Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride-Chapter 882 - 878: Suffocating Every Time I Come Back

In the southern part of City T, a cluster of residences scatter around, different structures arranged haphazardly, surrounded by a large courtyard like a unified whole yet also resembling a dispersed housing area.

In the center of the courtyard, the small mansion stands with its antique architectural style; even with the doors closed, laughter can be heard from afar.

Watching the cousins from his uncles and aunts’ families chatting and laughing in the living room, Evander felt helpless, stood up from the sofa, and headed towards the stairs.

Halfway up, his mother Violet emerged from the kitchen carrying a fruit platter, "Evander, it’s rare for you to come back, why not spend more time with your younger siblings?"

"Mom, they feel I’m too old, there’s a generation gap," Evander fibbed, then held the handrail and stepped onto the stairs. He had barely ascended a few flights when the phone in his leisure pants rang.

He paused, fished out his phone from his pocket, and answered while leaning on the stairs, "Second brother, what’s up? ...Oh, okay, I’ll be right there." After hanging up, Evander hurriedly descended the stairs, walked to the coat rack, grabbed his cotton coat, and as he put it on, he said, "Mom, I’m going out for a bit, have the younger ones watch the New Year’s Gala with you." Speaking, he headed towards the front door. Violet was still distributing fruit to the children and paused to ask with concern, "Evander, where are you going?"

"Oh, a few brothers are playing cards, we’re one short." As he spoke, Evander had already opened the door; in the living room, six or seven younger siblings joked while watching TV, paying no attention to Evander leaving, as he rarely returned and had grown distant from them.

"Evander, don’t go, it’s New Year’s, can’t you stay home and spend more time with me?" Violet called after him, her eyes slightly reddened.

"There’re so many people; it won’t matter if I’m here or not!" Evander said lightly, and after stepping out, the smile on his face vanished with the closing of the door.

He exhaled heavily; every return here suffocated him, rendering him breathless.

In the mansion, Violet went back to her room, sitting on the bed and quietly crying; ten years had passed, and there was a clear estrangement between her and her son.

A knock was heard; Violet hurriedly wiped her tears and said, "Come in," Joseph pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing the traces of tears on Violet’s face, he sat beside her and embraced her while gently wiping away her tear streaks and comforting, "Don’t be sad; as sons grow, they don’t follow mothers anymore. Once he understands your difficulties, he won’t act like this."

"Joseph, do you think we made a mistake?" Violet raised her gaze, frowned at Joseph, who sighed and said, "If there was a mistake, it was the elder brother’s fault. Back then, under such circumstances, we had no choice...." Staring ahead, Joseph’s eyes were filled with anguish; regarding the past, he and Violet were victims, forced by the family’s leaders to act in such a way.

"Joseph, should we... tell Evander?" Violet turned to look at Joseph, who drew back his gaze, looked at her with a half-smile, and asked, "Tell him what? That I’m his real father? Do you think he’ll understand us like Nathan?"

"Then what should we do? We can’t let him avoid us forever," Violet frowned, full of worry. Her son had lived at school since high school and after graduating college had found a place outside on his own....

"Ah, don’t dwell on it, I’ll talk to him when the time is right," Joseph sighed, then stood up, patting Violet’s shoulder, "Let’s go down; the eldest is coming back."

...

At the club, four brothers sat at the card table playing cards. Felix Shaw and Evander Lancaster remained lively as ever, while Nicholas Croft and Nathan Moore hardly spoke. Even though it was New Year’s, no trace of joy could be seen on their faces.