No one could change Cody’s mind. Cristelle had known that fact a long time ago. The boy had made it clear that he wanted to be left alone. As anxious as Cristelle and Linford were, they still respected Cody’s decision.
Soon, the crying subsided, and Cody fell asleep in his bed.
Even though Cody cried for a long time and locked himself in his room, he was still the earliest one to wake up the next morning. The boy valued self-discipline very much. And he just took his self-discipline to another level after spending some days with his uncle.
When he woke up, Lily was the only one who was awake and walking around in the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
“Cody, why did you wake up so early? Have a seat. I’m making pancakes right now. Would you like some blueberry sauce?” Lily smiled, “Come on. Sit. The pancakes will be ready soon.”
Cody nodded as he sat on the tall chair, grabbing a newspaper before saying thank you.
Linford happened to walk out of his bedroom at that moment.
The father and the son met their gazes and soon looked away awkwardly. Linford sighed and took his seat near Cody.
The atmosphere only grew less tense when Cristelle, Pop, and Candace showed up.
Candace went to grab her brother’s hand, checking out his red eyes worriedly, “Cody.”
“I’m okay,” Cody patted his sister’s hand, knowing their Mom must have told Candace something.
Cristelle knew Cody was a proud boy, so she decided not to bring up what had happened last night. The breakfast ended in silence. After that, Linford drove Cristelle and the babies to the kindergarten. Pop’s car followed. When they made it to the school, Drew and Fritzi had been there waiting for a while.
Ah… Fritzi. Cody frowned. He had to dance today, and Fritzi just had to show up.
The boy frowned, “Why are you guys here?”
Fritzi pulled out a camera, “We’re here to cheer you guys up. It’s a competition, right?”
Cody let out a long sigh. Not only did Fritzi come, but she also brought a camera with her.
It seemed like his cool image was gonna be ruined today. Apart from Fritzi and Drew, Tanya somehow decided to come as well, “Your grandpa has to go to work today. So I came here alone.”
Cody thought dancing on the stage might be a humiliating memory, but at least it would be a secret.
With these people present today, Cody was sure that they were gonna roll the clip of him dancing as a little swan on the day of his wedding or his 18th birthday.
Cody suddenly felt extremely desperate.
“What are you guys gonna perform today, though?” Drew asked.
Candace wanted to tell Drew. However, Cody stopped her from doing so, “You guys will see soon.”
“Ah… Surprise. Can’t wait,” Fritzi grinned.
Candace smiled, nodding, “Surprise.”
Cristelle’s eyes had never left Cody. The boy is fine, but he still refuses to make any eye contact with his father.
Cristelle decided to talk to Cody a bit after the performance.
Drew, Fritzi, Pop, and Tanya went to the hall. Linford brought the babies and Cristelle to their class first.
Candace was thrilled as she saw Amy and Thomas.
“Candace!” Amy and Thomas ran toward Candace and Cody when they saw them.
“Ah!” Candace hugged Amy and Thomas, “Amy! Thomas! I missed you!”
Amy’s eyes widened, “Candace! You can talk now!”
Candace stood straighter as she tipped her chin proudly, “I can sing and talk now.”
“I’m happy for you, Candace,” Amy grinned.
Linford smiled as he heard the conversation between the babies. He was so proud of Candace.
****
The competition started quite soon.
Mrs. Weston and Joe were the hosts of the event.
The hall was filled with people. Most parents of the students were rich and powerful, making the whole place splendid.
Candace and Cody’s performance was the 8th one.
The first performer was Betty White. She played violin with her Mom, and the performance was flawless. She won a loud round of applause before she bowed and left the stage with her Mom.
When it was finally Candace and Cody’s turn, Linford walked on the stage first. He was in a sharp black suit. He sat on the bench before the piano. The hall fell silent before he started to play.
Cristelle went to the center of the stage in a white dress. Candace and Cody followed her.
The dance was lovely, bringing a smile to everyone’s face.
Mrs. White was sitting before the stage, taking a sip from her tea. No wonder this woman besotted Linford. She was indeed stunning.
Most audiences couldn’t take their eyes away from Cristelle when she danced.
The kids, however, were surprised to see Linford’s performance.
Linford was the king among the kids in the kindergarten. He was cool normally. They didn’t expect to see him perform. Some kids started to laugh. Others, however, started to call his name to cheer him up.
Cody wasn’t distracted and finished the performance perfectly.
The hall erupted into a loud round of applause. Some people genuinely adored the family. Some just clapped to kiss Linford Bradley’s ass.
“They danced so great. You’ve recorded every minute, haven’t you?” Pop asked Jack, smiling.
“Of course, sir. The performance was flawless.”
Tanya was also smiling. Now, she only wanted to live peacefully with her family. She didn’t want to start any trouble anymore.
The atmosphere was sweet. No one bothered to cast a look at the dark corner.
A woman was standing there. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with deep hatred.
This was her last chance to see Linford.
Clara had lied to her family and escaped the house to make it here. She came to see Linford, but she saw a happy family of four.
Linford had never looked at her the way he looked at Cristelle.
She hated it so much.
The woman who danced on the stage with Linford should have been her! Not that whore!
After what happened years ago, Linford hadn’t even spared her a glance. She couldn’t reconcile herself.
One day, she would make Linford fall in love with her.
Cristelle took Candace to the bathroom after the performance. Her daughter appeared to be extremely nervous. Her palms were sweating.
Cristelle washed her hands under the tap as if she didn’t notice how nervous Candace was, “You performed so well today, honey. We will definitely get a ranking among the best performances.”
Candace tiptoed, washing her hands beside her Mom. She nodded as she smiled faintly.