hair was slightly tousled, and his bright eyes sparkled with curiosity. Around him, his friends sat or sprawled out, munching on their lunches and swapping stories about their morning.

"Okay, okay," piped up Olivia, a small girl with pigtails tied neatly with pink ribbons. She adjusted her glasses and pointed a carrot stick at the group. "Who’s coming to the parent-teacher meeting next week? My mom said she’ll come, but my dad can’t because he’s working."

"My mom’s coming too," said Liam, a freckled boy with messy red hair. He bit into an apple and grinned. "She said she needs to talk to Miss Parker about my math grade."

"Both of my parents are coming," chimed in Daniel, a boy with a crooked smile. "But they said no dessert for a week if Miss Parker says I’ve been noisy in class again."

The children laughed, their giggles rippling through the group. Then, all eyes turned to Ashton, who had been quietly nibbling on his sandwich.

"What about you, Ashton?" Olivia asked, tilting her head curiously. "Who’s coming for you?"

Ashton looked up, his cheeks slightly pink from the sudden attention. He straightened his posture, brushing a stray crumb off his lap. "My mom’s coming," he said confidently. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

There was a brief pause, and then Olivia frowned slightly, adjusting her glasses again. "Wait... do you mean your stepmom?"

Ashton hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. "Yeah, I mean my stepmom," he clarified.

He had told them about Delphinia before—just the basics. She was his stepmom, technically, though that label barely scratched the surface of who she really was. No one had pressed him for details, and he hadn’t volunteered them. It wasn’t like he could explain everything anyway.

Daniel, who was lying on his stomach and propping his chin on his hands, perked up. "What’s she like?" he asked, his eyes wide with interest.

"She’s nice," Ashton said simply, shrugging as though it wasn’t a big deal.

"Just nice?" Olivia pressed, leaning forward slightly. "What else? Is she pretty?"

Ashton blinked, a little taken aback by the question. He shifted uncomfortably, his fingers fidgeting with the corner of his sandwich. "I guess so," he replied, his voice uncertain. "She’s... beautiful."

Daniel suddenly sat up, his expression turning serious in a way that only a child’s could. "Beautiful? Ashton, you better be careful," he said, his tone almost grave.

Ashton tilted his head, confused. "Careful? Why?"

"Because," Daniel said, drawing out the word dramatically, "beautiful stepmothers are usually bad. Haven’t you seen movies? They always do mean things to their stepkids."

"That’s not true!" protested Liam, tossing his apple core into a nearby trash can. "What if she’s nice and beautiful? Isn’t that better?"

Daniel shook his head, his messy hair flopping with the motion. "No way. Beautiful stepmothers always turn out to be evil. They’ll make you do all the chores, or they’ll try to send you away or something."

"That’s only in movies," Ashton said, frowning slightly. He straightened his back, his tone defensive. "My stepmom isn’t like that. She’s really nice."

"Are you sure?" Olivia asked, her brow furrowed as she considered this new information. "What if she’s just pretending to be nice?"

Ashton’s grip on his sandwich tightened. He didn’t like where the conversation was going, but he didn’t know how to steer it in a different direction. "She’s not pretending," he said firmly. "She cares about me and my dad."

Olivia looked unconvinced, but Liam jumped in to change the tone. "I think it’s cool that your stepmom’s beautiful," he said, flashing a grin. "You’re lucky."

Daniel snorted, crossing his arms. "You don’t get it, Liam. Beautiful stepmothers are always trouble."

"Not always," Liam countered. "What about Cinderella’s stepsisters? They were ugly, and they were the ones who were mean."

The group burst into laughter at Liam’s comment, easing some of the tension. Even Ashton managed a small smile, though his heart still felt heavy. He didn’t understand why his friends thought the way they did, but he didn’t want to argue anymore.

"Anyway," Ashton said, standing up and dusting off his pants, "my stepmom isn’t like that. She’s... different."

"Different how?" Olivia asked, her curiosity undiminished.

Ashton hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "She... she makes me brownie on weekends," he said finally. "And she helps me with my homework sometimes. And she talks to me like I’m important, like she really cares about what I think."

Olivia’s expression softened, and she smiled. "That does sound nice," she admitted.

Daniel still looked skeptical, but he didn’t say anything more. Instead, he stretched out on the grass again, folding his arms behind his head. "Well, I guess we’ll find out next time," he said lazily. "If she’s really that nice, she’ll probably bring snacks for the teacher."

Ashton rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped him. "You’ll see," he said, his voice filled with quiet determination. "She’s not what you think."

Olivia giggled softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know what that means, right, Ashton?" she said, her tone playful.

Ashton raised an eyebrow, already wary of where this was going. "Means what?"

Daniel smirked from his spot on the grass, his eyes glinting with mischief. "It means you better be ready," he said, propping himself up on his elbows for dramatic effect.

"Ready for what?" Ashton asked, a mix of suspicion and curiosity creeping into his voice.

Daniel’s smirk widened. "For a new sibling, obviously. That’s how it works, right? Nice stepmom, happy dad, and then—bam! New little brother or sister to annoy you!"

Brother? Sister?